A smooth onboarding process can be the difference between retaining top level talent and pushing them away after just a few months at your company.

Onboarding also helps your customers; a study by Dr. Robert J. Vance conducted for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows multiple instances of customer satisfaction increasing as organizations made strides to improve their employee engagement. Small and medium-sized businesses in particular face some unique onboarding challenges.

Follow these eight onboarding best practices for new employees that promote staying power – make sure your onboarding process is an asset, not a liability.

1. Don’t Bombard New Hires with Paperwork

This is one of the most common mistakes when it comes to onboarding new employees for SMB’s. Paperwork is necessary for smooth onboarding, but it should be spaced out so that employees do not get overwhelmed by all of the forms they need to fill out and sign.

2. Ask Questions and Answer Them

With so many companies focused on getting new employees up to speed with the company and getting through the process of orientation, it can be easy to forget about the concerns and feelings of the actual employee. Make sure to take time to ask them if they have any questions and answer them as thoroughly as possible.

3. Take Advantage of Technology

It is much easier to type information into forms for an hour than it is to handwrite this information with a pen or pencil. Your business probably already has computers; use them for onboarding to make it easier for your new employees.

4. Call Your Approved Candidates

Instead of sending emails or acceptance letters, pick up the phone to let your interview candidates know they have been hired. This provides a personal touch and makes your candidates feel more connected to your organization.

5. Comply with All Pertinent Hiring Regulations

This is especially important when it comes to onboarding new employees for SMB’s that are in the public sector, such as federal government agencies. Make sure that everyone on the hiring team is aware of regulations about hiring and understands how to follow them.

6. Create a Comprehensive Plan for Error Checking

Ideally, you will be able to put your employee forms through several individuals and departments that can scan the forms for errors and quickly get them corrected, which will save time and hassle down the road.

7. Secure Personal Data

The hiring process usually involves the exchange of a large amount of personal data at once. Keeping this information secure is paramount to ensure that you and your employees do not suffer the consequences of data theft.

8. Streamline the Hiring Process with a Single System

One of the best ways to make onboarding new employees for SMB’s less daunting of a task is to use a dashboard-style system that contains portals to access paperwork, manuals, and other important onboarding materials from a single place. Using these kinds of systems can exponentially lessen the amount of work required by both new employees and the company HR department.

Follow these eight best practices and you have an excellent chance of making your onboarding process one that works to help you retain quality team members and manage the work required from departments involved in hiring.

To learn more about how to create a transformative onboarding experience, download our latest white paper today.

This post is sponsored by TalentWise, a technology company that’s transforming the way HR manages job offers, screens, and onboards new hires. TalentWise has built a single, online platform that streamlines the hiring process end-to-end with compliance built-in. To find out more about how your organization can onboard better, check out our blog by clicking here.