An HR manager leveraged one of the best onboarding systems to streamline the process

Onboarding Software

Master Your Onboarding With These Top 6 Features You Can’t Afford to Overlook In Onboarding Systems

March 14, 2024

Reem Al-Tamimi

Reem Al-Tamimi

Content Writer

Nowadays, “onboarding process” is the word most used on a recruiter’s lips. 

As businesses navigate the recruitment process, the focus has significantly shifted towards not just attracting but also efficiently integrating new talent into their teams.

This is where the role of efficient onboarding systems becomes critical. It’s not merely about making tasks easier for the recruitment team; it’s about ensuring new hires feel welcomed and valued from their very first day. By utilizing an advanced onboarding system, companies can automate and personalize the onboarding process, making it not only more efficient but also more engaging for new employees.

But in the middle of a sea of features and functionalities, which ones are absolutely transformative for recruiters?

What a brilliant question! We break it all down for you in today’s blog post.

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The Power of First Impressions 

The magic of first impressions isn’t just for social encounters; it plays a crucial role in the onboarding process for new hires as well. Onboarding is your opportunity to set the tone for an employee’s journey at your company, making it a key moment to create a memorable experience.

According to a study by Gallup, effective onboarding is a journey that leads to a concrete and positive employee experience. When executed well, it ensures that employees feel involved and supported from their first day, setting them up for success. This approach can significantly reduce employee turnover, enhance the overall employee experience, and increase productivity while also making your company more attractive to potential talent.

Moreover, research by SHRM has shown that employees who have a positive onboarding experience are much more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. This satisfaction translates into a longer time at the company. Therefore, investing in a comprehensive onboarding system that delivers a seamless and engaging process is vital for every organization’s success.

However, a poor onboarding experience can have the opposite effect. According to Digitate, employees who undergo a disappointing onboarding process are twice as likely to look for new job opportunities sooner.

How does a flawed onboarding process impact your business?

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High employee turnover rates

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Decreased sales efficiency

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Drop in employee productivity

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Lower employee morale

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Reduce business ROI

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Increased training and recruitment costs

Overall, a well-designed onboarding process is a reflection of your company’s culture, workflow, and environment. It sends a clear message to new hires and the job market at large about how much your company values its people. Thus, focusing on a positive onboarding experience is essential for retaining talent and building a strong, committed workforce.

The Critical Role of Onboarding Systems in Modern HR

A recruiter thinking about the role of onboarding systems

Employee turnover can feel like a minor issue at first, but before you know it, it escalates into a major problem that affects productivity and morale. Luckily, a strong onboarding process can prevent this from happening by avoiding common mistakes right from the start. The secret to turning this challenge into an opportunity? Modern onboarding systems like EVA-BOARD are essential to effective HR strategies.

These automated onboarding systems do more than just replace paper with digital files; they reimagine the way we welcome new employees into an organization. They ensure every hire is greeted with a standardized, efficient process marked by the same level of care and professionalism. This uniformity is crucial in making newcomers feel valued from day one.

But why exactly does every business, regardless of size or industry, need to embrace an onboarding system like EVA-BOARD?

  • Documentation Made Easy: The traditional dread of paperwork is replaced by a streamlined digital process. This speeds things up and makes the entire process more manageable for everyone involved.
  • Compliance Without Complications: With these systems, adhering to legal and regulatory requirements becomes simpler, effectively protecting both the company and its employees without the headache.
  • Visibility and Engagement: They offer clear and visible steps in the onboarding process, enhancing engagement and clarifying the journey for new hires, thereby demystifying their initial experience.
  • Speed to Productivity: By eliminating unnecessary delays in the onboarding process, new employees can reach their full productive capacity sooner, benefiting both their morale and the company’s performance.
  • Accuracy and Communication: Modern onboarding systems help reduce manual errors and miscommunication, ensuring a smoother transition and better integration of new hires into the team.
  • Integration with HR Ecosystems: These systems are not stand-alone solutions. They seamlessly connect with other HR software, ensuring a cohesive and efficient workflow across various HR functions.

In the past, sticking to traditional onboarding methods might have been the norm. Still, in today’s remote and hybrid work world, an employee onboarding system is a recipe for disengagement and dissatisfaction. Over 69% of managers recognize the complexity and time-intensive nature of onboarding, underscoring the need for a tailored, attentive approach that only advanced onboarding systems can provide.

Top 6 Must-Have Features in Modern Onboarding Systems

A manager exploring the onboarding software

A positive start sets the tone for an employee’s journey within your organization. The key to unlocking this successful commencement lies in a well-structured, automated employee onboarding experience – a crucial factor in boosting retention and fostering a positive workplace atmosphere. 

However, creating such a rewarding experience is no small feat. It demands sophisticated onboarding systems for new employees that are equipped to handle the intricacies of modern HR demands. In this exploration, we dive into the top 6 indispensable features modern onboarding systems must have in 2024. These features are designed not only to streamline your onboarding processes but also to significantly enhance the overall employee experience from day one.

Achieve More with Automated Workflow Management

A positive beginning is pivotal in an employee’s journey, with a seamless, automated onboarding experience playing a critical role in ensuring long-term retention and satisfaction. However, crafting such an enriching experience demands more than just good intentions; it requires the robust capabilities of advanced onboarding systems like EVA-BOARD. This sophisticated software is designed to transform the complexity of onboarding into a streamlined, enjoyable process for new employees, setting a solid foundation for their careers within your organization.

Automated workflow management is at the heart of EVA-BOARD, a feature that revolutionizes how onboarding is approached. With EVA-BOARD, the era of manual tasks, paper forms, reminder notes, and cheat sheets is over. This system automates the entire onboarding process, from creating custom onboarding checklists to ensuring new hires are connected with their teammates even before their first day. By automatically assigning tasks to everyone involved, setting deadlines, and sending out reminders, EVA-BOARD ensures that no critical step is overlooked – from document submissions to scheduling essential training sessions.

This automation extends beyond mere task management; it’s about minimizing manual errors that can delay or disrupt the onboarding process. By speeding up every step, EVA-BOARD empowers HR teams to devote more time to meaningful, personalized interactions with new hires, ensuring they feel welcomed and valued from the start.

Moreover, this accelerated, efficient process means new employees can begin contributing to their teams sooner, facilitating a smoother transition and reducing the time to productivity. EVA-BOARD embodies the principle that a well-executed onboarding experience is not just beneficial for the new hire but enriches the entire organizational ecosystem.

Here’s the crucial role of workflow automation in streamlining the process:

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Simplifies manual tasks, boosting efficiency.

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Automates application transfer within workflows.

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Sends reminders to keep stakeholders on track.

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Ensures precise, consistent process execution.

Simplifying Workflows with Document Management and E-Signatures

The administrative workload involved in onboarding can often feel daunting, encompassing everything from employment contracts to benefits enrollment. It’s a critical phase where the excitement of a new job can quickly be dampened by the mountain of paperwork awaiting new hires. 

Luckily, a cutting-edge onboarding system like EVA-BOARD revolutionizes document management and e-signatures, allowing you to send all necessary documents to new hires for their digital signatures before their first day. This seamless document exchange drastically reduces the time by 80% and costs associated with manual administrative tasks. With EVA-BOARD, the hassle of collecting, organizing, and storing paperwork becomes a thing of the past. Instead, you’re equipped to handle all crucial documents in one organized, efficient sweep, ensuring a smooth start for your newest team members.

Adopting a web-based employee onboarding system like EVA-BOARD means stepping away from outdated, paper-based processes and moving towards a digital, eco-friendly solution. E-signatures simplify the form completion process for new hires, significantly speeding up the onboarding timeline while also bolstering the security and accessibility of stored documents.

With EVA-BOARD, you’re not just improving the onboarding process; you’re redefining it, demonstrating your organization’s commitment to innovation, efficiency, and a positive employee experience right from the start. It’s where administrative burdens are lifted, and the focus shifts to welcoming new talent with open arms.

Optimize Your Onboarding Customizable Checklists

Tackling the mountain of admin work that comes with onboarding – think employment contracts, benefits forms, and getting everyone up to speed – might seem like a Herculean task.

However, an advanced onboarding system like EVA-BOARD transforms a complex process into a smooth, efficient experience. This new hire onboarding system stands out with its ability to offer customizable checklists, ensuring a personalized onboarding journey for each new employee. Whether tailored by role, department, or location, EVA-BOARD guarantees a thorough yet straightforward path for everyone.

These customizable checklists are key to a successful onboarding process, making sure all the necessary steps are covered without bombarding new hires with too much information all at once. EVA-BOARD’s approach is about pacing the experience, allowing new employees to absorb details at their own speed. Through staggered information delivery and personalized learning paths, it ensures that new hires engage with essential information effectively. Interactive modules and progress-tracking checklists add to the system’s effectiveness, keeping the onboarding journey engaging and manageable.

In short, EVA-BOARD makes onboarding a streamlined, engaging process that caters to the unique needs of each new hire. It’s about more than just completing tasks; it’s about ensuring a smooth transition into the company from day one.

Create unlimited onboarding journeys

Easily build various onboarding journeys for different business units, job levels, and regions. With EVA-BOARD, you can seamlessly customize your onboarding workflows, templates and portals to give multiple new hires exceptional experiences.

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Amplify Development with E-Learning and Training Modules

No matter one’s proficiency or expertise in a particular domain, orientation or training before commencing a new role is indispensable. Now, put yourself in the new hire’s shoes – imagine the blend of excitement and nervousness as you stand on the threshold of this new chapter. The journey ahead is full of promise, but it’s the initial guidance and training that will set the tone for your success and integration into the team.

That’s where smart onboarding systems like EVA-BOARD come into play. They integrate comprehensive e-learning and training modules tailored to facilitate the acclimatization of new hires. These platforms provide an extensive array of resources, accessible at any time, which covers the range from detailed company policies to nuanced skills pertinent to the individual’s role. Such adaptability in learning materials ensures that the requisite information is readily available to them, irrespective of the new employee’s preferred timing or method of learning.

EVA-BOARD makes this crucial phase of transition smoother and more engaging. By offering interactive and engaging learning experiences, it caters to different learning styles, ensuring that new hires are not just passive recipients of information. 

Here are 6 powerful ways to keep the learning journey impactful during the onboarding process:

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Use quizzes for knowledge checks.

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Employ interactive scenarios for practice.

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Offer immediate feedback for improvement.

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Blend in collaborative group activities.

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Integrate video-based learning segments.

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Apply gamification for engagement.

Boost Performance through Progress Tracking and Feedback

Monitoring the progress of new hires and obtaining their feedback to improve the onboarding process is often overlooked. Without this crucial step, it’s challenging to gauge the effectiveness of the onboarding program. Implementing onboarding systems that streamline the tracking and feedback collection progress ensures a comprehensive understanding of each new hire’s journey.

Such advanced systems, like EVA-BOARD, equip HR teams and managers with the ability to easily track the progress of new employees through simple deadline setting and automated reminders. This keeps everyone, from new hires to the internal team, well-informed and engaged throughout the onboarding process. Seeing real-time progress not only aids in managing the onboarding timeline but also instills a sense of accomplishment in new hires as they complete each step.

Moreover, a feedback mechanism is integral to refining and enhancing the onboarding experience. It facilitates the collection of valuable insights directly from new employees, offering a clear picture of what’s working and what might need adjustment. This continuous loop of feedback and improvement is essential for developing an onboarding program that truly resonates with new hires and addresses their needs effectively.

This level of monitoring and feedback is critical for identifying areas for improvement and ensuring that the onboarding process not only meets but exceeds expectations. By leveraging such capabilities, companies can ensure their onboarding program is a dynamic, responsive system that adapts to the evolving needs of their workforce, setting the stage for long-term success.

Transform Decision-Making with Reporting and Analytics

Given the high cost associated with employee turnover – up to three times an employee’s annual salary, it becomes clear why reporting and analytics is a must-have feature in employee onboarding systems. This feature equips HR teams with valuable insights, allowing for continuous refinement of onboarding strategies to effectively meet organizational and employee needs. To truly understand how reporting and analytics revolutionize the onboarding process, let’s delve into the specific benefits they bring to HR teams and the organization as a whole:

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Access to detailed analytics enables HR professionals to base decisions on solid data, reducing reliance on assumptions. This capability ensures that strategies for onboarding are not only effective but also aligned with the goal of improving new hire experiences.
  • Identifying Process Improvements: By analyzing completion rates, feedback scores, and time-to-productivity, inefficiencies in the onboarding process can be pinpointed and addressed. This continuous optimization process ensures the onboarding experience remains efficient and responsive to the needs of new employees.
  • Monitoring Key Performance Indicators: Reporting and analytics allow for the tracking of essential onboarding metrics, providing a clear picture of the program’s effectiveness. Regularly reviewing these indicators helps HR teams adjust their approaches to enhance the onboarding experience further.
  • Compliance Monitoring: This feature helps in identifying compliance-related issues promptly, preventing potential legal problems. By ensuring onboarding processes are up to date with current laws and regulations, organizations can protect themselves and their employees.
  • Improving Engagement and Retention: Analytics plays a crucial role in developing strategies to engage and retain new hires. Understanding the impact of various onboarding activities on employee satisfaction and retention enables HR teams to fine-tune their efforts for better outcomes.

Incorporating reporting and analytics into onboarding systems transforms the process into a strategic, data-driven endeavor. This approach not only improves the efficiency and effectiveness of onboarding but also contributes to a positive experience for new hires, aligning with the overall goals of the organization.

Empower Your New Hires with Onboarding Excellence

A manager happy with his employees progress

To unlock the secret to cultivating a team of happy, long-term employees, the magic starts with an exceptional onboarding experience. This critical first chapter not only shapes a new hire’s view of your organization but sets the stage for their ongoing engagement and productivity. By focusing on a well-crafted onboarding strategy, particularly through specialized training for HR staff and managers, you ensure every new member feels immediately part of the family.

Imagine kicking off the onboarding process even before day one, assigning mentors to guide the way, laying out crystal clear job expectations, and rolling out comprehensive training programs. Add to this a culture of open communication, where feedback flows freely, and growth is not just encouraged but supported.

Ready to onboard and nurture new hires before day one?

EVA-BOARD is an advanced onboarding system that helps companies streamline the entire onboarding journey to help new hires hit the ground running before they even start. Companies that use EVA-BOARD can onboard newcomers in only minutes, create unlimited onboarding processes, centralize onboarding tasks in one single place, and seamlessly share documents and request e-signatures instantly. Book your personalized demo today!

Turn top talent to employees fast

Hire, assess, onboard and manage top talent for every job. See how Elevatus streamlines everything; from acquire to new hire.

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Author

Reem Al-Tamimi

Reem Al-Tamimi

Turn top talent to employees fast

Hire, assess, onboard and manage top talent for every job. See how Elevatus streamlines everything; from acquire to new hire.

Request a demo