Employee onboarding is the process of introducing new hires to the company culture, values, policies, and procedures. Effective onboarding is crucial for new employees to feel valued, engaged, and motivated to perform at their best. Hybrid distributed work forces are here to stay and empowering new hires is all the more important and challenging.  Before getting started with onboarding activities, it’s important to cover some best practices when it comes to onboarding. 

• Personalization: Customize the onboarding experience for each new hire based on their role, department, and individual needs.
• Technology: Utilize technology, such as Embark by Hermis, to enhance the onboarding experience and make it more efficient and engaging.
• Collaboration: Encourage collaboration between departments and involve managers in the onboarding process to ensure that new hires receive a well-rounded introduction to the company.
• ‍Consistency: Ensure that all new hires receive the same information, resources, and experience, regardless of their location or department.
• ‍Communication: Maintain open communication with new hires throughout the onboarding process to answer questions and address any concerns they may have.

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And now to the list of activities!

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Here’s a list of some employee onboarding activities for HR managers and leaders.

Administrative forms

Filling out forms on the first day of work is not always fun but it’s got to be done. There may be outstanding paperwork that the employee needs to complete, from administrative forms, logins, and the rest. Get this out of the way first before the employee begins interacting with other employees. 

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Meet the team and company leaders

Gather the employee’s new team members and make introductions. As a special guest, bring in a senior company leader with a welcome message. To help break the ice with conversations, see our list of conversation starters. The manager can also discuss what projects the new employee will be working on and with whom. 

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Play an online activity

An online activity can help smooth the interaction between the new employee and team members. Find an activity that is suitable for all members and that is easy enough to play. Here are some ideas. See Funtivity for popular online activities like Trivia, Bingo, Escape Room and more.

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Schedule follow-on meetings

After everyone’s had some fun, it’s important to keep employee engagement going with one-on meetings with team members. The employee should meet with direct team members first and then extended members. 

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Send a welcome gift

This can be the best surprise when joining a new company. Who doesn’t love to get company swag or special gifts. Find a local food or gift provider and schedule a gift box. Popular items could be cupcakes, cookies, fruit basket, flowers, or company swag. 

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Successful onboarding starts on day 1 

Successful onboarding activities are important for a new hire’s success at the company. These are some ways to ensure the employee starts the day right and feels engaged. 

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Checkout Embark onboarding solutions to supercharge your onboarding program, including employee journey maps, camaraderie activities & networking, and cohort management.  

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