Revolutionizing Onboarding With Technology: 5 Must-haves for Your HR Toolbox

In today’s competitive landscape, it has become more important than ever to ensure that the onboarding process for new employees is as efficient and effective as possible. A survey by Glassdoor revealed that employees who were pleased with their onboarding experience were 18 times more committed to their organization, while 89% felt like they were strongly integrated into the company culture.

Technology can play a major role in revolutionizing the onboarding process, helping to reduce costs, streamline processes, and ensure that new hires are fully prepared to hit the ground running when they start their job.

So, what are the must-have onboarding technologies that a company needs to improve its HR onboarding processes? Let’s look at the following tools that are currently revolutionizing HR.

1. Onboarding Software

Onboarding software can be used to automate part of the onboarding process by making it smoother and more streamlined. For example, it can help the HR department save time as it can help automate the onboarding process for multiple employees at once, making it more efficient. 

It can automatically collect data and record task completion in the system. This often includes documentation requirements, training schedules, and introduction to departments and colleagues. 

Features of an Onboarding Software

Automate Processes and Workflow

Digital employee onboarding software automates the process for new hires to make the workflow easier to understand. It also removes repetitive steps and makes the workflow more efficient. 

Once the new hire completes the first step, the system can then notify the next person in the workflow training of their progress. The system can then send notifications and emails to inform HR of what has been accomplished so far and how the training is going for the new hire. 

Cloud Technology

Having a centralized storage system in the cloud helps companies protect their onboarding files. It also makes it easier for new hires to complete onboarding even if they’re working remotely.

Analytics

A built-in data analytics system can review the efficiency and effectiveness of your training programs in the software. It can help you manage and create additional areas for your onboarding program that could improve the experience for new hires. 

Goal Setting

An onboarding software can also enable new hires to set their goals in the company. HR and the onboarding team can map out these goals over a period, making sure that a new hire achieves them within the desired time frame. 

This makes it easier for HR to assess the performance of new employees and give managers the necessary data they need for the appraisal process. Goal setting is also a good way for new hires to track their progress during onboarding.

2. Video-based Training

According to research, 65% of the population are visual learners. This confirms the idea that video-based training can be an effective and engaging way to introduce new concepts and ideas about your company and how it operates. Instead of introducing massive amounts of information through text-based slides and documents, you can make new joiners’ learning curves shorter and easier by incorporating helpful presentation videos that demonstrate what you want them to learn. 

This is also a great way to break down complex information that might be challenging to understand simply by reading.

3. Automation Tools

Automation can help HR departments with the onboarding process because it helps them save time and effort, particularly when it comes to responding to emails, queries, and onboarding communication. 

These automation tools may include email, chatbots, checklists, and e-signature tools. The onboarding process can require a rapid exchange of communication between new hires and the onboarding team. 

But with these automation tools, the onboarding team can set a schedule, communicate with new hires, and send email messages that connect them with the team and their trainers. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made these automation tools available 24/7. This makes it easier for HR and onboarding teams to respond to the needs of new employees, even if the HR team is small. 

You can use e-signatures that allow those involved in certain workflows to automatically sign and submit documents. HR teams can then conveniently collect reports and signed documents from new hires and concerned stakeholders with minimal effort. 

4. CyberSecurity Tools

Equipping new employees with cybersecurity tools is an important part of employee onboarding, as cybersecurity tools can help protect employee data and company information from malicious attacks. 

By providing new employees with the necessary tools and cybersecurity awareness training, employers can help to ensure that their new employees are aware of the risks of data breaches and how to protect against them. This is especially important in industries that process sensitive customer data or work in highly regulated sectors.

When onboarding, employers should provide new employees with tools such as VPNs for their Mac or Windows devices, antivirus software, and other necessary security solutions. Additionally, employers should also provide training on how to use these tools. 

With the right tools and security awareness training provided right from the start, new employees can help protect not only the company but also themselves from cyberthreats.

5. Gamification

Gamification is more than just technology; it’s also a methodology that can effectively increase engagement and motivation. If your onboarding lessons have several modules and lots of information, they can quickly get boring and uninteresting for new hires.

Gamification can change that by including interactive game-like elements in your learning. Rather than merely completing learning chapters because they’re required, employees can be encouraged to go through them so that they can earn points, achievement badges, or earn a spot on the leaderboard.

Integrating gamification into your onboarding processes doesn’t have to be hard, especially with gamification platforms like Loquiz. On our site, you’ll find tons of creative and innovative ideas on how to implement gamification, from online scavenger hunts to networking games, and virtual event ideas.

Benefits of Using Technology in Onboarding

Integrating these solutions in your HR onboarding processes prepares new hires for their roles faster while providing a more uniform experience. Once you’ve figured out how to make the different parts fit together and have developed suitable materials, new joiners will be more likely to view your organization as professional and easy to do business with.

Here are some of the major benefits of including them in your HR toolbox:

Enhances Onboarding Security and Accuracy

Using these technologies can enhance security in your onboarding processes. Companies can also decrease the chances of errors and inaccuracies while preventing security breaches that could compromise your company’s data.

Saves Time, Effort, and Money

These solutions save time, effort, and money by lightening the workload of your staff. They also make it easier to train new hires for less since most of the training can be automated. Since it demands fewer resources, you can have an impressive onboarding experience even if you have a lean HR team.

Improves Data Management

Onboarding solutions can automate workflows, user access, and more while providing greater security through VPNs. This means better and smarter data management that doesn’t rely too heavily on user interference.

The bottom line

The onboarding process is an important milestone in anyone’s career journey. During this crucial period, new employees continue to form their opinions about your organization while learning as much as possible so they can successfully navigate it from within.

A streamlined and carefully designed onboarding experience sets your people up for success and helps them feel engaged and committed.

Along with quality onboarding materials, adding these onboarding tools will enrich their career experience with you while ensuring that your people are well-positioned to deliver their best work.

References: 

https://www.freshworks.com/hrms/employee-onboarding/essential-tools-for-employee-onboarding/
https://whatfix.com/blog/onboarding-software/
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/technology/pages/employee-experience-revolutionizes-hr-technology-josh-bersin-hr-tech.aspx
https://www.ispringsolutions.com/blog/onboarding-automation
https://www.humanresourcestoday.com/onboarding/?open-article-id=22733983&article-title=onboarding–new-trends-for-2023&blog-domain=essium.co&blog-title=essium-hrm
https://www.humanresourcestoday.com/onboarding/?open-article-id=22962426&article-title=using-onboarding-software-to-do-more-with-less&blog-domain=essium.co&blog-title=essium-hrm