From Paperwork to People: How Streamlining Onboarding Frees HR to Focus on Culture

The successful integration of a new employee into a company starts with onboarding. However, for many businesses, this process is seen as an administrative task that demands hours of attention.

Here’s a question: What happens when the onboarding process is streamlined?

For starters, HR teams can break free from paperwork and focus on building a strong company culture. In other words, the focus moves from logistics management to fostering engagement.

Businesses that are still relying on manual processes to onboard new hires are slowly but certainly beginning to realize the benefits of streamlined onboarding.

The Growing Need for Efficient Onboarding

This holds especially true for businesses that have mastered the trick of blending new trends with traditional approaches. E.g., HR teams that integrate technology, fractional integrators, and microlearning for training and upskilling into their onboarding processes see superb results.

Since all of these elements play a critical role in creating an efficient workplace environment, it’s no wonder that more businesses are moving to this new model.

To begin with, HR departments relying on obsolete approaches tend to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of administrative tasks associated with new hires. HR teams spend significant time on paperwork, compliance checks, and other manual tasks.

This leaves little time for the most important function of HR: creating an engaging and supportive work environment.

For businesses that are scaling, onboarding can become an increasingly complex process. New hires need training, documentation, access to tools, introductions to teams, and an overall understanding of the company’s culture. Managing all these elements can quickly escalate into a full-time job for HR professionals.

However, when these administrative burdens are streamlined, HR teams can focus on strategic initiatives that have a direct impact on employee satisfaction. They can shift to fostering an engaging and meaningful work environment.

A New Way of Working

The more efficient the onboarding process, the more time HR teams have to focus on human connection. By leveraging technology, automation, and strategic partnerships, HR teams can build onboarding experiences that are efficient. This is one of the major streamlining benefits for HR.

One of the most effective tools for streamlining onboarding is the use of specialized software. Platforms that automate repetitive tasks allow HR departments to eliminate the manual effort involved in the traditional process.

In addition to automation tools, using fractional integrators can provide further relief. These people are experts who work with organizations to integrate various systems on a part-time basis. This allows HR departments to access high-level expertise without the costs of a full-time hire.

Ben Duda, an HR director at Great Plains Manufacturing, emphasizes the importance of fractional integration in their company’s onboarding efforts:

“Working with fractional integrators has allowed us to implement the right technology solutions for onboarding without overburdening our HR team. Our HR professionals can now focus on people rather than paperwork.”

Microlearning for Training and Upskilling

A typically overlooked aspect of onboarding is training. New hires need to quickly learn their job roles and how to align with the company’s values and culture.

Traditional training programs tend to be lengthy and overwhelming, but microlearning has emerged as an effective solution to this problem.

Namely, microlearning delivers bite-sized, focused learning sessions that employees can consume at their own pace. This makes the learning process more engaging, while also allowing HR teams to reduce the time spent on training.

A company that has seen great success with microlearning is German software giant SAP. SAP uses microlearning as part of its onboarding process to introduce new hires to company culture and essential skills in manageable segments.

The company reports that employees who complete microlearning modules during onboarding are significantly more engaged and productive in their first months on the job.

Claudia Schneider, SAP’s Head of Talent Development, says, “Microlearning is a game-changer for us. It’s a quick and efficient way to deliver information that resonates with our new hires. It allows HR to shift from delivering lengthy training sessions to creating a culture of continuous learning.”

The Shifting Role of HR

Streamlining the onboarding process allows HR professionals to focus on shaping a company’s culture. It is safe to say that this is, actually, the major shift in the role of HR in the modern workplace.

An illustrative example comes from HubSpot. The brand’s HR is deeply involved in creating a culture of transparency, learning, and growth.

Their onboarding process is designed to introduce new hires to the company’s values while simultaneously preparing them for success in their roles.

HR professionals at HubSpot spend less time on paperwork and more time organizing team-building events.

Says Katie Burke, Chief People Officer at HubSpot, “Streamlining our onboarding processes has allowed our HR team to shift from operational tasks to focusing on what really matters — building a culture that empowers our people to thrive.”

The Role of Technology and Innovation

Technology is more than just a tool for administrative efficiency, however. It can be used to engage employees, enhance communication, and foster collaboration.

E.g., Slack has transformed the way companies manage communication and it can also prove helpful for the onboarding process.

New hires can join Slack channels dedicated to specific teams, social events, and company-wide discussions.

In a similar fashion, companies that rely on virtual reality (VR) for onboarding can give new hires immersive experiences that go beyond traditional training.

Companies like Walmart have started using VR to train employees on customer service skills and company policies.

Overall, streamlining onboarding processes is a way to reduce administrative overhead, but that’s just the starting point.

In actual fact, it’s a strategic shift that allows HR teams to focus on creating an engaging, supportive, and thriving company culture.

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