Document management software solves a surprising number of problems. Many of those problems come from the employee onboarding process. Virtually all companies and industries have to deal with some kind of onboarding process every time a new employee arrives on the job, no matter how experienced that employee may be in the industry. Every company has its own methods, rules, and workplace culture, and the onboarding process is necessary to get new employees up to speed.
Onboarding new employees is a challenge for companies, especially for large and complex businesses. It’s more than just helping an employee learn the ropes; onboarding also involves plugging employees into an organized team, familiarizing them with company software, and much more. In spite of all of its challenges, onboarding is vital. The more a new employee gets acclimated to the company, the better their overall work experience will be, and when employees have a good work experience, companies can slow down their overall employee turnover rate.
Employee onboarding should be fast but thorough, which means that companies will need the right tools to enhance the process. Overall, the faster new employees get up to speed, the faster they can push things forward.
How can employers make the most of the onboarding process while minimizing the challenges? Having the right technology can help. For example, document management software can simplify onboarding. Companies that embrace technology discover that document management software helps new hires learn about their jobs and their organization faster. It’s more effective than relying on humans to spend valuable working time to guide employees through what can be automated tasks. Also, document management software lays out a road map for new employees to follow. The software helps more employees to become fully operational in a process that can be repeated.
Want to learn more about what the right document management system can do for your onboarding? Take a look at the specifics below.
Templates and Automated Tasks
Sometimes, the simplest methods are the best methods. Think about checklists, for example. They’re accessible, straightforward tools that let people manage their tasks and measure progress. Checklists should be a part of every onboarding process, and document management software can make simple checklists even more accessible and efficient than they already are.
The right document management software solution can give new employees a task by task checklist to follow during their onboarding and training. Companies can create standard employee onboarding checklists ahead of time, so when it’s time to bring a new employee into the company, that employee can go straight to the checklist that the company has already made. Checklist tasks can include watching presentations, completing specific training, and doing preliminary work tasks for their new position. Once the employee checks off one task, they can move on to the next one.
This type of automation provides several benefits. For one thing, it means that other employees don’t have to walk new employees through every step. One of the biggest challenges with onboarding is that it takes employees’ focus away from their own work as they help new employees learn the ropes. With automation from document management software, new employees can handle most of their onboarding tasks themselves. Meanwhile, other employees can keep focusing on their regular tasks and avoid falling behind.
Next, document management software can often make the onboarding process faster. Generally, one person working alone can get things done faster than two people working together on the same task. Furthermore, the checklist format lets new employees work at their own pace. This means that they don’t have to wait for their next assignment or task to be explained to them. They can simply move on to the next task once they’ve finished with the previous one.
Automated onboarding can also eliminate confusion and communication breakdowns. A new employee will know exactly what comes next, so they won’t have to worry about meeting any unseen expectations. Of course, the new employee can always ask the more experienced employees questions, but they’ll likely have fewer questions when each step is laid out in front of them from the beginning.
Next, this provides hands-on experience with the company’s software and document management system. Since the employee will need to get to know this system for their work, it’s best to help them get comfortable with the software from the start. Automated onboarding provides a straightforward way to do that.
Document Management Software Makes the Process Repeatable
Replication of the onboarding process makes things easier for company managers. We mentioned that onboarding can be difficult for large companies, but small companies have their own onboarding challenges. Often, small companies don’t have formal onboarding processes, which means that they have to spend a lot of time training new hires. They repeat the same process over and over again because they don’t have an automated system to do the work for them.
Having a pre-made employee onboarding plan can simplify the process and help small companies avoid reinventing the wheel every time they bring on a new hire. A good document management software can help. The sooner a company finds the right document management solution, the sooner they can start creating a program. The program can be used over and over again, so each employee gets the same curated message that company owners and managers want. They all finish their programs with the same understanding and commitment to the company’s mission. This builds morale and helps reinforce cohesive teams.
A good document management system can make a lot of difference – not just with new employee onboarding, but with all company procedures. Of course, the key is making sure that you have the right system. Vasion can help with that. Vasion offers a top-tier document management software solution for companies like yours. Our clients use Vasion to keep their documents secure, reduce document loss, boost overall efficiency, and much more. Ready to see how Vasion can help your company save time? Schedule your demo today to see how the system works.