How do you avoid overwhelming or boring new hires with too much or too little information?

I have work in corporations and nonprofits where they've had an onboarding process either in place and things are very organized or no process and onboarding was often chaotic. The manager, new hire and even HR floundered with what to do on the first day or months to follow where no process was in place. To a new hire, it led to a poor impression of the organization that could lead to higher turnover. It also increased the workload of the manager and HR re-creating a new training for each individual new hire. With an onboarding strategy in place, it elevates the organization compared to others, streamlines workloads, and makes for a professional and enjoyable experience for the new hire which likely will minimize turnover

When planning your onboarding process, it's crucial to have a well-articulated plan with clear outcomes. Additionally, it's important to consider possible contradictions, particularly as they relate to the onboarding timeline. Take the time to go through each activity and determine a reasonable completion time – don't forget to include lunch, team meetings, and 1:1s. If you're not allotting enough time for all activities, it's time to go back to the drawing board.

With successful onboarding approaches, where the program was rated highly by a new hire, were when we varied the amount of training with also hands on work. It gives the new hire a chance to contribute and add value right away plus limits information overload. It's difficult to tailor each onboarding to the individuals learning style in larger organizations because you are often orienting multiple new hires at once. What's been helpful also, besides varying activities, is to vary location and trainers from all levels of the organization to avoid stagnation.

It's important for new hires to be well-equipped for their role at the end of onboarding, but not necessarily experts yet. If there's too much information to process, create a culture of learning to help them gradually improve. Supplemental information and job-shadowing can also be great ways to help them reach the next level.

A Full-Time, Senior-Level Manager will have a different employment and onboarding experience than a Part-Time Associate. A hiring team consisting of the Recruiter, Onboarding Specialist, and Hiring Manager should collaborate to compile a list of actions that must be completed by the New Hire, along with the necessary information and documents they need to succeed as they begin their new positions. Utilize tracking spreadsheets or documents to make sure the New Hire receives and returns all time-sensitive documents. Also, prior to their hire, prepare a FAQs sheet, benefit summary, and person of contact for any questions or concerns that may arise as they get settled in. Lastly, make sure they feel welcomed and that they belong!

Where it's been more challenging to customize onboarding with a large group of new hires, I have found that assigning them a "work buddy" that isn't in their work group. The buddy will take them to lunch or coffee perhaps and the new hire can ask them frank questions without any worry of repercussions. It also makes them feel appreciated.

It's important to differentiate between required and optional activities when outlining an onboarding. It's worth noting that individuals with years of experience may overlook seemingly insignificant tasks that are actually important. For example, company history and values should not be overlooked.

A large medical device organization that I worked at our intern program was extremely successful each summer because of the effort my team made in creating fun social activities throughout the summer for all of the company's interns together. It creates a bond between all of them and increased our acceptance rate once offers were made because interns wanted to work with the people they had created friendships and professional connections with in the organization.

Promote socialization and integration from the very start. Fostering a culture of socialization and relationships during the preboarding (so before their Day 1) can set your new hires up for success later. One way of doing this is to ask new hires before they start to introduce themselves. Try to make it fun and in line with your company. For instance, a company in FMCG that we work with asks their new hires for their favorite cocktail recipe. Or a museum in the UK asks them their favorite piece of art of all time. That way you break the ice and help onboardees land within your organization!

To ensure your new hire's productivity and success, it's crucial that employees know what's expected of them and what actions they should take next. Without clear guidance, confusion may arise, leading to mistakes and lowered productivity. Providing a clear next step empowers employees to take action and make progress, which in turn can boost their confidence and motivation. This ultimately leads to better job performance and satisfaction. Remember, as a manager, colleague, or mentor, it's always important to communicate a clear next step to your employees, especially after onboarding. It can make all the difference in their work life.

>80% of onboardees say that onboarding is crucial in their decision to stay with a company long-term. Make sure you have an unforgettable experience for them set up. But then afterwards you want to gather their feedback. What do you like? What can we improve? Why? Well; first it gives valuable insights for you. But secondly (and just as important) you show your onboardees that you care about their experience & opinion. Nothing can do more harm than showing that you don't really care about them by not asking for their feedback!

How to avoid too much information/ overwhelming during the onboarding : 1. Combine self paced documentation with live sessions 2. Chunck the content in small sessions and split it per days 3. Personalize the content based on roles (too avoid too much information for everyone and which won't be used in the end by anyone) 4. Create an Onboarding Checklist to highlisght what should be prioritized as mandatory and what should be as optional