The way to Implement Worker Onboarding Automation + Examples

Key takeaways Start by figuring out outdated duties in your worker onboarding that would profit from automation equivalent to paper-based documentation. Select the fitting worker onboarding automation instruments by exploring completely different software program options and third-party integrations. Create workflows with clear triggers (e.g., provide letter signed) and actions (e.g., notifying IT for setup), and regularly monitor and enhance based mostly on suggestions and efficiency insights.

What’s worker onboarding automation?

Worker onboarding automation streamlines duties equivalent to paperwork, coaching assignments, and conferences. That is sometimes carried out by onboarding software program techniques or basic HR software program platforms. These tech options are additionally an effective way to handle distant onboarding.

For instance, Rippling means that you can create custom-made workflows for onboarding to tailor the method to your organization’s wants. You possibly can arrange particular triggers in order that when a sure motion is taken, equivalent to returning the signed provide letter, a follow-up motion or notification is initiated.

The way to automate onboarding

1. Overview your present worker onboarding course of

It’s useful to begin by itemizing the steps of your worker onboarding course of. If you have already got an worker onboarding guidelines, check with that and double-check that it’s up-to-date and aligned together with your present processes.

2. Determine which onboarding processes you need to automate

Take a look at your onboarding course of and contemplate the place you could profit from automations. Not each step in your onboarding workflow must be automated, however you could discover that sure areas are notably time-consuming and burdensome on your workforce and ought to be a prime precedence for automation.

3. Consider your onboarding software program capabilities

Should you’re utilizing an HR software program system with onboarding capabilities, you could have already got the mandatory technical instruments to construct your automations. Overview your present software program’s capabilities, and phone the seller for assist in the event you’re uncertain the place to seek out workflow automations inside the platform or in case your present plan helps this characteristic.

It’s additionally a good suggestion to examine if any third-party integrations, equivalent to Zapier, will work together with your current software program platform. This may be considerably cheaper and extra handy than switching over to a wholly new HR platform.

In case your present software program doesn’t help automated onboarding workflows, you could want to begin evaluating new instruments to seek out one that may deal with the processes that you simply recognized as prime priorities for automation. BambooHR, our best choice for worker onboarding software program, is a wonderful choice to discover. BambooHR provides customizable onboarding templates and workflow automations to maintain your course of constant and arranged.

4. Construct your automated workflows

When you’ve acquired your tech found out, you can begin constructing your automations. The precise course of will differ a bit based mostly on the onboarding platform you’re utilizing, however you’ll usually at all times have to set a set off and an motion.

A set off is the occasion that happens to provoke the automated motion. A standard set off is likely to be an worker signing their provide letter or an worker’s begin date arriving. Then, the motion happens, that is the step that you really want the software program program to carry out when it registers the set off. For instance, a set off will be the worker signing their provide letter, and an motion might be sending a notification to IT to arrange their pc and workstation.

5. Monitor the effectiveness of your onboarding automations

When you’ve created and carried out your automated onboarding workflows, you’ll need to repeatedly monitor their effectiveness and tweak them as wanted. Be aware of any bumps you or your workforce encounter, and you’ll want to assessment and replace your onboarding automations repeatedly as your processes change. It’s additionally a good suggestion to solicit worker suggestions on their onboarding expertise.

Whereas staff received’t essentially know what automations you will have in place, they will level out what labored nicely or didn’t all through the method, which might uncover some insights into the effectiveness of your automations.

Advantages of onboarding automation

Automating your onboarding course of can profit your group in a number of methods. Listed below are just a few to recollect as you contemplate implementing onboarding automations.

Streamlines the onboarding course of

A streamlined course of helps new hires full onboarding duties on time. Guide processes could cause delays, prolong onboarding timelines, or create confusion.

Reduces the executive burden of onboarding

Worker onboarding can include lots of tedious administrative duties that eat up your workforce’s time, equivalent to manually sending emails, organising consumer accounts, filling out the HRIS and payroll profiles, and protecting monitor of what paperwork has been returned. With onboarding automation, that point will be higher directed in the direction of the extra hands-on interpersonal points of onboarding to supply a greater expertise on your new hires.

Improves the brand new rent expertise

Onboarding means that you can make a robust first impression together with your new rent. Offering a seamless onboarding course of won’t solely assist them be higher ready to leap into their new roles, nevertheless it additionally lays the inspiration for higher worker engagement and satisfaction. Whenever you automate your onboarding, the important thing sources and data they should get began will arrive of their inbox in time for his or her first day, letting them begin off on the fitting foot.

Reduces the chance of errors

Whenever you’re dealing with your whole onboarding processes manually, there’s room for errors or inconsistencies. You possibly can simply make a kind when manually inputting data from an worker’s onboarding kinds into one other system. You might also overlook a step and by accident depart an worker with out key data or a obligatory login throughout their first week.

Whenever you automate your processes, there’s a larger degree of consistency throughout each onboarding you carry out and a decrease chance of errors.

Examples of worker onboarding automations

Listed below are some examples of onboarding automations which you can arrange. Observe that automation capabilities can differ by platform.

Scheduling orientation conferences

You possibly can automate the method of scheduling conferences on your new rent. Relying in your group’s orientation course of, you’ll be able to create workflows to schedule conferences with the worker’s supervisor, HR consultant, IT division, or their entire workforce for introductions.

Establishing new worker accounts

Your new worker will want lots of new accounts. They’ll have to entry your payroll and time monitoring system, electronic mail, and certain some mission administration or inner messaging instruments. Relying in your chosen software program resolution and the way it integrates with these different apps, you might be able to arrange an automation to create these accounts earlier than your new worker’s first day. This may be triggered once they return their signed provide letter or a set variety of days earlier than their scheduled begin date.

Sending onboarding activity reminders

As an alternative of manually checking in on the completion of onboarding duties like paperwork completion or coverage acknowledgments, you’ll be able to set a notification electronic mail to exit every time a activity is overdue. Construct a templated electronic mail or in-platform notification that might be triggered to exit at set occasions (equivalent to when a deadline is approaching, when one thing is sooner or later late, and at ongoing intervals till it’s submitted).

Managing gear mailings

Should you’re hiring distant staff, you’ll be able to create a workflow automation to assist ship out gear earlier than their begin date. When a begin date is approaching, you’ll be able to create automations equivalent to pinging IT to ship gear and mechanically producing a cargo label with the worker’s data for them to make use of.

Onboarding coaching assignments

Arrange customized workflows to assign the fitting coaching programs based mostly on an worker’s location, function, and division. For instance, sure states have specific coaching necessities for sexual harassment, meals dealing with, office security, and different areas that will differ based mostly on the worker’s job.

Sending check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days

You possibly can automate your suggestions course of by setting your worker onboarding software program to ship out a suggestions survey on the 30, 60, and 90-day mark after an worker has been onboarded. Guarantee that you’ve the proper begin date recorded in your worker onboarding system or HRIS platform, and arrange a survey to mechanically be despatched every time a brand new rent hits a kind of three milestones.

Onboarding automation FAQs

What steps of the onboarding course of will be automated?

Steps equivalent to sending and monitoring onboarding paperwork, assigning coaching, organising accounts, and scheduling conferences will be automated. Onboarding automation can also be useful for sending pulse surveys and check-ins throughout and following the onboarding course of to gather suggestions.

What’s worker onboarding software program?

Worker onboarding software program refers to digital instruments designed to help and streamline the worker onboarding course of. Usually, onboarding software program just isn’t a standalone resolution, however is as an alternative a part of a extra well-rounded HR software program system.

Can worker onboarding be absolutely automated?

Whereas many steps within the worker onboarding course of will be automated with the fitting expertise, a number of steps will nonetheless require a human contact. For instance, you’ll be able to automate the project of a mentor or new rent buddy or the scheduling of an preliminary workforce welcome assembly, however the conferences or communications that observe shouldn’t be automated as you need to construct a real connection. Automation helps you save time on the paperwork and administrative steps, to offer you extra time for the extra interpersonal points of onboarding.