Onboarding in the age of flexible working: how to adapt your induction process?

The impact of hybrid working on employee integration expectations

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In the age of flexible working, onboarding - or the process of integrating new employees - has taken on a new and... complex importance.

The challenge now is to juggle the physical and the digital, to coordinate on-site and remote teams, to offer a fluid and engaging integration experience. A real balancing act.

Integrating each new recruit on both a human and professional level is vital. And it's vital to his or her commitment and performance in the future. Otherwise, beware of hasty resignation! Poor integration can have serious human and financial consequences for the company.

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1 in 3 executives has left a company because of a poorly managed integration(1). Ouch! A worrying figure, especially when you consider that a botched onboarding can also cost the company between 100% and 300% of the employee's salary, or around €7,000(2). A financial and human waste that can be avoided with a good strategy prepared in advance.

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Bringing new recruits into the organization: reinventing the induction experience

Farewell to the fantasy of an easy welcome for a new employee: a coffee on Zoom and a presentation by management will not suffice! The integration phase must not only enable the newcomer to become operational quickly, but also to build relationships with colleagues and immerse him or her in the company culture.

It takes an average of 6 to 8 months for a new employee to become fully effective(2). This acculturation phase must create an environment where new recruits feel supported, connected and motivated. And that, over the long term.

As Laloux points out in Reinventing Organizations: "The depth of relationships is a condition for productive and joyful collaboration"(3). In this sense, the organization needs to choose the right tools, digital or otherwise, to help new recruits create quality links.

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Digital tools: key allies for successful remote onboarding 

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The choice of tools should therefore focus on mediums capable of fostering the creation of qualitative links, facilitating learning and enabling exchanges within teams. Here are a few ideas to consider: 

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• Collaborative platforms: using platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams allows you to create discussion groups. For example, question-and-answer forums can be set up to answer newcomers' questions. This encourages interaction between employees to be onboarded and more senior staff, and enables knowledge to be passed on.
  
  
• Informal online communication spaces : as explained by Camille Imhoff, PhD in Information and Communication Sciences, informal socialization networks are essential for creating a lively, dynamic collective(4). They encourage the exchange of best practices, the circulation of information and the expression of the emotional and the imaginary - elements often neglected in favor of a strictly rational approach. These spaces are the coffee machine 2.0, and they are crucial.
  
  
• Face-to-face contact remains one of the pillars of successful integration: remote onboarding does not mean total exclusion from the office. Despite the growth and relevance of digital tools, face-to-face meetings are still essential for strengthening ties and transmitting corporate culture in a more authentic way. Tools such as Worklib enable you to effectively manage your office presence and schedule face-to-face working days. This can make it easier to coordinate face-to-face meetings and help maintain a balance between remote work and face-to-face interaction.

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By mixing approaches, the company is sure to take advantage of all the best practices at its disposal to successfully onboard new arrivals.

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Creating a sense of belonging to the company despite distance

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As you can see, one of the greatest challenges of onboarding in the age of flexible working is to create a strong sense of belonging and commitment among new recruits.

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Design a strategy to convey the organization's values and mission

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To ensure that new recruits take on board the company's values and mission, it's essential to provide them with remotely accessible support. This can take the form of company presentation videos, team webinars, or live question-and-answer sessions with members of management.

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These initiatives help newly-arrived employees to immerse themselves in the company's culture right from the start, and to understand its workings and objectives in greater detail.

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Team building and offsite: breaking the ice during face-to-face events

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And let's not forget the ever-popular team buildings and offsites! These face-to-face encounters are perfect ice-breakers. They create memories that reinforce the feeling of belonging. Once recruits have settled in, they'll want to stay and get involved in their new job. 

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By adapting onboarding to the realities of hybrid working and employee expectations, companies can broaden their recruitment horizons and strengthen the commitment of new recruits. The key is to strike a balance between digital and face-to-face. Successful onboarding ensures a close-knit, high-performance team over the long term, while respecting individual needs. Tempting, isn't it?

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<font size="-1">Nos sources</font>

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<font size="-1">(1) https://cadremploi-edito.cdn.prismic.io/cadremploi-edito/26d7f502-fe4e-4c2a-8ce3-55a1395baa0a_CP_ETUDE_ONBOARDING_-_version_definitive.pdf </font>

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<font size="-1">(2) https://blog.workelo.eu/les-chiffres-cles-de-lonboarding/ </font>

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<font size="-1">(3) Laloux, Reinventing organization, Diateino (2017) p.101 </font>

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<font size="-1">(4) https://shs.cairn.info/revue-management-et-avenir-2017-3-page-85?lang=fr </font>