What are the objectives and stages of a successful integration process?

The culmination of the recruitment process, the integration process is a key stage for the company. It lays the foundations for the working relationship with the employee. This integration period may or may not validate the recruitment. It’s time to boost employee motivation, commitment and loyalty. How can you set up an integration process in your company? quarksUp gives you its advice for a successful integration into a company.

What is a company integration program?

The integration process, or “onboarding”, refers to the period during which a new arrival is welcomed into a company. It concerns the actions and practices implemented to help new employees integrate into the company and the team.

The integration process is at the crossroads of the recruitment process and the career path within the company. It bridges the gap between the time of hiring and the time of taking up the position.

The induction process concerns the employee’s experience on arrival. It ensures that the new employee takes up his or her new position in the best possible way and understands how the company works.

What are the objectives of an integration program?

1 – What’s at stake for the company

To attract new talent, companies are paying increasing attention to their recruitment processes. The integration process is an essential stage in the final validation of a new hire. It represents a major challenge for the company, enabling it to :

Reduce recruitment costs (fewer people leaving on probation);

Build loyalty among new arrivals and ensure they adhere to the company’s values;

Improve a team’s performance thanks to a well-managed handover;

Reinforce a sense of belonging;

Work on your employer brand.

Did you know that? Some major companies offer personalized induction courses

A personalized integration process will have an even greater impact. Some major groups have understood this. For example, they offer innovative integration paths, especially for “young graduates”.

2 – The stakes for the team concerned

Welcoming a new colleague is not always easy. The integration process not only keeps the team motivated, but also optimizes its performance.

Some people may be reluctant. The integration process must remove these barriers. The aim is to ensure that information is properly passed on, to ensure the team’s productivity.

Training a newcomer can be very time-consuming for other employees. When designing your induction program, it’s vital to make sure you set aside time for this kind of training. You can also appoint a team member to train newcomers.

3 – Challenges for the new employee

For new employees, the induction process will be their first impression of the company. This will enable him to confirm, or not, his decision to permanently join this structure. During this period, he will have to acquire a good knowledge of his working environment:

Team members ;
Important company locations ;
Key contacts ;
Corporate values ;
Procedures to follow.

The most important thing for him is to make sure that the job and the company match his expectations.

What are the stages in the employee integration process?

1 – Welcoming new employees

Welcoming new recruits begins before they actually arrive on the premises. In fact, there’s a whole pre-integration phase. During this period, the HR department gathers all the administrative documents required for payroll and health insurance, among other things. The N+1 ensures that work tools are made available from the day the employee joins the company. Office, supplies, computer, telephone, Internet access, e-mail and badges: nothing should be forgotten.

On the day of arrival, the employee must be introduced to the whole team. This can be an opportunity to organize a team lunch, to facilitate integration. His manager supports him as he takes on his technical role.

It may be a good idea to give him or her a welcome booklet. It may contain a presentation of the company and its history, useful information (opening hours, company restaurant, etc.), important contact details (nurses, payroll, etc.) and computer access.

2 – Company integration program: follow-up and monthly review

The length of the integration process can vary from company to company. Nevertheless, it’s important to set milestones. At the end of the first day, it’s vital to gather the employee’s first impressions and answer any questions they may have. This meeting can be led by the manager or by HR.

Then schedule regular check-ups to ensure that the new employee is settling in well: end of the first week, end of the first month, etc.

The integration process generally ends at the end of the probationary period. However, for certain complex functions, it is possible to ensure a longer integration follow-up.

3 – Employee feedback on the integration process

The integration process must be part of a continuous improvement process. So it’s important to gather the opinions of new arrivals, in order to improve this process.

You can, for example, set up a satisfaction questionnaire at the end of the induction process, asking questions about :

Duration;
Identifying key contacts;
Understanding corporate values;
His sense of belonging to the company.

The integration process is a particularly important stage. Attracting talent, building loyalty and improving team performance: these are the major challenges of the integration process.

3 key points to remember:

The company integration program enables you to confirm or reject a recruitment;
It is essential for a team’s productivity;
It allows you to work on your company’s brand image.

Good to know! quarksUp is an HRIS solution for managing the entire employee cycle.

Thanks to this HR tool, everything can be done online. As an HR manager, you’ll be in charge of all our employees’ digital activities. With its modular offer, quarksUp intervenes from recruitment to employee off-boarding.

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