Onboarding is one of the most critical periods in an employee’s time with a company. It introduces them to their new workplace. This time also allows them to adjust to a new environment while understanding expectations. That includes how they can contribute to your organization’s goals.
But onboarding can also be an excellent time for upskilling. That’s where you teach your employees new skills to help them in their roles and beyond. Upskilling is essential for businesses of all sizes. It can help them adapt to changing technologies and audience preferences.
All employees need to go through onboarding when hired. They also need to go through upskilling at some point. It stands to reason that if you can accomplish both of these tasks simultaneously, you’ll be able to save time and money.
But what about onboarding makes it an opportune time to start upskilling new employees? And why is onboarding an essential time in an employee’s life cycle? That’s what we’re going to cover in this article.
Why is onboarding so crucial for new hires?
Employee onboarding is vital for new hires because it introduces them to your company. Together with HR representatives, they can take care of all the admin paperwork needed to begin their time with you. It’s also a time for employees to ask questions and get valuable information about benefits, vacation time, company policies, etc.
Onboarding lets you educate employees about your organization’s core values and beliefs. This opportunity is important to their continued success within your company. It shows them what they must strive toward. It’s an ideal to keep in mind as they serve your customers.
Onboarding also allows you to hold employees accountable to your rules and policies. By explaining them and having employees sign an acknowledgement, you create a binding agreement. It states they understand and will abide by workplace rules. Then, in the event of a violation, employees can’t claim ignorance of the policy.
Because onboarding is so important, it needs to be accessible. That means making sure employees who might not be fluent in English understand it.
SAP SuccessFactors emerges as a powerful ally in this regard. The platform’s learning system enables the creation and delivery of targeted training materials. They’re tailored to meet each employee’s skill development needs.
However, you should still seek SAP consulting services, especially for companies using it for the first time. The SAP consultants have in-depth knowledge and experience with the SuccessFactors platform. That enables them to provide customized guidance, configuration support, and best practices.
Why should you upskill new hires during onboarding?
Now that you understand how vital onboarding is, it’s time to discuss why we should take that process and insert upskilling into the equation.
Train them your way
Every business has its way of doing things. No two businesses are exactly alike, from dress codes to processes to workflows.
When onboarding experienced employees who might be coming on from a competitor, take this early opportunity to train them in how your company operates. You can also break them of any bad habits they’ve picked up over the years.
This can include training them on the software your company uses. If this requires additional skills, onboarding is the perfect time to start teaching. That allows your employees to hit the ground running on their first full day.
If these team members come from other companies or have had long careers in the industry, they may be set in their ways. That’s why you must take the earliest opportunity to break them of these habits and show them a new, more productive process. Eventually, they’ll unlearn those bad habits and be highly productive when onboarding ends.
Regarding sales-based industries like real estate, onboarding is a great place to upskill new hires on your preferred sales practices.
That could cover new agent hires who must master effective cold-calling techniques. During onboarding, providing real estate cold calling scripts will equip your new agents with the right language, confidence, and strategies. It’ll ultimately help them connect with potential clients and present the offer adequately.
By honing skills in cold calling, they’ll be able to navigate conversations with prospective buyers or sellers. Agents will also learn to handle objections and build rapport even without previous experience.
Save valuable time later
You’ve heard the old business adage that time is money. Well, it’s true. And by upskilling employees during onboarding, you’re saving in both.
When training new employees during the onboarding process, it’s essential to consider the timing and overall costs involved. Assessing your financial readiness to handle these expenses is crucial.
That’s why using an employee cost calculator can be highly beneficial. It’ll help you to gain a comprehensive understanding of the total costs. That includes salaries, social charges, materials, and training courses associated with upskilling initiatives.
Using this tool, you can assess and analyze the financial effects of onboarding and guarantee that your budget decisions are well-informed.
Onboarding is a crucial phase for new hires, as it sets the foundation for their success within a company. It’s the perfect opportunity to not only introduce them to their roles and responsibilities while enhancing their skills and knowledge. All of this happens without cutting into employee productivity once they start fulfilling their duties.
Consider the scenario where new employees are unaware of a free alternative to TeamViewer and need more knowledge to use it. This knowledge gap can lead to unnecessary expenses and time wastage for the company. By incorporating this innovation into the onboarding process, you gain several advantages. These include:
- Cost Savings: Introducing a free alternative to TeamViewer during onboarding empowers new hires with cost-saving knowledge. They become aware of a solution that can replace a paid tool, reducing unnecessary expenses for the company. Organizations can optimize their resource allocation and minimize financial burdens by equipping employees with the information they need.
- Time Efficiency: Learning early on enables new hires to familiarize themselves with new tools during the onboarding period. They can quickly grasp its functionalities and become proficient in its use. This tactic saves valuable time for employees and the company. They can leverage the tool efficiently from the beginning, increasing productivity and workflow effectiveness.
Guarantee new hires have the latest information
Some industries are constantly evolving. That evolution could come from processes, systems, or even regulations. Because of this, employees in fast-paced, evolving industries like accounting must receive new training.
No matter how much experience they have on the job, employees must undergo training at entry. For example, let’s look at the travel industry again. It’s constantly evolving, with new trends, technologies, and regulations appearing regularly.
You can update travel agents’ skills during onboarding to provide them with the most up-to-date industry knowledge. Having all skills up to date enables them to provide a service that’ll work with great attention to customer satisfaction.
As industries change, professionals within that niche must evolve and adapt. Let’s say you’ve recently hired an experienced sales professional returning to the workforce after five years away as a stay-at-home parent. Their experience is valid, but they’ve been out of the loop while trends have changed.
By upskilling this employee during onboarding, they’ll be able to adapt quickly. That means embracing industry changes and making a real impact once they officially start selling.
Place them on a promotion track
It’s always better to promote from within. You’ll make sure your managers and executives start with extensive organizational knowledge. Upskilling can help you facilitate employees’ career development. That only happens by giving them the tools needed to rise through the ranks of your organization.
Familiarity with your company is one of the many reasons to promote from within. It’s also great for employee morale. Seeing one of their own get a great opportunity provides employees with positive feelings for a co-worker. It also shows them that it’s possible to progress in the company someday.
By beginning to upskill and train during onboarding, you guarantee that all employees start with the same knowledge. That puts everyone at the same level and ensures that opportunities are available.
Final Thoughts
Onboarding is a crucial time in the employee lifecycle. But aside from HR paperwork and sexual harassment policy videos, you should use this opportunity to begin upskilling your workers. It’ll help create a more productive workforce. Upskilling early allows you to:
- Train employees with the skills you need them to have
- Help employees unlearn bad habits
- Save valuable time when they begin their duties
- Make sure new hires have the latest industry information and training
- Place employees on a promotion track to success
Start the upskilling process early. It’ll help you create a winning office environment filled with productivity and opportunities for all.
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