Employee Onboarding Software

Are you tired of sifting through piles of paperwork, endless manual processes, and disjointed systems when bringing new employees on board? We understand the unique onboarding challenges you face in sectors like construction, manufacturing, landscaping, and distribution, where a deskless workforce is the norm.

That's why any online onboarding solution you use has to meet your specific needs — creating a smooth transition from recruitment to productivity.

What does online onboarding mean, especially in the context of the blue-collar world? It refers to the seamless integration of new employees into your workforce, using digital platforms and tools that cater specifically to the needs of industries like yours.

We're here to shed light on the importance of employee onboarding and how the right software solution can make a significant impact on:

• Providing you with access to a larger and more diverse pool of job seekers.
• Decreasing errors and eliminating redundant tasks by automating tedious paperwork.
• Creating a positive employee experience from their first day on the job, which increases productivity and reduces turnover.

Team Engine is an innovative employee onboarding platform designed just for this purpose. But before we dive into the specifics of our solution, let's explore the broader significance of employee onboarding and the value it holds for blue-collar industries. 

We'll also share some onboarding best practices and a checklist you can follow to make employee onboarding as little of a headache as possible.

By the end of this page, you'll have a clear idea of why employee onboarding software is essential for your team and how to get started with an effective onboarding process.

Employee Onboarding Tools

Construction experienced an all-time high level of more than 390,000 job openings per month in 2022. Projections for manufacturing are even more bleak, with an estimated 2 million+ job vacancies by 2030. 

The cost of those open positions? Potentially exceeding $1 trillion!

The skilled labor shortage amplifies the importance of effective employee onboarding to attract and retain talented individuals onto your team. To address this issue, leveraging the right employee onboarding tools is critical.

Here are some essential employee onboarding tools to consider:

Employee Onboarding Platforms

These comprehensive platforms provide end-to-end solutions for onboarding new employees, offering features like:

• Digital document management
• Task automation
• Employee self-service portals
• Integration with HR systems

While there are plenty of employee onboarding platforms on the market, the majority are built for white-collar industries.

HR Systems

Integrating your existing HR systems with your onboarding platform can help you streamline and automate manual processes like:

• Invoicing
• Payroll
• Benefits administration
• Policy management
• Recruiting
• Employee communications

It also helps ensure compliance and consistency in areas like employment eligibility, documentation, and safety — all high-priority areas in the blue-collar world.

Onboarding Apps

Mobile applications enable employers and new employees to:

• Complete paperwork
• Access training materials
• Connect with their team members right from their smartphones

Employee Onboarding Websites

Having a dedicated employee onboarding website can centralize all the information and resources new hires need. It can include:

• Company Policies
• Training materials
• FAQs
• Interactive elements to make the onboarding and training process engaging

Best Onboarding Software

Adopting new software into your operations is not a decision to take lightly — and employee onboarding software is no exception.

The best HR onboarding software options often include:

• User-friendly interface
• Integration with existing HR systems and other platforms
• Customizable workflows
• Automation
• Reminders and notifications
• Analytics to measure onboarding effectiveness
• Flexible scalability
• Excellent customer support

Selecting the right employee onboarding software should be about meeting your team’s particular needs. Not all industries are the same, and the best software for one sector may not be the ideal choice for another.

Onboarding Platform Vendors

Numerous vendors specialize in providing employee onboarding platforms and services, but finding the perfect fit requires more than just a list of features. 

It's like selecting the right tools for a craftsman's toolbox — it needs to be tailored to the job.

Team Engine is one of the only employee onboarding software vendors that focuses exclusively on the deskless workforce. And we’ll talk more about why that should matter to you in a bit.

Employee Onboarding Checklist

In the face of the skilled labor shortage, developing a better onboarding experience can help attract and retain talented individuals.

To help make sure you've covered all the basics, here's a new employee onboarding checklist to guide you through the employee onboarding process:

Pre-Onboarding Preparation

• Prepare necessary paperwork, including employment contracts, tax forms, and safety training documents.
• Set up their workspace, ensuring it's clean, organized, and equipped with the tools they'll need (more on this below).
• Communicate the onboarding process to the new hire, providing clear instructions and setting expectations.

Orientation and Training

• Provide an introduction to the company's mission, values, and culture.
• Offer an overview of your company, emphasizing the importance of their role within it and showing them a path to develop their career.
• Conduct safety training, emphasizing the protocols and equipment necessary for their job.
• Assign a mentor or buddy to guide them through their initial days or weeks and answer any questions.

Access to Tools and Resources

• Grant access to relevant software systems, specialty tools or equipment, and platforms they will need to perform their job effectively.
• Provide login credentials and offer training on how to navigate and utilize these systems.
• Introduce them to any industry or job-specific tools or equipment they will use regularly.

Team Integration

• Introduce the new hire to their team members to facilitate good collaboration from day one.
• Schedule team-building activities or outings to strengthen relationships and create a positive company culture.
• Encourage open communication and create channels for feedback.

Ongoing Support and Follow-Up

• Conduct regular check-ins to gauge their progress, address any concerns, and offer guidance.
• Provide continuous training and development opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge.
• Seek feedback from the new hire regarding their onboarding experience and implement improvements as necessary.

To simplify many of the steps in this onboarding process checklist, consider utilizing onboarding system software.

Think of it like an onboarding checklist software. These tools can automate tasks, track progress, and provide a centralized platform for managing the entire process efficiently.

If you want to avoid costly turnover, a well-executed onboarding checklist creates a positive employee experience, fosters engagement, and sets the stage for long-term success in your organization. 

Best Practices for Onboarding

Companies that have a robust onboarding process experience an 82% higher rate of retention. Yet 88% of companies have an onboarding process that’s inadequate.

This can be a real hit to your bottom line when replacing an employee can cost up to 250+% of their salary!

Following the best practices for onboarding below is crucial to overcoming the labor shortage and reducing hiring headaches:

Start Before Day One

Set the stage for success by initiating pre-boarding activities before the new employee's first day. This can include sending a welcome packet, providing access to training materials, and assigning pre-start tasks to get them familiar with the job and your company.

Create a 30-60-90 Onboarding Plan

Develop an onboarding plan that spans the first 30, 60, and 90 days of employment. This structured approach ensures a gradual integration into the company and job responsibilities, allowing time for learning, acclimation, and skill development.

The plan should include milestones, goals, and checkpoints to assess progress.

Foster Mentoring and Buddy Programs

Pair new employees with experienced mentors or buddies who can provide guidance, support, and encouragement. This mentorship fosters a sense of belonging and helps newcomers navigate the nuances of the industry, creating a smoother transition.

Prioritize Safety Training

How many accidents and injuries could be avoided if safety protocols were followed? That’s why it's so important to prioritize safety training during the onboarding process in the trades and other blue-collar industries.

Provide clear instructions, demonstrations, and hands-on practice to ensure new employees understand and adhere to safety protocols.

Engage New Hires with Hands-On Learning

Tap into that hands-on nature of blue-collar industries by incorporating interactive training methods. Allow new hires to actively participate, experiment, and learn by doing.

Implement Employee Onboarding and Training Software

Consider utilizing employee onboarding and training software to streamline and enhance your onboarding process. These onboarding automation software solutions offer consistency, scalability, and efficient management of all your onboarding initiatives.

Remember, onboarding is more than just paperwork and policies — the purpose is to create a longstanding and successful relationship between you and your new hire.

Automate Onboarding

Life on a job site or in a warehouse is dynamic, fast-paced, and requires meticulous coordination. So when it comes to managing the hiring process, manual tasks can slow you down and hinder your ability to focus on building and growing your team.

That's where Team Engine comes in.

With our software solution, you can cut out time-consuming manual tasks and focus on finding the best talent to join your team.

Team Engine can help you automate recruiting, hiring, and onboarding tasks like:

• Posting Jobs on Multiple Platforms: You can post job openings on a range of job boards with just a few clicks. This helps you reach a wider audience and attract top talent from various sources, all from a single spot.
• Pre-Screening: Eliminate the tedious process of sifting through stacks of resumes. Team Engine's automated system can instantly screen resumes, filtering out unqualified candidates and identifying those who meet your specific requirements. Talk about a time saver!
• Scheduling and Managing Interviews: Forget the back-and-forth emails and phone calls to schedule interviews. Our software simplifies the process by allowing candidates to self-schedule interviews based on your availability, saving you time and effort.
• Applicant Tracking and Follow-Up: Keep tabs on each candidate's progress with our intuitive dashboard. Track their status, schedule follow-up communications, and make sure no candidate falls through the cracks.
• Analytics and Reporting: Tap into valuable data-driven insights with Team Engine's analytics and reporting capabilities. Monitor the performance of your hiring process, identify areas that need improvement, and make decisions based on hard facts.
• Communicate Throughout Employment: Employee messaging lets you schedule and send text messages and surveys to individuals or team members. From reminders and updates, to celebrating work anniversaries and birthdays, and making sure they’re happy in their careers... Stay in communication with your employees without pulling your focus from other important tasks.

By automating these essential onboarding tasks, you can bring efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness to your employee onboarding.

Ready to experience the benefits of automated onboarding? Start your risk-free trial of Team Engine today!