EPISODE 037 - Organisation: How can I optimize the onboarding process for new IT employees?

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shit Done RT podcast. My name is Michael Seidel and the question of this episode is how can I optimize the onboarding process for new IT employees? So who is following me on social media or directly knows I like to automate employee onboardings and off-boardings and all those stuff. But we are not talking about more on the organization side today. So maybe the automation part will be a separate episode. So today we talk about organization, the background, more the face-to-face, the direct things, not the IT stuff. So the first point is to have a structured onboarding plan. So what that means, of course, hardware should be there, equipment should be there, a place should be ready where the new colleague is sitting. But as well, make sure that you have a plan what his topics, his doings will be the first weeks and months and of course the first day. So in New York companies, maybe have a separate HR onboarding for all the new employees, but especially for your new colleague in IT, I would recommend to have a plan what his topics, what his journey should look like. Of course, at the beginning, he might help in the help desk, for example, whatever, or maybe he's already educated or more, he's aware of a specific topic, he can directly go to a specific department. But it should be a plan what topics he is looking for, what journey he should take. Okay, so maybe, as I said, maybe he starts at the help desk to... know the company, to know the environment and everything. And then he should take care about a specific topic. This should be written down and clear, not only for you, but also for a new colleague. And this maybe before he stepped foot in the first day into the company's office. So maybe on the higher talk, you should

Michael Seidl: tell them the journey at least a few weeks before. Maybe you say one month in the help desk and then you go to your specific department or you learn something. So this journey should be written down and clear for both sides. So not only for you, also for your new employee. And this means you should take care of it and you should plan and you need time to think about. Okay. And also make sure that at least at the first date you have time for your new college. I saw companies giving a new colleague just in the place and when we have something we will tell you or something like this. This is very frustrated for a new colleague. So I think what I see and saw and also did is to a new colleague is coming. He wants to do something. He wants to have a new experience. He wants to achieve something to give them to do something to do to solve. and to help you. Nobody wants to sit and stare at the window or outside the window. They want a challenge. Okay, so give them something, take time and make sure you have time for the person at least the first day, maybe the first days. Yeah, you can decrease the time you need, but this is the first day, take time and take the hand of the new colleague and help them to arrive. The second one is what we saw, I saw is to give him a mentor attempt. So a colleague who is taking care of that new employee and that colleague needs time. So he should be allowed to free up some time. So maybe half a day per week. And this can be decreased by time, of course, but at the beginning, give them a mentor attempt who can. The new MP can ask them anything for help, maybe for technical topic, maybe for organizational topic. The mentor can help him to answer it, give him the answer, or at least can help him to find the correct person. Maybe all the other rules. So if there is some person I can ask anything, it's much, much easier to find or to arrive at the new company and to feel comfortable.

Michael Seidl: in a new place. Okay, so second one is to have a mentor for the new guy. And the last thing is to get feedback on this onboarding process. So not about how the company is and how his topics and the work stuff is. That's something for the mentor, maybe team leader, but to get feedback on this onboarding process. So what we talked right now, so how was the first day? How was your first weeks? Is there anything we can do better, can be different, that you're feeling more comfortable? So you should get some feedback and to adjust your process. the plus one is to write down, of course, this process for your whole IT department. And it doesn't matter if you are a 10 person IT department or 50 or 100. Write it down. Okay, write down this process, write down the adjustments. why should this be done because this was happened or whatever. And the plus plus one is, of course, you can then start automating some parts of this. So at least the technical stuff can be automated and then can be rolled out to the whole company. let's take one step after the other. So we'll have an episode about onboarding automation and user lifecycle management. But right now we have three. points so make sure you have a structured onboarding, make sure the FB knows his role and his topics. Give him a mentor so you can ask anything anytime, at least during the business hours and try to get regular feedback on the onboarding process and of course write down the process and maybe automate at the end. So this is my hint for you on my suggestions on the onboarding process for new IT employees. So if you have anything to adjust, please let me know. Otherwise, send me your questions for one of the next episodes. And I wish you a nice week. Stay productive, and bye-bye.