Welcome New Hires: 5 Creative Employee Onboarding Examples
Employee onboarding is one of the most important elements of the hiring process, as it can have a lasting impact on a business’ success. As such, creating an effective onboarding experience for all new hires should be a top priority. In this article, I will be exploring 5 creative examples of employee onboarding that have been tailored to make new hires feel welcome and part of the team from day one.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Shopify’s Onboarding Program
- HubSpot’s Virtual Programs
- Amazon’s Use of Technology to Onboard
- Riot Games’ Gamified Onboarding Process
- Disney’s Engaging Opportunities
- Microsoft’s Connectivity Package
- Final Thoughts
- Introduction
Employee onboarding is the process of introducing new hires to your organization and getting them setup and acclimated to their job. It is an essential part of successful recruitment and retention, and is key to helping your business succeed. An effective onboarding program should involve engaging activities that help onboardees feel welcomed and more connected to their work experience.
In this blog post, we will explore five creative onboarding examples from some of the most well-known companies in the world. We will look at how Shopify, HubSpot, Amazon, Riot Games, Disney, and Microsoft have crafted onboarding processes that both engage and excite new employees. We will discuss the benefits of each company's onboarding experience, and how you can use their strategies to create your own unique onboarding strategy. Let’s get started!
- Shopify’s Onboarding Program
Shopify is renowned for providing an excellent onboarding experience for new employees. One of their key onboarding tactics is to assign each new hire a buddy to help them learn the ropes of the company. This buddy also serves as a mentor for the employee, providing them with career advice, helping them learn the local office culture, and familiarizing them with different aspects of the company. In addition to this, Shopify also created an online portal as part of the onboarding process, which provides new hires with an overview of the company, its culture, its mission, and its departments. It also gives step-by-step guidance on how to prepare for, complete, and accept assignments. Shopify also makes sure to keep the onboarding process interactive with their “Knowledge Exchange” session and the “Ask a Question” feature. This allows employees to communicate with each other and ask questions in order to build strong working relationships from the start. After all, the more integrated a new employee feels in the company, the more likely they are to stay longer and succeed.
- HubSpot's Virtual Programs
The importance of a successful onboarding process for new hires should not be underestimated – companies are aware of this and are creating cutting-edge onboarding programs that not only equip employees with the knowledge and skills they need to do their jobs, but also make them feel welcome and inspired to join the company. HubSpot is one such company that has adopted a virtual onboarding program to sweep new hires off their feet.
HubSpot’s virtual onboarding program aims to make the transition from home to work as smooth and enjoyable as possible, giving new recruits an insight into their role and company culture. This is done through a series of interactive activities which can be accessed anytime, anywhere. New hires can explore the HubSpot culture and values with the help of culture “GameChangers”— experienced employees who are in charge of guiding and answering any questions new hires may have about the company. In addition, they take part in exercises that help bridge the gap between recruitment and hire, and instantly immerse them into the company culture.
The program also introduces newcomers to their teams, including 204 “Secret Friends”— employees or co-workers who have pre-recorded video messages to welcome them to the team ahead of the actual onboarding day. There are also monthly onboarding check-ins with team leads to help new hires transition more easily.
HubSpot is just one example of how companies can use virtual programs to give employees an enjoyable onboarding experience. Other companies can learn from the process and incorporate virtual onboarding programs into their own strategies to create a welcoming environment for new hires.
- Amazon's Use of Technology to Onboard
Amazon is a well-known leader in the tech world, making waves with innovative and groundbreaking technologies across the industry. It’s no surprise then, that they have taken the same approach when it comes to onboarding their new hires.
Rather than use traditional approaches such as paperwork or manual forms, Amazon uses their cutting-edge technology to make the onboarding process as efficient and smooth as possible. They have created an automated onboarding platform which streamlines the entire onboarding process, negating the need for paperwork or manual forms. The platform makes use of a questionnaire that new hires can fill out online and automatically updates all relevant personnel records and other business-related information as it is filled out.
In addition to onboarding new hires, this platform also allows Amazon to personalize each new hire's experience to meet their individual needs. This can be done by providing customized onboarding videos, self-paced learning materials, and online surveys. By doing this, new hires feel welcomed and informed throughout the entire process, enabling them to hit the ground running.
To ensure the process is as easy as possible for not only the new hire, but also the management team, Amazon's platform also features a dashboard that allows management personnel to keep tabs on onboarding progress and activity levels at all times. This way, they can more effectively evaluate the effectiveness of their onboarding program and make adjustments as necessary.
Overall, Amazon's use of technology to streamline and personalize their onboarding process is a great example for companies looking to revamp their onboarding approach. The use of this technology quickly reduces paperwork and manual forms and makes it easier for management to monitor and personalize each employee's onboarding experience.
- Riot Games’ Gamified Onboarding Process
Riot Games’ gamified onboarding process stands out among all the other examples of successful employee onboarding. The video game company is well-known for its immersive and entertaining games, so it’s no surprise that they would employ such a creative and engaging way to welcome new members to their team.
As part of their onboarding process, Riot Games offers a gamified experience that involves playing a specially designed version of their popular game League of Legends. New employees are asked to complete a series of missions within the game, designed to introduce them to the inner workings of their team and company. Along the way, they receive feedback and mentoring from their new peers, and are rewarded with virtual goods that they can use within the game. Not only is this approach fun and engaging, but it also helps to cultivate an environment of collaboration and camaraderie among the new hires.
The gamified onboarding process at Riot Games provides an excellent example of how to effectively welcome new employees to a company. By providing a creative and engaging environment for new employees to learn the ropes and form meaningful bonds with their colleagues, Riot Games has demonstrated the value of gamifying employee onboarding.
- Disney’s Engaging Opportunities
Disney, the most magical company in the world, takes its responsibilities of making new hires feel welcome very seriously. They understand that the onboarding process is of utmost importance to an employee and their employers, so it's no surprise that Disney's onboarding is creative and attention grabbing.
Disney creates unique and interactive onboarding experiences for new employees which include creating virtual reality simulations, product trials that involve interacting with Disney products and stories, and peer mentoring. By offering these types of activities, new hires get a taste of the Disney Magic and feel more excited and confident about their job.
Disney also provides networking opportunities such as group lunches and “meet the ‘message team’” types of events where new hires have the chance to meet with their peers and make genuine connections with people in similar positions. These types of activities foster team building and create a sense of community.
When it comes to engaging its new hires, Disney takes its time. With programs such as instructor-led workshops, activities, and team building exercises, new hires get a comprehensive overview of how the company operates and what it expects of them. Disney ensures that new hires feel empowered and ready to take on their roles.
From virtual reality simulations to team building activities, Disney goes the extra mile to make sure its new hires feel supported and comfortable. This type of onboarding experience shows Disney’s commitment to its new hires and is an example of why Disney remains one of the best places to work.
- Microsoft’s Connectivity Package
When Microsoft onboard new hires, they don’t just leave them to figure it out. They provide new employees with a Connectivity Package that makes the transition smoother. This package of resources is designed to help new hires get connected with their colleagues and make meaningful connections.
The package includes a variety of tools to help employees collaborate, such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook, and Skype. This ensures that employees can easily stay in touch with their new colleagues, whether they’re located in-office or remotely.
In addition, Microsoft provides each employee with an online onboarding course. The course walks new hires through the company’s values, technology and tools, and provides information about team dynamics. This ensures that employees are well informed right from the start.
Finally, each new hire receives a welcome kit filled with helpful resources, such as a journal and pen to take notes, a photo frame of the team, an employee discount card, and a “Welcome to Microsoft” t-shirt. This helps to show new employees that the team is excited to have them onboard and that they are valued from the start.
Overall, with the Connectivity Package, Microsoft ensures that new employees feel connected from their first day. By providing them with the tools and resources they need to get up to speed quickly, they are setting them up for success from the beginning.
- Final Thoughts
As employers and recruiters, it is essential that we make sure our new hires feel welcomed and supported from the first day. Having an effective onboarding process is essential for employee engagement, retention, and development. With the above examples of different onboarding strategies, employers can use a combination of different methods to ensure their new recruits feel comfortable and integrated into the team.
Onboarding should be more than just administrative tasks and paperwork, it should foster a culture of openness, collaboration, and acceptance. As employers, we should aim to make our new hires feel as welcome as possible, and strive to create an onboarding process that achieves just that.
In conclusion, creating a successful onboarding process is essential for employers and new hires alike. Employers should not only focus on the administrative tasks and paperwork associated with onboarding, but also foster an open environment which new employees find welcoming and valued. With the above examples, employers can draw from various onboarding methods and create tailored processes which make their new hires feel supported and motivated to work.
