Employee Onboarding Problems & Challenges

What is Employee Onboarding?

Employee onboarding is the welcoming journey for new hires, encompassing workstation setup, computer access, communication tools, and necessary paperwork. It also includes role learning and ongoing support.

Onboarding should give new team members time to learn their roles and ask for support. In this blog, we will explore some of the key onboarding problems and challenges and how to address them. 

Problem 1: Misleading Job Descriptions

If you want capable employees who can perform the duties you need, then you need to start with a comprehensive job description review with your HR professional. Often job descriptions can be misleading and give false expectations to potential employees. Onboarding mistakes can happen long before you begin the recruiting process.

Make sure that you reassess job listings before attempting to hire new employees. Ask yourself these questions: Are the job duties listed still accurate? Has anything crucial changed about the job position since you last listed it?

If you want long-term employees, make sure you change any relevant information so that your new hires are getting all the information they need. This will help make the onboarding process much easier and give your employees the chance to do a great job with their new position!

Problem 2: Little-to know pre-boarding

Your hiring manager should offer them plenty of time with their pre-boarding materials before beginning the official onboarding process. This will give them the time to read and digest important information about the job.

This time should also be used to equip new employees with any gear or software that they need for their new positions. This could include name badges, new hire onboarding software, login information for work websites, and more. Make sure you give them all of the necessary information to use these tools as well!

For example, agree these arrangements before arrival:

• HR or a hiring coordinator: first-day time, where to report or how to join remotely, and a contact for questions.
• The manager: the induction plan, role priorities and check-ins.
• An IT or equipment contact: tool access and how equipment will be collected or delivered.

Share advance information for reference. Agree when required paperwork, setup or training will take place during working time; do not expect unpaid pre-start work.

Problem 3: A hectic first day

Some companies spend so much time worrying about the information their new employees learn that they forget to help them enjoy their new positions. This can give your new hires negative impressions about the workplace, which you should try to avoid. Take the time to ensure that your company is welcoming and friendly to your new hires. Small things like asking for their names, welcoming them into the team, and inviting them to share only what they choose can go a long way.

• Introduce their manager or buddy as a contact for questions.
• Check essential tool access and cover safety information.
• Spread nonessential detail over later sessions.

Show that your company culture is accepting and friendly to give your new hires a great first day!

Problem 4: Unrealistic Expectations

Discuss role priorities and a manageable workload with each new hire. Managers should start by developing a 30-60-90-day plan with their employees. It’s vital that the new hire feels comfortable asking questions or making changes during this session.

The manager should then schedule check-ins at a regular cadence to monitor the status of each project, identify issues and work on solutions. Regular team meetings are another excellent way to unify plans and delineate roles. Treat 30-60-90 days as a planning option; adapt timing to the role, experience, working arrangements and support needs. The manager and new hire should agree realistic initial goals and revisit workload, obstacles and training needs at check-ins. Illustrative goal for a new support agent: draft one customer reply with a colleague, then review it with the manager.

Problem 5: Neglecting feedback

After setting expectations and giving sufficient performance feedback to new hires, managers should also ask them about onboarding. Give your new hires several different methods of inputting feedback:

• A manager check-in for questions and discussion.
• A short survey for written feedback.

For example, ask: "What would help you get started with your next task?" Acknowledge responses, explain what you will change or why not, name an action owner, and agree on a follow-up.

Problem 6: Timely Performance Reviews

Managers and new hires should track goals and progress together. During your onboarding process, you should set out clear and concise goals for each of your employees. Agree manageable initial goals and review them together. Arrange a review once the new hire has enough experience of the role to discuss progress, what is going well, questions and further training or support; choose the timing to suit the role.

Your employees should also be able to track their individual and group goals through employee onboarding systems. This will help in transitioning into their new job and help them perform new tasks.

Conclusion

An onboarding checklist can help HR plan a new hire's transition into the company.

Choose one onboarding problem to address, assign someone to own the remedy, and set a follow-up to check progress.