Onboarding Strategies for Service Personnel - Essay Example

Onboarding has been defined as “a strategic process of bringing a new employee to the organization and providing information, training, mentoring and coaching throughout the transition” (UNC Charlotte, n.d., p. 2). Therefore, the onboarding strategies for this identified service personnel position begin with an explicit definition of onboarding process objectives which include the following: (1) assist the new employee in assuming the role and in immersing in the expected responsibilities; (2) orienting the new employee in the organization’s policies, procedures, values, climate, and mission/vision statements; and (3) providing transition guidelines to assist the new employee in undertaking expected endeavours with greater efficiency and with the optimized use of the organization’s resources. Other strategies would be incorporated within the five stages of the onboarding process.

The five stages of the onboarding process are (1) preparation; (2) orientation; (3) integration; (4) engagement; and (5) follow-up (UNC Charlotte, n.d.). During the first stage, preparation, the new employee is expected to be acclimated to the “culture, team, work environment, and introduced to policies and procedures and online modules” (UNC Charlotte, n.d., p. 7). Therefore, the organization should design introductory modules that would apprise the new employee of the needed crucial overview information on the organization.

The second stage, orientation, provides the new employee with additional modules designed to orient him or her towards enabling the undertaking of expected responsibilities. Orientation could be provided through lectures, online modules, an actual visit through the different departments, and the introduction of relevant officers and personnel within the organizational hierarchy.

The third stage, integration means “employee development planning by supervisor and employee’s attendance in HR staff development training” (UNC Charlotte, n.d., p. 7). This means that as service personnel, the focus of integration is on the strategies towards performing one’s responsibilities most efficiently and effectively. Likewise, any needed development training in the field of service and customer relationships would be undertaken.

The fourth stage, engagement means developing “awareness, building relationships, meeting performance expectations and contributing to the (organization’s) success” (UNC Charlotte, n.d., p. 7). As the word engagement means, the new employee is enjoined and encouraged to show commitment, dedication, and focus on the performance of his or her tasks; as well as in interacting with other stakeholders who would be instrumental in the performance of the expected duties.

Finally, the fifth stage, follow-up entails monitoring the new employee’s performance of responsibilities and interaction with others during the onboarding period. This stage should therefore include strategies that require the immediate supervisor to observe and evaluate the progress of the new employee and determine with the use of standards, how this particular employee was able to achieve identified goals.