Should you get the boring bits done prior to a new hire starting?
We say yes, 100%
So why does it not happen in the majority of cases? In the Welcome Onboard research from 2019, we saw that over two thirds (71%) said that they were still completing documents on day one.
When we speak to HR and recruitment teams about this it seems like they are worried that it gives a poor cultural impression of the company. It is tempting to make a defence of onboarding processes and the paperwork that goes around them. We could talk about how essential it is to make sure that everything is done for compliance for example. However, despite this being true the paperwork sucks.
The new employee finds filling this in as painful as it is for the HR and recruitment teams to create everything. When you have to fill in your name on forms over, and over, and over again you feel bored. The experience isn’t great when you have to print off that paper in a world where printers are rare.
The problem that comes up from going 100% upfront with these bits is that new hires find it more difficult. They have to find it easy to do. You should also find ways to deliver interesting information with the transaction and compliance pieces too.
If you think that asking people to fill in a tax form before day one gives a poor impression, what will they feel like when a large chunk of the first day is form filling. Give onboardees the tools to be able to do this in their own time. They want to do this at their own pace in an easy to follow manner.
