How to successfully integrate a new employee?

The integration of a new employee is a pivotal moment. The aim is to finalize the recruitment process and lay the foundations for a healthy and successful collaboration. Welcoming a newcomer, also known as “onboarding”, is a key stage for the company, with many issues at stake: motivation, loyalty, productivity… Many companies have understood this and are now implementing an integration plan. QuarksUp, the HRIS expert, shares its tips for successfully integrating new recruits.

What are the stages in an integration plan?

The integration process must follow a clearly defined path. To do this, it must follow certain key steps:

Preparing for the arrival: Remember to organize your new employee’s start-up in advance (IT access, computer, work supplies, badge, telephone, administrative documents for payroll and health insurance).
The day of arrival: From the very first day, offer the new employee a welcome course, with scheduled meetings with key contacts: manager, HR, etc. You can also organize a welcome meal, a more informal way of getting to know each other.
Appointing a mentor: To facilitate the integration of your new employee, you can appoint a mentor to guide him or her. This can be a person providing training on the job (a counterpart, for example).
Weekly and monthly reviews: Define a precise schedule and don’t forget that the integration plan is a long-term process.
The end of the trial period: This is a crucial moment, when you can confirm whether or not the employee has successfully taken up his or her new position, and is finally integrated into the team.

Please note that for certain positions with high levels of responsibility, the integration plan may extend beyond the trial period.

What should a new employee's induction email contain?

To give the new employee a proper welcome, it’s a good idea to send an induction e-mail. These e-mails can be of two types:

employee welcome mail ;
mail introducing the new employee to the rest of the team and the company.

The purpose of the induction e-mail is to motivate and reassure new employees. It can take the following form, for example:

“We are delighted to welcome you to our team. We are convinced that your skills will be a real asset for the future of our company.”

It also tells him what to expect on arrival: “We expect you at 9 a.m. on September 2, 2022. Mrs. X will take care of all the administrative formalities on your arrival, including giving you your badge.”

It can end very positively by reiterating the welcome message to the new employee: “On behalf of the whole team, I welcome you and look forward to welcoming you among us.”

The integration email is sent by HR or the manager. It must specify the name and duties of the new entrant. He explains the reasons for his arrival (replacement, creation of a new position, increased workload…). For example, it could be worded as follows:

“I am pleased to announce that Mr. X has joined the Y department. He will take up the position of …, effective September 2, 2022. You will be working with him on such projects. Please give him my warmest welcome.

How do you introduce the company and its future employees?

The purpose of the induction plan is to give the new employee an in-depth introduction to the company. This onboarding period is an opportunity for him to gain a thorough understanding of the company’s businesses, markets and values. To this end, the HR department can provide a welcome booklet. This document provides key information on :

company history ;
its values ;
useful contact details: nurse, payroll, etc.
the location and operation of the company restaurant;
opening hours ;
procedures to be followed ;
…

Good to know! Group integration sessions

Some companies offer group introductory sessions for several new arrivals. They sometimes produce corporate films, featuring key elements from the company’s history.

During this induction process, new recruits must be able to identify key contacts in the various departments. The HR team schedules individual meetings with these people. To ensure that information is properly passed on, the manager organizes meetings with all team members.

Description of the new employee's duties and responsibilities

The arrival of a new employee can be an opportunity to clearly redefine his or her missions. In conjunction with the HR department, the line manager draws up a detailed job description. It will list all its functions and related objectives.

To ensure a clear understanding of tasks, it may be useful to create work pairs. In this way, the new recruit can observe the actions carried out by one of his counterparts. This person can provide a training period on procedures or on certain tasks that have not yet been mastered.

The key to successful integration is a clear definition of expected missions.

How to improve your integration plan?

In the interests of continuous improvement, the HR department needs employee feedback. The HR manager can ask the newcomer to write an astonishment report on his or her welcome to the company.

To assess the effectiveness of the onboarding process, you can set up a satisfaction questionnaire. In particular, QuarksUp offers a customized questionnaire generator. This will enable the HR department to assess the quality of its integration plan, in particular with regard to the following aspects:

the duration of the integration process ;
a clear understanding of the mission;
identification of key contacts ;
a sense of belonging.

The integration plan is a process not to be neglected. It lays the foundations for the newcomer’s professional life in the company.

3 key points to remember:

To build employee loyalty, the company needs to take care of its integration plan.
During this process, the newcomer must have a clear understanding of his or her tasks.
The integration plan must be part of a continuous improvement process.

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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