Tips for Successfully Onboarding New Hires

Onboarding is a journey, an integral aspect of the employee experience. It involves delivering on the commitments made during the recruitment process and equipping employees to excel in their roles and the company culture. When executed effectively, onboarding can instill a sense of inclusion and imparts a clear understanding of the factors that determine one’s success. Ultimately, your commitment to the onboarding process sets the tone for the employee’s commitment to your business.

According to Gallup analytics, only 12% of US employees say their company does a good job of onboarding, and nearly one in five employees report either poor onboarding or that they received no onboarding at all.¹ Gallup also states that three common themes lead to effective onboarding: people, learning, and processes. With that in mind, here are some tips that can ensure a smooth transition for support staff joining your practice.

Embrace Pre-boarding

Consider your long-term vision for the new hires and prepare for integration of the employees accordingly. Aside from the necessary paperwork—new hire forms, direct deposit, job description, etc.—and what needs to be done, consider what else can be done to build loyalty to your practice from day one. Assign someone on your team who can serve as a mentor; this team member can help the new employees learn the ropes and be a reliable source for questions and support.

Immerse New Employees in Company Culture

Keep excitement levels high from the day employees accept your offer to the day employees start. Send communications and call the employees immediately before their start dates with details around dress code, where to park, and any forms/documentation they should bring the first day. Find out how they’d like to be introduced and ask for some professional and fun facts that they’d like to share with the team. When they arrive at the office, provide a warm welcome and introduction to the team. Allow your staff to introduce themselves as well and encourage rapport-building from the start. Emphasize the importance of professionalism, a patient-centric approach, and teamwork at your practice. Take the opportunity while your team is present to reinforce the following:

• Mission, vision, values
• Practice history
• Unique service propositions (everything, big or small, that differentiates your practice from the competition)

Set Expectations

Minimize confusion by making expectations clear. This includes providing a timeframe of when certain tasks or learning modules should be completed. Provide daily checklists for the fundamentals so new employees can stay focused on the day-to-day tasks. Create a comfortable working environment and let them know it’s okay not to know everything right away; at the same time, provide a support network so they know where to get answers or who can help guide them. Lay out a plan to check in at frequent intervals, especially in the beginning when they need a high degree of direction.

Provide a Learning Plan

Build a plan that incorporates various ways of learning so they can gain knowledge of the practice, providers, and procedures/products that you offer. Start with a high-level overview of all services and then provide in-depth knowledge of the top five to seven procedures that they will be speaking about over the phone and in person with patients. To gain deeper insights into the practice, have your new hires read patient reviews on different platforms. This will help them become well versed in the practice’s reputation and underscore the significance of patient reviews.

Shadow, Shadow, Shadow

Your new hires may or may not have experience in medical aesthetics—even if they do, receiving exposure to all aspects of your practice is invaluable. By observing different team members and various stages of the patient journey, they will learn what makes the practice unique. While observing consultations or treatments, have them interview providers and learn key information that they can use for credentialing, including the following:

• How long have you been an aesthetic physician?
• What made you get into aesthetics?
• What is your favorite procedure to perform and why?

Provide Ongoing Support

Set expectations that their employment is a partnership and that their input is valued. Seek to understand how new employees like to be managed. Create a document that allows them to give you feedback on their communication style and how they like to receive coaching and feedback. Communication is key—make sure that you have designated check-in times scheduled with your new hires. To get real feedback, don’t just ask, “How are you?” Instead, open up the conversation and find out how things are really going by asking, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how is this area going?” Employees need to feel supported, appreciated, and recognized. Remind them how valuable their role is to the practice. As they learn the basics, assign additional tasks that will lead to patient retention and patient engagement. This can be a task such as reaching out to patients who have not been seen in over six months, who have loyalty program dollars that will expire, or who have treatments left in their packages.

Summary

A well-structured and thoughtful onboarding plan is indispensable for small businesses. It sets the stage for success by ensuring that new employees are not only efficiently integrated into the team but also equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute effectively. By fostering a sense of belonging, providing clear guidance, and aligning new hires with the company’s culture and objectives, a robust onboarding process not only reduces turnover and recruitment costs but also may boost productivity and overall business success. In a small business environment where each team member’s role is pivotal, a well-executed onboarding plan is the cornerstone of a thriving and harmonious workplace.

1. Inc G. 8 Practical Tips for Leaders for a Better Onboarding Process. Gallup.com. Published August 12, 2021. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/353096/practical-tips-leaders-better-onboarding-process.aspx