This article is for HR professionals responsible for employee onboarding and adaptation.
Definition of Employee Pre-Boarding
Employee pre-boarding is the entire process of onboarding a new employee, which begins with an interview and ends with the employee's full adaptation to the new job. Preboarding means the preparation for the start, first day and weeks of an employee. Pre-boarding is a part of the employee onboarding, which deals with the activities between the candidate is accepted and the first day, when the employee actually starts the new job.
- the goal of pre-boarding is to prepare everything so that the employee's onboarding goes smoothly
- includes preparation of formal documents, preparation or purchase of work aids and preparation of the workplace
- includes the preparation and execution of an employment contract
What does the pre-boarding include?
Pre-boarding includes all activities from the moment the job candidate is accepted to his first day at work. It is a very complex process, which is not only a part of HR, but also involves many other people and departments in the company. The organization has to coordinate very well all the involved departments that are in charge of starting and preparing the work environment.
Who all is part of the employee's onboarding
The entire onboarding process includes activities that are performed not only by the employee and HR, but also by other people in the company. The people who are most often part of the onboarding process are:
- HR manager or specialist, his responsibility is all formal requirements, documentation, employment contract and other "paperwork"
- Office manager or someone else responsible for issuing work aids, keys and other access to the company
- Facility manager - preparation of the workplace and work environment
- IT manager or specialist who issues a computer and arranges access to company systems and applications
- The worker's direct supervisor, who introduces him to the work environment, including an initial interview
Everything starts when candidate is accepted
Pre-boarding preparation process basically begins immediately after job interview. Preparation usually includes the following activities:
- Preparing and sending a welcome letter or email
- Preparation of employment contract for signature and other personnel documentation and paperwork
- Preparation of internal policies, employee orientation handbook
- Preparation and processing of formal requirements arising from the applicable legislation
- preparing or creating accounts in organization's systems and applications, setting up e-mail, and the like
- Preparation of passwords, access cards and keys
- Preparation of work equipment
- Preparation of the work environment and workplace
- Purchase of work equipments, if necessary
- Informing future colleagues about the change
See how you can set up such a checklist for employee onboarding in Aptien.