By Suzanne McKay, Human Resources Business Partner, Cooper Equipment Rentals. Published by On Site.

Great onboarding isn’t about paperwork or even the tasks of the job – it’s about people.

Picture this: it’s your first day at your new job. You show up, and your manager’s waiting for you and greets you with a warm welcome. They walk you around the jobsite and introduce you as the newest member of the crew. Everyone stops what they’re doing, shakes your hand and asks a little about you. You’re given a blue safety vest and a mentor to shadow.

It’s a far cry from the alternative where you show up and have no idea where to go. The door to the trailer’s locked. The site is in disarray and people are too busy to greet you, let alone point you in the direction of your manager. Eventually, you get placed in front of a computer, for two days of watching outdated training videos and filling out compliance forms.

Which job would you stay at?

Onboarding is about so much more than filling out paperwork, checklists of tasks, and “learning the ropes.” It’s about clarity, communication, consistency and, most importantly, culture. Creating an experience that leaves new employees feeling connected, motivated and ready to thrive will last much longer than any training video.

Build the culture first

Building the right company culture isn’t easy. It takes effort, intention and consistency. People should feel and see your culture in action. The values you post on your website or lunchroom wall mean nothing if you don’t practice what you preach.

READ the full article on On-Site.