Every modern organization places great importance on the first impression it makes on new hires. In the world of HR, onboarding is a key process, affecting not only the initial enthusiasm and motivation of new employees, but most importantly the length of their cooperation with the company. An equally important – but still underestimated – topic is effectively carried out offboarding, i.e. the procedure for ending cooperation with an employee. With HR in mind, we have prepared two comprehensive checklists: onboarding and offboarding, available as a free PDF download at the end of this post.
Why do you need checklists in onboarding and offboarding processes?
Wielu specjalistów HR zdaje sobie sprawę, że zaplanowanie wszystkich działań związanych z powitaniem nowego pracownika jest prawdziwym wyzwaniem. Skuteczność tego procesu w dużej mierze zależy od przejrzystości, kompleksowości i struktury zastosowanych narzędzi. Nieocenioną pomocą okazuje się tutaj lista kontrolna onboardingu – pozwala ona uniknąć najczęstszych błędów i upewnić się, że żaden z kluczowych etapów nie zostanie pominięty. Dobrze przeprowadzony proces adaptacji nie tylko gwarantuje szybsze wdrożenie do obowiązków, ale także poprawia ogólne doświadczenie i wrażenia pracowników.
Podobne znaczenie ma offboarding. Nawet jeśli zakończenie współpracy naturalnie wiąże się z pewnym poziomem dyskomfortu, prawidłowo przeprowadzony proces ma szansę pozostawić dobre wrażenie u byłego pracownika. W końcu byli pracownicy są ambasadorami firmy na rynku pracy. Czy to poprzez rekomendacje znajomym, czy poprzez pozytywny employer branding w mediach społecznościowych, nie można sobie pozwolić na zaniedbanie ostatnich wrażeń odchodzącego pracownika.
Onboarding checklist - key elements
When creating an onboarding checklist, be sure to include activities at several different organizational levels. Areas important for effective onboarding include:
Administrative and formal matters
Any onboarding process must begin with a clear and orderly procedure for operating in terms of formal documentation. The new employee should know clearly what documents to deliver, at what times and to what people. You need to take care of signing the contract, providing regulations, RODO and all necessary statements related to employment.
Workstation and information systems
Ensure that the workstation is ready before the new person arrives at the company. Setting up equipment at the last minute is not advisable and can negatively affect the impression of the company. The employee needs to know how to access the company’s IT systems, what security features to use and who to turn to in case of technical problems.
Team integration
Onboarding is not just about administration, but more importantly about the employee’s emotional adaptation and integration into the team. Plan the introduction of the new person to the team, introduce him or her to employees from other departments, and organize an informal event, such as a joint lunch, to facilitate the establishment of relationships.
Offboarding checklist - end cooperation professionally
Terminating an employee shouldn’t just be about signing a notice or handing over documents. Separations (like welcomes) also require a thoughtful approach. Key aspects of the offboarding process include several different, equally important levels of action.
Formal procedures and settlements
Make sure the departing employee is clear about any deadlines and formal rules for ending the relationship. Verify the deadline for turning over necessary documents, equipment or access cards. It is also important to smoothly settle outstanding salaries, vacations and other financial obligations to the company.
Exit interview
Exit interview allows you to gather valuable feedback in the context of organizational culture, management and employee satisfaction. Based on this information, you can build a better HR strategy and improve company processes. Ensure that the interview is conducted in a professional, empathetic manner that allows freedom of expression.
Saying goodbye to your team
How the last day goes at the company is no less important than the first day of work. It is good practice to announce an employee’s departure to the team in an appropriate, respectful manner. A short team-building meeting, a farewell coffee or a small gift can significantly affect the perception of the entire period of cooperation.
Download free onboarding and offboarding checklists in PDF
In order to support the professional conduct of processes in your company, we have prepared specific and functional onboarding and offboarding checklists. You can download them for free by clicking below – just leave us your email address, and in return you will receive practical, ready-to-use tools.
Take care of your organization’s professional image at every stage of cooperation – download our checklists and improve your HR processes today!
Summary
While onboarding and offboarding checklists may initially seem like an administrative trifle, it is these tools that often determine the effectiveness and impression an organization makes on employees throughout their professional experience. More and more companies understand that professionally managing the greeting or farewell of employees directly affects their image and directly translates into turnover rates, recommendations and willingness to return to the company. Applying simple and effective onboarding and offboarding checklists is a step every company should take as soon as possible – it’s never too late for good HR practices.
