Would you believe it if we told you that your success in a new company could be determined during your onboarding? Studies have shown that the quality of a company's onboarding program affects metrics such as retention and team member productivity. Simply put, a great onboarding process results in higher satisfaction and team member success.
For this topic, we interviewed Chesca Dela Cruz, HR (Human Resources) Recruitment Lead at ITS. As the one who oversees the ITS onboarding program, she shared her expertise and knowledge on the matter. And thanks to her, we've gathered all relevant information that new hires must know — from overall process, importance, and even challenges you may face.
Curious? Please keep reading to learn more about our unique onboarding program!
What is Onboarding?
Before we get to the details, let's first define what onboarding is and its primary purpose.
Starting a new role is an exciting journey - you will meet new colleagues, learn new skills, and develop your career path. It can also be a bit nerve-wracking and possibly intimidating. After all, it requires adapting to a unique world and system. And this is where a great onboarding program comes in.
The ITS onboarding program is managed by our HR department. The process includes team member introductions, guidance to needed company tools, review of our company Core Values, and team mentoring/shadowing. The primary purpose is to help new team members acclimate to the ITS work culture and environment as smoothly as possible.
With that tackled, here's what you, our new ITS team member, can expect from your onboarding process after you've accepted your offer with ITS.
Outlining ITS' Onboarding Program
The ITS onboarding program can last as long as a new team member's 90-day introductory period. However, most onboarding tasks happen during the first week, especially the first two days.
During your first few days as an ITS team member, you will have several one-on-one meetings with people from the HR department. These meetings are spread throughout the day, and the usual agendas include:
Tools Set-up
ITS utilizes many tools and applications to accomplish tasks, ensure productivity, and aid communication. Some examples of these include Microsoft 365, an HR management system portal, learning management system, and time management applications. Learning how these tools work and getting used to them can feel a bit overwhelming, so the HR team provides you with a clear rundown of each. They also make sure that you have access to all the necessary accounts that have been set up for you.
Benefits Meeting
As soon as you accept your offer with ITS, you are entitled to several benefits immediately. Whether it is paid holidays or distinct types of leaves, ITS ensures you are well taken care of. During the meeting, you will be shown how to claim these benefits, file necessary documentation, and be informed of the limitations. If, at some point, you have a question, feel free to stop the other person and ask for clarification. They will gladly answer any questions you have. Their priority is ensuring you're fully informed and feeling completely at ease.
Core Values and Accountability Orientation
Every established organization has Core Values, and ITS is no exception. We work hard to ensure that all team members embody these core values during their daily work, especially when interacting with clients. Don't worry, it's nothing weird or uncomfortable. The essential gist is that we cultivate a growth and creative mindset, encourage open-mindedness, and maintain accountability and ethical behavior.
Accountability orientation is a brief overview of the company's organizational chart. You will become familiar with the people you work with, from the ITS leadership and management teams to your colleagues and mentors. Additionally, you will see where your role operates in the overall company workflow, which helps in understanding your role’s contributions and key performance indicators.
Certifications Meeting
While the three previously mentioned agendas are a requirement for all new hires, the Certifications meeting is specific to technical roles. We at ITS are dedicated to certifying engineers to move up the ladder. This is achieved with the help of a certifications coach who guides them through their training and growth trajectory.
Aside from team meetings and one-on-one meetups, you will also have access to training materials and courses such as the following:
Learning Management System (LMS)
The Learning Management System, or LMS, is an internal ITS website that offers short courses on many different topics. Most of it reinforces information shared during meetings, but there are also unique training courses, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) and OSHA-related courses. The LMS allows for self-paced learning, so you can go through the courses independently and at your own speed. And the training courses are scheduled in between meetings to break up the initial first days and create more space.
Customer Service Skills Enhancement (CSSE)
The CSSE course will vary depending on the role you have with ITS. If you are part of sales or any other client-facing department, you will go through an in-depth customer service lesson plan. This may involve an instructor and is taken by several people in a group setting. On the other hand, if you're in a back-end type role and don't interact much with clients, your training will be a self-paced course taken through the ITS LMS.
Departmental Training
Departmental training is where you have one-on-ones with your managers and other leadership members. You’ll better understand the nuances of your role and learn more about the team's objectives and how your contributions help us achieve those goals. During this step, the HR team will play a supporting role, helping coordinate schedules with team managers to ensure a smooth experience.
What Makes it Uniquely ITS?
The ITS onboarding program that we’ve described thus far is likely similar to other mature companies. We asked Chesca what she thinks is unique to ITS, and she responded with two things:
Reference Check
A reference check is a standard procedure in many recruitment processes. But what makes ITS' unique is that we do it during the 90-day introductory period instead of before hiring the team member. This is a different approach to an otherwise standard process, and ITS does this for the following reasons:
- By doing the reference check during the training period, HR can avoid unfair discrimination because employees aren't tied to judgments made by their previous colleagues or managers.
- Sometimes getting in touch with employee references can be difficult, causing delays, which is why ITS prefers to do it after hiring to ensure a smooth and continuous recruitment process.
- Candidly, your references aren’t going to weigh in much on your chances of being hired. It’s just another person’s views on how you work best and your weaknesses, so we know how to approach your growth and development.
Meet the Team
As the name suggests, the new team member gets to meet their teammates. It is done through a meeting set up by HR, which includes an icebreaker and even a game to lighten the mood. And the benefits of doing this are:
- It allows the team to immediately form a bond by doing something fun and relaxing.
- A new hire’s first few days can be nerve-wracking for some, so a quick and casual activity helps tame those first-day jitters and anxieties.
- Communication is key to success, especially for a team. We help give new hires many opportunities to interact and mingle with their co-workers with this process.
Come Onboard with ITS!
This is what you can expect when you start your onboarding process with ITS:
- Tools Set-up
- Benefits Meeting
- Core Values and Accountability Chart Orientation
- Certifications Meeting
True to our “Be a Creator” core value, we are always looking to refine and improve our Onboarding process. We encourage open feedback so we can adjust over time to fine tune and create memorable experiences for our newest team members.
When asked why it's important to have a good onboarding program, she said, "If we can help a new hire have a memorable wow experience through a smooth and organized onboarding process, it sets the right tone for success and says a lot about the company you’ve joined.”
If you're interested in a career with ITS, please visit our Careers page and find a role that suits you. With ITS, you can rest assured that you're being set up for success from the get-go with our keen focus on delivering a memorable onboarding process!