I'm not sure when the word 'onboarding' appeared and it's not to everyone's taste however I came across this whitepaper and wanted to share as it's got some excellent points for HR to consider.
So what's the definition of 'onboarding' (forgive the americanisms) but this is what wikipedia says
Onboarding, also known as organizational socialization, refers to the mechanism through which new employees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become effective organizational members and insiders.[1] Tactics used in this process include formal meetings, lectures, videos, printed materials, or computer-based orientations to introduce newcomers to their new jobs and organizations. Research has demonstrated that these socialization techniques lead to positive outcomes for new employees such as higher job satisfaction, better job performance, greater organizational commitment, and reduction in occupational stress and intent to quit.[2][3][4]These outcomes are particularly important to an organization looking to retain a competitive advantage in an increasingly mobile and globalized workforce. In the United States, for example, up to 25% of workers are organizational newcomers engaged in an onboarding process
So (in queen's english) it refers to the process of recruiting and training new employees to become part of and to add value in an organisation i.e to do the job that they are hired to do well in as quick a time as possible.
Plenty of interest then for HR and L&D as the two departments that have the most influence and impact in this area.
This whitepaper from Infor covers specific onboarding technologies essential for engaging today's multi-generational workforce. It has some really interesting themes and raises some good points about the challenges and opportunities organisations have to interact and engage with new employees as they come through the recruitment process.
White Paper - Multi-dimensional Workforce
Does this need to change depending on the generation that they belong or are we beyond stereotyping generational characteristics?
What are the challenges you're currently facing in your recruitment / training (onboarding) process?
Are you using technology in new and different ways to support the process?
I'd welcome any thoughts below
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