Pre-onboarding

By now, most organizations are well-aware that onboarding is critical to setting new hires up for success. Research shows that a strong onboarding process improves retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.

But there’s actually one step that comes before the onboarding process that many companies are still missing, and that’s pre-onboarding (also referred to as pre-boarding). Pre-onboarding is the series of actions, activities, and communication that happen after an employee accepts their offer through their first day on the job.

In this post, we’ll explore why pre-boarding is a must-have and how you can best support your new hires before day one.

The advantages of pre-onboarding 

64% of new hires have never experienced pre-boarding. This means that many companies are missing out on the benefits of this essential process. Here are some of the advantages of pre-boarding your new hires: 

1. Reduces information overload on day one

There’s a lot of stuff that new hires have to pack into their onboarding process. To avoid overwhelming your employees on their first day, have them complete some of these activities during the pre-onboarding process instead.

Then, when they actually start, they can spend more time meeting people and getting comfortable with their new working environment—rather than being bombarded with presentations and paperwork. 

2. Builds confidence 

Starting a new job can be scary. There’s so much the new hire doesn't know and so many people they haven’t met. Facing these unknowns can trigger self-doubt and leave new hires to wonder: Am I ready for this job? Did I make the right decision by joining this company? 

This is totally normal. But, as the employer, there are things you can do to reduce these feelings of anxiety. Having a pre-boarding process, for example, allows new hires to gently ramp up and familiarize themselves with your policies, culture, and expectations in advance—helping them feel more confident going into their first day.

3. Supports the manager-new hire relationship

Pre-onboarding also presents a great opportunity for your new hire and their manager to kickstart their relationship.

After a candidate seals the deal, their manager should be one of the first people to reach out and offer support leading up to their first day. This gives the new hire a trusted person they can turn to if they have questions or concerns—getting that relationship started on the right foot.

If they live close to each other, the new hire and manager can even choose to meet up in person ahead of day one.

4. Creates excitement

Imagine yourself in the new hire’s shoes. They spent months agonizing over which job to take, but they eventually decide to go with your offer. Negotiations happen. The offer is sent over. The candidate signs the letter, then…nothing. 

You can see how nerve-wracking it would be for your new hire not to hear from your team after accepting the job. It gives off the impression that their team members aren’t excited about them joining, or that their manager couldn’t be bothered to reach out. 

Don’t put your employees in this uncomfortable situation. Instead, use pre-boarding as an opportunity to reach out, celebrate, and welcome the new hire to the organization. This will help them feel much more excited going into their first day.

What to include in your pre-onboarding process

So what exactly do you need to accomplish during pre-boarding? While we encourage you to craft a process that works for your organization, here are four things you may want to consider including:

1. Communication touchpoints

Communicate with new hires multiple times ahead of their first day. These touchpoints can be a way to share information or simply let the employee know that you’re aware (and excited!) about their upcoming first day.

It may be helpful to automate these messages so that you don’t let anything fall through the cracks. That’s where Pyn can help! Here are a few pre-onboarding messages available for you to customize: