The challenges posed by the current shortage of skilled workersare extensive and affect us all to varying degrees. Therefore, it is crucial that once we find the right person for the job, the onboarding process is as optimal as possible.
New Year - New Employees?
Ensuring a Successful Onboarding Process.
Careful and successful integration of new team members not only helps them assimilate into the company culture faster but also promotes their productivity and attachment to the organization. In this context, it is crucial to develop a well-structured onboarding plan that encompasses not only the practical aspects of the job but also strengthens interpersonal relationships and deepens understanding of the company's philosophy.
For companies, an efficient onboarding process means that new employees become productive more quickly, require less time for adjustment, and exhibit higher job satisfaction. This, in turn, leads to improved employee retention and a positive reputation for the company in the job market.
On the other hand, employees benefit from a smooth entry, clear expectations, and a supportive environment. A well-designed onboarding process builds trust, promotes team integration, and allows new individuals to make a valuable contribution from the start.
To make this process easier, below are some dos and don'ts to consider when designing a successful onboarding program:
Dos
- Clear Introduction: Warmly welcome the new team member and introduce them to the company. Important colleagues and the company culture should be presented directly.
- Structured Onboarding Plan: A detailed onboarding plan covering the first weeks and months helps new employees orient themselves and understand their tasks.
- Promote Communication: Create open communication channels so that questions can be asked. Regular feedback meetings are important to discuss progress and respond quickly.
- Mentoring Program: Enhance the onboarding process with a personal contact person in the company. This facilitates the exchange of information and creates a supportive environment.
- Provide Resources: Access to all necessary resources, including software, hardware, and training materials, should be provided right from the start.
Don´ts
- Avoid Overwhelm: Avoid too much information or tasks at once. A step-by-step approach makes it easier to adapt.
- Lack of Transparency: Uncertainties regarding company goals, rules, and processes should be avoided. Clear information contributes to a smooth entry.
- Prevent Isolation: New team members should be integrated into the company. Socialization is as important as familiarization with tasks.
- Neglect Training: Do not neglect the need for training, especially for specialized positions like CAM programmers. Comprehensive training enhances performance and efficiency.
- Lack of Support: Offer continuous support. Ongoing discussions about challenges and successes foster trust and attachment.
Our Tip for You: If you are hiring an additional person for CAM programming this year and they are not familiar with Siemens NX or it has been a while since their last training, we recommend training in this area. From beginners ' courses to expert workshops, at JANUS Engineering, we offer the opportunity to train and educate new or existing employees, covering the entire spectrum of the PLM process chain from design to data management to manufacturing. For more information on our training offerings, please click here.
Conclusion
In the past year, we were able to expand our team with new employees and asked them what they valued most during the onboarding phase. The feedback was clear: a positive aspect was that they could dive directly into tasks and operational work, supported by their team colleagues for questions and uncertainties. It was particularly important for us to ask for feedback and opportunities for improvement so that we could implement them directly. No process is perfect from the start, but if you provide room for honest feedback and act on it, you are already on the right path.
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