What is preboarding and how does it work?

Have you ever hired someone for a job, only for them not to show up on their first day? If this sounds familiar to you, then preboarding could be the answer to your prayers.

With 1 in 5 new starters not showing up, it’s vital to do everything you can to excite your new hires and give them the confidence to start with your team.

So what is preboarding, and how does it work? Preboarding is a process which companies use to engage with their new starters before they have their first day. It is designed to prevent new starters from not showing up on their first day. It does this by removing the silent period, which usually occurs after a candidate has accepted the job offer right up until their start date. The preboarding process should aim to get new starters prepared and excited for their first day in the company.

What’s more impressive is that combining your preboarding and onboarding solutions can save £3,000 on each new hire. When you remove the need to send them on lengthy and expensive training courses, you save money on the cost of the course, the cost of travel and expenses, and the cost of how much it will be for people to take time out of work.

Why do companies use preboarding strategies?

To save money

Companies use preboarding strategies because it’s incredibly expensive to take time out to recruit and hire candidates only for them not to show up. When you are hiring on a large scale this can be extremely detrimental to business revenue. Having to go back to the drawing board and re-hire candidates wastes time and resources which companies can’t afford. Did you know that a massive 83% of employers have experienced ‘ghosting’ from their applicants and 22% of applicants accept job offers and don’t show up on their first day?

Reduce first-day nerves and stop new starters from changing their mind

Preboarding is a great way to get new starters excited about their new career. It is a very powerful tool in preventing new starters from changing their mind about the job and not showing up. This is because preboarding aims to emotionally connect with new starters, build a strong relationship with them and make them feel welcome, familiar, and comfortable with what they should expect to come.

All too often the happiness and anticipation about a first day can get drowned out by nerves and worrying thoughts about the unknown. Preboarding strategies help transform nerves into excitement by informing staff about where they are going, what they will be doing and who they will meet with.

To save time

Depending on the type of business you have, training a new starter can take anywhere from a week right up until three months. This is partly due to the fact that new starters have not learnt a single thing prior to their first day. When you have a preboarding strategy in place it allows you to train and educate employees before they’ve even walked through the door.

This reduces the amount that you need to teach them when they have actually started. You can improve their time to competency by a considerable amount which means less time spent on admin and more time serving your customers.

Build confidence

Starting a new job can knock a person’s confidence making them question their abilities and skills. Part of this is the fear of the unknown because they are going into a job completely blind about what they need to know or do. This can lead them to downplay what they are actually capable of.

By having a preboarding solution you can equip your new starters with the information which they need to know. These solutions give your new starters the freedom to learn what they want, when they want. Putting the power into their hands.

A step-by-step process of how preboarding might work

1. Give login details and an overview

When you send the offer letter to your new hire, you will let them know how they can log on to the preboarding app. You can explain what they can do on the app and how it can benefit them in their new role.

A message may look a little something like this:

“At [company name], we like to make all of our new starters feel as welcome and confident as possible before their first day. This is why we have the [company name] new starter app. The app can be accessed on your mobile, tablet or desktop device and is available whenever you want it. You can log on to find out who you’ll be working with, where, and what to expect in your first few months here at [company name].

Because we know it can be daunting starting in a new company and not knowing what to expect. We have devised quick and easy microlearning playlists and checklists for you to choose from to brush up on your knowledge and hit the ground running when you start. Use the app to build confidence and feel more at ease when you join us.

We look forward to seeing you there.”

2. Start the engagement process four weeks before their start date

This is so that you can space out your messages and keep your new starters engaged every week leading up to their first day. You don’t want to bombard them with new information as this could overwhelm them or aggravate them.

3. Plan out your content

The fourth week before their start date

In the early stages, you don’t want to bombard them so send two message for the whole week.

The first message could explain how they use the app to learn new skills and discover new topics.

The second message at the end of the week could be a welcome video from their new manager and the team who they’ll be working with. This will ease the burden of the unknown and help them feel more familiar with their new colleagues. It will create the illusion of them being a valued team member before they have even started.

The third week before their start date

At the beginning of the week send them a notification to read a guide on how to give great customer service (or any relevant news or article post which is relevant to their job role). Towards the end of the week, direct them to a video which shows them how they can receive rewards and recognition. This will make them feel excited about how they can put their learning into action and get recognised for their hard work.

The second week before their start date

Begin to count them down to their first day and ask if they are ready. E.g Hi Hayley, only two weeks to go before your start date are you clued up on the latest customer refund process. Have a go at the quick and easy microlearning playlist to get you up to speed, it will only take 1-5 minutes.

Get them excited about company events and things which they can look forward to. Direct them to the latest news post on a company event you have coming up. If you don’t have one coming up direct them to an article or video about one which you’ve previously had.

The last week before their start date

Ramp your communications up to three notifications per week. At the beginning of the week send them a uniform checklist asking them if they have everything they need. In the middle of the week send them a video of their colleague giving them some tips for their first day e.g. where the staff room is and good places to go for lunch. At the end of the week send them a recognition sticker, to reward them for learning about the role and staying engaged.

The day before their first day

Send them a friendly message to let them know you are excited to have them on board and are looking forward to meeting with them the next day.

Start preboarding your staff today

If you want less first day no-shows and confident staff who are ready to start working without hesitation then preboarding is the right solution for you. If you would like to find out more about how our preboarding app can be tailored to your business, head over to our contact page and send us a message.