Retaining quality employees begins with a solid onboarding process. The key is to make a great first impression as it’s your first engagement – technology makes that easy! Here are some tips to onboard a new hire from an IT point of view.

Automate for success.

Use an HR tool like Sapling or ADP Onboarding to streamline the process and be ready for Day 1. These tools automate the “checklist” of tasks, so it’s done the same every time. It also reports progress so you can keep busy managers on track.

Start before their start date.

Start onboarding your new hire as soon as the offer is accepted! Don’t spend a their first day filling out “stacks” of forms.  Let their first day be focused on people and processes, instead, get a head start by sending those forms for electronic completion right away.

Send an email on ‘what to expect’ on their first day.

This part of the process prepares them for their first day. Use the email to tell them what documents to bring, what to wear, where to park, etc.  You can even send a little video to help ease the jitters of a new job!

Also, get them to explore the company beyond your website. This is so you start to build a connection. Introduce them to the team, the culture, and your values.

Have their technology ready.

When a new hire receives their computer on their first day, it makes them feel valued and shows a well-organized business.  You can work with IT to install the right equipment with the needed software before they start.

That includes creating their accounts ahead of time (an HR tool can automate this step to save time for IT). When you present their login information, you can use it as an opportunity to promoting security right from the start!

• Store their passwords in a password management tool.
• Use single sign-on (SSO) to give them access to multiple tools with one password.
• Enable multi-factor authentication for any tools that can be accessed from outside of the office.

Create a good first day.

Send an email to the team to welcome the new hire and to ask that they say hello. 33% of successful onboarding programs build in social networking (Glassdoor research). So make it a standard to set up lunch with the team on their first day. You can also assign a buddy that they can go to for help.

Do an in-person technology review. It’s a major part of their job, so set them up for success! Walk them through common tools and your business software, where to access data, and how to get IT support. Also, don’t skip on providing a cheat sheet.  It’ll build their confidence during the first weeks

Use a checklist to make a good first impression while onboarding a new employee.

Click here for a New Hire IT Checklist to use as a guide to ensure you’ve done it all.