Helping a new employee settle into their role is one of the most important things an HR department can do. It’s a crucial phase of the employees career with your company and requires a strategy to make sure that they start out on the right foot. This is called the onboarding process and can be quite complex.
This is why many companies are using the latest technology to perfect the process. This will ensure that every new employee is set up to succeed. It helps the HR department, the new recruit, and the company’s bottom line. In this article, we will explore the role that technology plays in the onboarding process.
1 – Knowledge Management in Onboarding
What is knowledge management (KM)? KM is like a giant, digital library where all the company’s processes, information, and experience is stored. It’s a strategy that will help tailor the onboarding process for a new recruit based on tangible information that is completely relevant to what they will experience in this specific company.
This strategy is very helpful in teaching the employee by accessing the experience of their colleagues and the person who was in the role previously. All without having to have one of those employees train the new person.
This is possible because it keeps all of the information needed in one place on a platform that is constantly updated. All of the important documents and resources are there and easy to access.
New employees can find everything from company policies to tips and tricks shared by their colleagues. This not only helps them get up to speed faster, but also makes them feel part of the team from day one.
2 – Digital Onboarding Platforms
A digital onboarding platform is similar to knowledge management in that it is a platform where everything a new employee needs to get up to speed is located in one place. The major difference is that this system is more interactive and features a variety of multimedia.
Features such as interactive checklists, video introductions, and learning modules are all available for the recruit. This can be a big help to avoid an employee getting overwhelmed with information. Like an online class, they can learn at their own pace using material that helps to explain things in an easy to understand way.
3 – Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that is finally coming into focus and has a variety of uses. When used for onboarding it can prove to be invaluable. VR can create immersive experiences, making the learning process more engaging and memorable for new employees.
For example, VR can be used to provide a virtual tour of the office or to simulate real job tasks, allowing new employees to practice in a risk-free environment. This also frees up other employees that no longer need to be involved in role playing scenarios to train new recruits.
It’s another way that an employee can learn at their own pace since they can practice the same scenario over as many times as they need.