7 Steps To Defining An Onboarding Plan
1. Pre-boarding
Your new hires are probably as excited about joining your firm as you are about them joining the team! So don’t forget pre-boarding. This is the phase that occurs before their start date. Stay in touch with your new hires and make sure you’re making them feel part of the team – even though they haven’t officially joined yet.
You could send them welcome emails, share company policies, or give them advance notice of meetings before they get started. This not only creates a positive and inclusive atmosphere, but it will also help alleviate any anxieties your new hire is feeling before joining the organization!
2. Nail the First Day
Hiring managers often get the first day very wrong. In an attempt to ‘ease employees in’, new hires are often left aimlessly sitting at their computer waiting for direction on day one. Don’t let this happen! Schedule an orientation session to introduce them to your company culture, values, and mission. Make sure they’re set up with office supplies and a laptop if required. Ensure they have everything they need to hit the ground running.
3. Craft a role-agnostic training plan
The insurance industry is a complex place. Even if your new hires have insurance experience, it’s unlikely that they know the exact nuances of your firm. So, make sure there is a training program to get all new hires up to speed on the insurance industry and your firm. Coupling this with mentoring programs is usually a great way to ensure new hire success.
4. Role-specific learning
As crucial as role-agnostic training is, role-specific training is equally as important. For example, the skills you want to ensure your sales professionals have, will vary greatly from those you want your underwriters to have – right? So, make sure you craft relevant training programs for your new hire’s new role – and provide them with all the necessary resources, training modules and guidelines.
5. Ongoing Support
Did you know it can take 18 months for someone to feel comfortable in a new role? So don’t let your onboarding process finish after a few days or week, schedule regular check-ins with new hires. This could be with HR, the hiring manager, or their mentor, but make sure there is space and freedom for employees to openly communicate.
6. Identify KPIs
Oftentimes new hires feel unsure about whether they are doing well in their new post or not. And this is due to a lack of clarity around what ‘good’ looks like. So, ensure all your employees (new or not!) have clearly defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This gives employees a clear indicator of how well they’re doing – which will help motivate them if they’re achieving beyond expectations. And will highlight when/if they need to ask for help, if necessary.
7. Accept Feedback And Adapt
No matter the time, effort, or attention you give to crafting your onboarding plan – there is always room for improvement! So, gather feedback from your new hires after a period, and evaluate against business metrics to see how well they’ve settled in. If there are any areas that could do with improvements, tweak and adapt!
Effective onboarding isn’t just a stepping stone for success – it is an imperative if you want your new hires to meet your business goals. If you’re looking for support developing your insurance onboarding plans, why not check out our ready-start offering? Or if you need a more personal touch, we’re always here to help you create a bespoke solution just for your firm.