The usual way we look at improving HR is through processes. Where can we automate? Where can we save time or money?
Whilst these are great ways to increase the responsiveness and cost-effectiveness of the HR team, this approach doesn’t really do much for your employees or new hires.
When Kelly O’Connor and the team at NOVA Entertainment began looking for employee onboarding software, it was because they were looking for areas where they could improve the employee experience the most.
As the first 90 days are crucial to a new hire’s experience and longevity at an organisation, better onboarding became a top priority (you can watch the full interview with Kelly about NOVA’s onboarding process here)
The biggest differences in their approach was priorities – not solely on making life easier for HR, but about giving employees the best possible experience.
Example 1: Printers
When we’re in the office, it takes all of a minute to print out a document.
Most of NOVA Entertainment’s young new hires, just like most young professionals in Australia, do not have access to a printer at home.
Having to manually print out forms to sign, then fill out by hand, wasn’t a simple task for these new hires – it was inconvenient and annoying!
Using HROnboard so new hires can accept their contracts online (on their mobile, which is perfect for those who are always on the go), without any printing, has solved this issue for new hires, but it’s also made life much easier for HR as contracts are completed earlier and there’s no need to prepare any physical offer packs.
This is a great example where focussing on your problems of your new hires and employees leads to improvements for HR too.
Example 2: Connecting with the team
The NOVA entertainment crew are fairly widely dispersed, which means that some employees don’t work in the same office as their managers (especially if they’re on street teams).
It’s vital employees can connect via their preferred social channels to maintain a healthy working relationship.
The solution was simple – during the onboarding process, NOVA Entertainment employees can connect with their team via LinkedIn and see who in their network is already working at the organisation (the entertainment industry is in many ways a small one in Australia).
Simple, easy, and great for the team culture at NOVA. And again, this is something that just couldn’t have been discovered without thinking about new hires first!
Example 3: Getting everything ready for Day 1
We talk about this one a lot, but to be fair – it’s pretty frustrating rocking up on Day 1 without access to your email accounts, computer or desk.
To make sure new hires feel welcome, NOVA Entertainment send a notification from HROnboard to their IT team the second an offer is accepted.
This gives IT plenty of time to get everything ready for a seamless first day for every new hire.
And of course, as the whole process is automated, it saves time, money and stress for the HR team too. Bonus!
The story of NOVA Entertainment’s awesome onboarding experience is one among hundreds we’re proud of at HROnboard. If you don’t know where to start, want to hear what’s possible or are looking for onboarding advice, get in touch with an onboarding expert today!