Employee onboarding refers to the process of integrating and acclimating new employees into an organization. It involves providing them with the necessary tools, resources, and information to become productive members of the team while familiarizing them with the organization’s culture, values, policies, and procedures.

As per the report, 88% of organizations don’t onboard well, and almost 58% of organizations say that their onboarding process is focused on processes and paperwork. After investing countless hours in sourcing, identifying, interviewing, and hiring the perfect candidate, it can be incredibly disheartening and frustrating when they unexpectedly decide to leave for better opportunities.

Let’s deep dive into this vlog and discover more about the employee onboarding challenges and how this process can be streamlined with automation technologies.

Challenges with Employee Onboarding

While dealing with new hires, enterprises often deal with a number of challenges. And some of these are-

  1. Information Overload

    The initial day of a new job can be overwhelming, filled with a deluge of information and introductions to numerous individuals. Management often anticipates new hires to quickly become productive, thus they aim to expedite the onboarding process. Nonetheless, the initial days should prioritize fostering a sense of comfort and enabling new employees to grasp their responsibilities in a manner that will endure throughout their tenure.

  2. Lack of Employee Engagement

    Picture yourself beginning a new job, being directed to your desk, and then left alone without any guidance or clear instructions for what to do. This scenario, regrettably, occurs more frequently than one might expect and can have an adverse effect on the employee-company relationship right from the start.

  3. Unstructured Onboarding Process

    It is widely recognized that thrusting new hires into unfamiliar territory without proper support is detrimental to all parties involved. Even if they manage to navigate the challenges, they will likely encounter numerous gaps in their knowledge that they must fill on their own. Ultimately, this approach can have detrimental effects on their productivity, such as handling data and creating centralized data access.

  4. High Volume Paperwork

    Onboarding involves disseminating important information to new hires. Some of the most important documents in the HR process include employment offer letters, risk management policies, employee consent documents, health insurance document, and many others. As per the report, 58% of organizations say that their onboarding process involves a lot of paperwork only.

  5. Lack of Follow-Up & Support

    Once the initial onboarding process is complete, ongoing support and follow-up are essential to ensure a smooth transition and integration into the organization. Without regular check-ins and support, new employees may struggle to address challenges or seek guidance, leading to dissatisfaction and disengagement.

HR Employee Onboarding with WhatsApp and MS Teams

Unlike humans handling employee onboarding tasks, multiple organizations are using
Automation technologies like RPA and AI to create autonomous HR processes. HR automation is indeed helping organizations to create better employee onboarding experiences.

However, communication technologies like WhatsApp and MS Teams could be of greater help in creating a better employee onboarding process. By integrating WhatsApp and MS Teams Chabot, businesses can-

  • Easily use the chatbot to extract employee onboarding files
  • Enable employees to raise service tickets and FAQs
  • Initiate resolution through MS Teams and WhatsApp
  • Send messages to employees for the joining date one day prior
HR Employee Onboarding with WhatsApp and MS Teams

Benefits of Using WhatsApp and MS Teams in Employee Onboarding

  1. Instant Communication and Collaboration

    WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams offer instant communication and collaboration capabilities that can expedite the onboarding process. Using these platforms, HR managers can connect with new hires, answer their queries, and provide important information in real time. This immediacy fosters a sense of belonging and inclusion, making new employees feel supported and valued from day one.

  2. Document and Information Sharing

    During the onboarding process, there is a significant amount of documentation and information exchange. WhatsApp and Teams provide a secure environment for sharing crucial documents such as employment contracts, employee handbooks, and training materials. This eliminates the need for physical paperwork, reducing administrative burdens and enabling efficient access to essential information.
    Document and Information Sharing

  3. Virtual Training and Orientation

    WhatsApp and Teams can facilitate virtual training and orientation sessions for new employees. With the ability to conduct video calls, webinars, and screen sharing, trainers can deliver interactive sessions, ensuring that new hires understand company policies, procedures, and culture. Additionally, pre-recorded training videos and documents can be shared via these platforms, allowing employees to revisit them for reference at any time.

  4. Integration with Existing Systems

    Both WhatsApp and Teams offer seamless integration with various other tools and systems. This integration enables HR departments to connect onboarding processes with existing HR management systems, intranets, or employee databases. By automating tasks such as employee data collection and integration, the onboarding process becomes more efficient, reducing manual efforts and potential errors.

  5. Support and Mentoring

    Onboarding is not just about providing information, it’s also about fostering connections and relationships. WhatsApp and Teams can serve as platforms for mentors and supervisors to provide ongoing support to new employees. Through group chats, individual messaging, or virtual meetings, mentors can offer guidance, answer questions, and ensure that new hires feel comfortable reaching out for assistance.

  6. Building a Sense of Community

    One of the challenges of remote onboarding is creating a sense of community and belonging. WhatsApp and Teams can facilitate this by creating dedicated employee groups or channels. These spaces allow new hires to connect with their colleagues, ask questions on payroll, share experiences, and participate in team-building activities. By nurturing a virtual community, employees can feel connected and engaged, despite not being physically present.

Building a Sense of Community

Conclusion

The digital revolution has transformed the HR employee onboarding process, and leveraging tools like Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp can revolutionize the experience. These platforms enable centralized communication, real-time support, seamless document sharing, virtual meetings and training sessions, personalized resources, and ongoing engagement. By harnessing the power of these communication tools effectively, HR departments can enhance engagement, promote collaboration, and set new employees on a path to long-term success within the organization.