Introduction
The employee journey begins long before Day One—and continues long after the final day. Whether someone is joining or leaving your organisation, each stage (onboarding & exit) shapes their experience, your reputation, and organisational continuity.
Body
- Effective Onboarding Practices
- Pre-boarding: Set up accounts, send paperwork, give them the schedule for their first week.
- Orientation & culture introduction: Help them understand company values, how teams work, leadership expectations.
- Role clarity & early feedback: Make sure they understand what is expected, introduce them to key stakeholders, and set early performance or learning goals.
- Tools & Documentation
Use standard templates for contracts, policies, clear job descriptions. With HR software like Wiser, you can automate contracts, holiday allocation, etc., reducing delays and confusion. - Engagement & connection
Pair new employees with mentors or buddies. Encourage team integration. Early socialisation helps retention and satisfaction. - Exit Management Best Practices
- Clear process & communication: Ensure resignations, terminations, or mutual agreement exits have documented process, communicated properly, and respect legal & contractual obligations.
- Knowledge transfer: Critical for seamless transition. Capture important knowledge, responsibilities, contacts.
- Exit interviews: Honest feedback helps improve retention, culture, processes.
- Respect & thank: Leaving on good terms helps employer branding and may mean alumni become advocates.
- Using Data to Improve
Track metrics like time-to-onboard, turnover rate, exit interview feedback. Use this to refine both onboarding and exit processes.
Conclusion
The way you bring people into your organisation and let them leave speaks volumes about your culture and professionalism. Doing each thoroughly, thoughtfully and humanely not only helps morale, but also impacts productivity, reputation, and retention. If you need help streamlining your onboarding or exit management processes, Sharper Labs HR is here to assist.
