Settling in new staff faster

Itís the start of a new year; time for turning over new leaves and starting afresh. For many, this time of year also means the start of a new job. This puts a strain on HR departments who have to induct new employees and integrate them into the company (otherwise know as ìonboardingî).

The onboarding process can vary significantly. It can either be a well-managed and speedy path to employee contribution, or an ineffective and costly hiring headache. According to Taleo Research, employers spend on average 655 inducting each new employee ($1273 is the saving you can make by using technology in the onboarding process) . With 30,713 jobs created last January, and this figure expected to rise this year (Adecco TCI, 2006), the importance of having an efficient induction scheme to get new employees up and running is essential.

Using these figures, 20,117,015 could have been saved by using IT systems to manage the induction process. An automated approach can move onboarding from a haphazard paper and pencil checklist into a systematic work-flow, where personnel involved are contacted, and legal and administrative requirements are organised. This drives the process and speeds up the time taken before new employees are settled and contributing towards gaining results for their company.