How important is it for companies to invest in their onboarding program? Well, numbers show 69% of employees stick around for at least three years when the onboarding experience is great.
And another 58% of new employees are likely to stick around after three years when the company has a structured onboarding program.
But it’s not just your retention that’s going to improve. It’s also the performance and productivity. Without proper onboarding, it can take eight months for new employees to reach full productivity.
On the other hand, organizations that implement a standard onboarding program see 50% more productivity in new hires.
But if this isn’t enough to convince you it’s time to put together an onboarding program, then maybe this article will change your mind.
We’re going to focus on how online onboarding can help boost productivity and retention rates in your company.
Let’s dive in.
Why Online Onboarding?
Onboarding can really help your business grow and succeed. But how you deliver your onboarding content is key.
Today, there are billions of people using smart devices, which means most people are always connected to the internet. It’s the way of life for us now.
So it makes sense to deliver your onboarding in a fashion that’s convenient and effective. You don’t want to stick to old-fashioned onboarding methods, such as paper manuals, meetings, and telephone calls.
You can streamline the process by using an online program that’s a combination of explanatory videos, interactive modules, and resources that are easily searchable.
It’s also ideal to enable your new employees and contractors to sign documents online. This includes contracts, tax documents, and any other HR documents critical to the hiring process.
But which online onboarding platforms should you be using?
Let’s take a look at 9.
1. Tutorialize
Explaining the same thing over and over for each new hire can be burdensome. So why not lighten the load for your management teams with a tool like Tutorialize
This platform allows you to create tutorials and demos for new hires. It does this by enabling you to insert tooltip-style actions on a site or web-based service.
It allows you to highlight key areas and shade out the rest of the page to drive attention to key areas. This is ideal if you have a site or system you’d like to train your new employees to use.
You can start out with a 20-day free trial to see if it’s right for your business. Then once you’re ready to pay, you can choose out of three plans. The Scorpion plan is $14/mo, Megatron plan is $34/mo, and Cloverfield plan is $59/mo.
2. Zenefits
Paperwork is problematic, especially in the HR department. There are so many documents to go over, especially if you’re a large corporation with all sorts of benefits packages.
With Zenefits, you can eliminate all of the unnecessary paperwork and do it all via the platform. It handles everything from adding employees to the payroll to enrolling employees into health insurance plans.
All you need is the new hire’s information and you can insert it easily into the platform. It’s a great tool to quickly onboard new employees so they can get right to work.
The platform boasts you can hire and onboard employees in just two minutes. There are two pricing plans to choose from — $5/mo per employee + a $40 base fee or $9/mo per employee + $40 base fee.
3. GoCo
The GoCo platform is an all-in-one HR management tool you can use for gathering all the important paperwork that go along with hiring new employees.
This includes collecting necessary documents, such as W-4s, I-9s, contracts, 1099s, and so on. The organization is also seamless since everything's in one location.
Then there are additional services offered, such as benefits enrollment, employee self-service, automated payroll deductions, and more. This platform comes with two plans – for smaller businesses, there’s the plan that costs $29/mo + $6/mo per employee.
However, if you need the extra features, such as checklists, customized onboarding tests, and assignments, then you can get the premium plan. This costs $29/mo + $10/mo per employee.
4. Eversign
There’s a lot of paperwork to sign during the onboarding process. Why not streamline it by offering digital documents with eSignature capabilities? This way, you can quickly get documents signed and your employees onboard faster.
You can create digital documents, such as contracts, non-disclosure agreements, tax documents, and more. All of the documents signed on Eversign are legally-binding in every state.
The platform allows you to easily track the progress of onboarding documents and contracts to ensure everything’s accounted for and completed accordingly.
All authorized parties are able to view the documents from anywhere there’s internet connection. Then there are also integrations with popular apps, such as Evernote, Dropbox, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Chrome, Box, and One Drive.
There are four plans to choose from, starting with one that’s free, but very limited. The paid options are $9.99 for the Basic, $39.99 for the Professional, and $79.99 for the Professional Plus.
5. Talmundo
If you’re looking for a way to quickly onboard new employees, then Talmundo is an excellent tool. It’s a cloud-based solution.
All of the onboarding paperwork is digital, which makes it easier to send and receive on both ends.
It’s very intuitive and interactive, which can make it easier for new hires to learn your business. For example, you can create fun quizzes and allow simple communication between new hire’s and your team.
You can also create a roadmap of the onboarding journey.
Now, you never worry about employees feeling lost after signing a contract.
You can even use the platform to get feedback from new hires to better understand their recruitment experience. Ideally, your onboarding journey should last weeks or even a couple of months to allow for a more seamless integration.
No pricing plans are listed, but you can request a demo and a quote from their site.
6. Click Boarding
What if there was a way to see how your new hires were doing in the onboarding process? With Click Boarding, this is possible.
This tool allows you to track the progress of new hires. Plus, you’ll receive alerts for whatever needs your attention right away. It comes with checklists, share tasks, digital documents, and corporate videos, office maps, and an employee directory.
Then if you already have an HR system, no problem. You can integrate Click Boarding into your systems, including payroll, applicant tracking systems, and more.
You can request a demo on their site to see if it’s right for you.
7. BambooHR
When you need an all-around onboarding platform, BambooHR is a great choice. This tool comes with a variety of features that makes onboarding new hires easier.
This includes everything the HR department needs, such as applicant tracking, eSignatures, performance management, onboarding tools, employee databases, and more.
The self-onboarding feature for new hires is also worth noting. This allows new hires to fill out paperwork, watch welcome videos, team introductions, and tutorials to help get employees onboard.
There’s a quote-based pricing model, which means you have to contact the company to get an estimate.
8. ClearCompany
If you’re worried about learning a new HR platform, ClearCompany may offer solace. This tool is very user-friendly.
It’s a valuable platform for keeping track of new hires, completing documents digitally, and providing employees with their very own personalized portal. The dashboard makes it easier for managers to manage their employees throughout their employment within the company.
Then to make it even more convenient and simple to use, it’s mobile-friendly. This way, new hires can sign their onboarding documents from anywhere, on any device.
The pricing for this platform is based on your individual needs. You can request a free demo, along with your quote.
9. Kin
Maximizing employee engagement is key, especially during the onboarding phase. With Kin, you can make the process seamless for new hires.
For instance, you can centralize and digitize all employee data and paperwork. Then for onboarding, you can create checklists, allow digital signatures, and create custom welcome pages for each new employee you hire.
This page can showcase their specific tasks, paperwork, and team introductions.
The platform also enables HR teams to manage benefits, leave, time off, and create schedules. Then as time passes, you can create employee reviews and objectives.
The cost for Kin is paid on an annual basis. It’s $99/mo for Startup, $159/mo for Studio, $199/mo for Growth, and $259/mo for Enterprise.
Using Online Onboarding for Your Teams
Building great teams is the lifeblood of every successful business. Without employees that are onboard with your goals and mission, you’re bound to fail.
And that’s exactly what happens for a lot of companies that fail to properly onboard new hires. With these tools, this becomes easier for everyone involved.
So definitely check them out and let us know in the comments which you decide to roll with!