Delivering a successful onboarding process plays an important role in achieving the desired aspirations of a new hire. The onboarding process should reflect an alignment in the needs of the organization and the new hire. Setting clear expectations and having a thorough onboarding plan are imperative. The onboarding team or individuals who are responsible for the onboarding of new employees have important responsibilities at hand. Depending on the company size and nature of work, associates are given different titles for the onboarding job.
Onboarding Job Titles
Onboarding new hires into the organization is an important process that requires special attention and knowledgeable professionals. That’s where the onboarding teams come in. An onboarding team is responsible for making sure new hires have a smooth transition into the company. In this article, we will see the different job titles associated with onboarding.
What is Onboarding?
Onboarding is a process in which new employees are welcomed into the organization by familiarizing them with the company, its functions, policies, and prospects; it also refers to getting the new clients acquainted with the company’s offerings and customer services.
Importance
Onboarding new hires can be beneficial for the organization in several ways. It can aid in reducing the attrition rate of the organization and have better employee engagement. It can also help new hires assimilate into the organization’s culture and become productive members of the team.
Right onboarding can also help with the cost reduction of recruiting and training new hires. It can also help create a positive work environment which could help the employees settle in sooner so that they can work more efficiently and dedicatedly.
Role of HR
Human Resources has a crucial responsibility towards onboarding process. HR is a support system in any company; hence it has a responsibility of providing the necessary resources to the onboarding specialists. This includes providing the necessary tools and training materials, as well as providing guidance on the onboarding process.
HR has a crucial role in ensuring that the onboarding process is in compliance with employment laws and regulations. They should also ensure that the onboarding process is fair and consistent for all new hires.
Onboarding Positions
A company can decide to create an onboarding job title for a specified onboarding professional. Such a professional will be responsible for onboarding new hires and will work with the HR department, project manager, and service HR department to ensure that the new hires have a smooth transition into the organization.
Lis of Onboarding Job Titles
Let us look at some of the onboarding job titles –
Onboarding Specialist
This is the most prevalent job title nowadays for an onboarding professional. An Onboarding Specialist is a professional who specializes in onboarding new hires into an organization. This person is responsible for ensuring that the new hire has a smooth transition into the organization and that all paperwork, policies, and procedures are completed. The onboarding specialist must also be knowledgeable about the organization’s culture and values, as well as the needs of the new hire.
The onboarding specialist is face of the company for the new hires in most cases. He or she is the one who greets the new hire on the first day and helps them get settled into the company. The onboarding specialist is also responsible for orienting the new hire to the company, its policies and procedures, and the expectations of their new job.
There are a few other titles that have similar roles to play when it comes to onboarding new joiners:
Onboarding Manager
The Onboarding Manager works closely with business, HR, and other technical leaders and especially with the TA team to plan out the onboarding process. The manager then delegates the administrative tasks to the immediate subordinates. The onboarding manager is supposed to have responsiveness and transparency to provide an integral onboarding experience.
Onboarding Assistant/Associate
The Onboarding Associate, Assistant, or Trainee works a bit lower in the hierarchy; it is an entry-level position. The associate ensures the maintenance of thorough and accurate candidate documentation on all conversations, interactions, and engagements with the candidates.
Onboarding Success Partner
The Success Partner plays an important role in aiding and assisting the HR team to provide a holistic onboarding experience for every new joiner in the company. For the Success Partner, it is important to gain trust of the management of the organization.
Onboarding Success Partnership can also refer to the onboarding of the new customer. Such freelancers or agencies make sure that the organization has a thorough plan and enough resources for a smooth onboarding of a client. There are several agencies that provide consultation regarding customer onboarding.
Onboarding Success Coordinator
Onboarding Coordinator specifically works on the administrative part of the process that includes scheduling required sessions, communicating with company leaders and new hires, and acting as a bridge between the company and the new joiners.
Onboarding Lead
Onboarding Lead has a similar work profile as Onboarding Manager; who is required to lead the onboarding team, lay out the plan, and look after the successful execution of the plan.
Onboarding Executive
An Onboarding Executive is responsible for initiating offer letters to the new hires in the organization. In some organizations, Executive is the one who is a Go-To person for the new joiners. They are required to send emails with information about the company, position, work schedule, and pay; gather the documents like tax forms, passports, demand drafts, etc.; include new hires in the payroll system; and ensure that the required paperwork is done and documents are received.
Onboarding Team
Large corporations with expanded businesses and presence require an onboarding team comprised of various roles specialized in onboarding to make the beginning of the journey of new hires smooth. In some organizations, the Talent Acquisition team looks after the onboarding function as well. Sometimes, there are different titles attached for similar or overlapping responsibilities; yet the description mentioned below is comprised of common roles and responsibilities, and qualifications and skills of onboarding associates.
Responsibilities
The job description of onboarding executives is vast, a few of the responsibilities include:
- Meeting with the new hire and introducing them to the organization and its culture.
- Giving an orientation about the company’s policies and procedures.
- Outlining the expectations of the new hire’s role.
- Assisting the new hire with paperwork and onboarding forms.
- Working with the new hire to create a development plan.
- Connecting the new hire to the appropriate resources and contacts.
- Working with the new hire to set clear goals for their job.
- Assisting the new hire in assimilating into the organization’s culture.
- Acting as a mentor and resource for the new hire.
- Monitoring the progress of the new hire and addressing any issues that may arise.
The onboarding specialists must be organized, efficient, and have excellent communication skills. They must also be able to work with different personalities, cultures, and backgrounds.
Qualifications
The qualifications and skills required of an onboarding specialist may differ for various organizations. Generally, onboarding specialists should have a combination of education, experience, and interpersonal and organizational skills.
A bachelor’s in human resources or any relevant field to the HR is a must to become an Onboarding professional. A few years of experience in the HR field is an added advantage; to become the specialist, experience is mandatory in some organizations. Additionally, they should have knowledge of employment laws, employee relations, and job recruitment processes.
Talking about the required skills, an onboarding specialist must possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills. They should also have strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks at once. They should have a good understanding of the organization’s culture and values, as well as the needs of the new hire. They should also be able to think strategically and be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
Engagement & Motivation
Engaging and motivating new hires is essential for their success. Here are some specifications for engaging and motivating new hires that can be used by onboarding professionals:
- Acknowledge the achievements – Acknowledge the new hire’s accomplishments and recognize their efforts. This will help them feel valued and appreciated.
- Provide feedback – Provide the new hire with regular feedback on their performance. This will help them understand which strengths to leverage and weaknesses to work on.
- Set achievable goals – Set achievable goals for the new hire and provide them with the necessary resources to reach those goals. It will help to boost the morale of the new employees.
- Offer rewards – Offer rewards for meeting goals and milestones. This will help the new hire stay motivated and engaged.
- Encourage collaboration – Encourage the new hire to collaborate with colleagues and seek feedback from others. This will help them build relationships and learn new skills.
Conclusion
Creating an effective onboarding process is essential for the success of a new hire. The onboarding specialist should set clear expectations and provide the new hire with all the necessary resources to ensure a successful transition into the organization. HR plays an important role in the onboarding process by providing the necessary resources and support to the onboarding specialist. Onboarding new hires can be beneficial for the organization in several ways. It can help reduce turnover and improve employee engagement. It can also help new hires assimilate into the organization’s culture and become productive members of the team.
