Ever tried to take a sip from a firehose? Yeah, that's how your newbie feels in a traditional onboarding meeting. You, the Head of Onboarding, appear like a well-meaning knight, dressed in your shiny company culture armor, ready to blast information into your new recruit's brain until they're swimming in a sea of who’s-who, what’s-what and why-oh-why! But hey, relax. There’s a smarter way to do this. Let's ditch that old firehose strategy and trade it in for a more digestible, engaging, and dare I say, enjoyable approach to the Onboarding Meeting.
What is a Head of Onboarding Meeting?
The Head of Onboarding Meeting, often mistaken for a verbal assault course, is actually an essential, exciting first step in your new recruit's journey. It's where you welcome them into your team, provide insights about their role, set expectations for success, and answer any looming questions they might have. It's not meant to be a tsunami of information, but rather a clear, calm stream of knowledge that’s easy to navigate.
Why should I have an Onboarding Meeting?
Now, I know what you're thinking: “Why can’t they just read the manual?” Well, because an onboarding meeting is about more than just dumping data. It's about building connections, instilling your company’s values, and setting the tone for the new team member's experience. It's equally useful for remote or in-office teams, as it helps build a sense of belonging, creates clear communication channels, and sets your new hire up for success right from the get-go.
Doing it live: How to supercharge your Onboarding Meeting
Going live for your onboarding meeting is like a double-edged sword: exciting, engaging but also risky business. Live meetings offer real-time interaction, immediate feedback, and can help you establish a personal connection with the newbie. However, information overload can hit harder than a flying keyboard when you're racing against the clock.
To combat this, structure your meeting efficiently. Begin with a warm welcome, followed by a succinct overview of the role and responsibilities. Introduce the team, but instead of a boring rundown of names and roles, share a fun fact about each member. This makes introductions more memorable and eases the tension. But remember, save some for dessert. Don’t dump everything on the plate at once.
And to make sure you have a record of every onboarding meeting, try recording them with Claap. This gives your HR team power to go back through onboarding meeting and focus on the moments that maybe got swept away in the excitement of joining a new company. With automated transcripts and AI-generated summaries they'll have a database they can go back to anytime and refine their onboarding strategy.
IF YOU USE GOOGLE MEET:
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1. Click on the extension
Make sure you’ve downloaded our Chrome extension and you’ll have a new record button in your Google Meet. Important: You don’t need to be the organizer to start recording the meeting but make sure to name someone in charge of it that is also going to highlight key moments.
2. Highlight/pin key moments to help people catchup easily
Whenever something important happens and you want to leave a reminder to rewatch a certain section, whoever started the recording can click on the pin icon on the control panel and mark timestamps that’ll appear in your final recording. Discussing sensitive information you’d rather not record? It’s easy to pause and unpause your meeting any time using the icons in the control panel too.
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3. Share your claap
Once your meetings over, share the link to your recording or invite your teammates from your workspace. We recommend creating a dedicated topic with your team so anyone can easily find the recording without having to invite people every time.
4. Read the transcript and leave comments
If someone said something interesting in the meeting and you want to find that moment, all you have to do is check the transcript. Every claap is transcribed automatically so you can find the important moments faster. Then you and your team can leave comments, create threads, and collaborate directly from the recording.
IF YOU USE ZOOM:
1. Record the meeting using Zoom
When you start your meeting, click the “Record” button in the control panel. When your meeting finishes, it’ll automatically be saved into your Zoom account, ready to be uploaded into Claap.2. Connect your Zoom account
Easily import your recordings into dedicated topics and start collaborating on all your Zoom meetings. Just click on the “Upload video” option and then click on the Zoom icon. You’ll then be able to choose from all your Zoom recordings and bring in the videos you need.3. Read the transcript and leave comments
Just like meeting recordings, all your screen recordings are transcribed automatically. That means your team get to find the moments they need faster. Once you know the areas you want to tackle, you and your team can leave comments, create threads, and collaborate directly from the recording.
When you can’t make it: How to have an asynchronous Onboarding Meeting
But what if you can’t do it live? The beauty of technology is that you can still have an impactful onboarding meeting asynchronously. Using a tool like Claap, you can record a detailed onboarding video, complete with transcripts and AI-powered notes. This allows your new hire to absorb information at their own pace, and revisit any sections they might need to.
Picture this: you record a delightful tour of your virtual office, complete with on-screen annotations, and add a personal touch by introducing each team member with a video snippet. No more overwhelming info dump, no more struggling to recall who's who. Plus, with automatic transcripts and smart notes, your new hire can easily refer back to any point of the onboarding process.
START YOUR RECORDING:
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Download either the Chrome extension or desktop app. Then all you have to do is click on the Claap icon to name your video, adjust your settings, and start recording.
DURING THE RECORDING:
We feel you… recording yourself can be a bit daunting even if it’s just your screen. Here’s some of our top tips to come in confident, efficient AND effective.
- Start with the goal and briefly explain what you’re going to say in one or two sentences. It helps people follow you easily.
- Dive into details. Don’t forget to zoom in if it’s something more visual so it’s easy to watch. You don’t want people squinting at their screen.
- Pin key moments when you expect feedback so people can react easily. People often forget to make it clear what they expect.
- Share it in Slack, Notion, or in a topic to keep your centralized spaces centralized. All you have to do is paste the link and it populates automatically.
NOTE: If this is a recurring meeting with multiple stakeholders, we recommend using a dedicated topic where you can organize your video content.
COMMENTING TIPS:
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- Don’t forget to mention people if you expect precise feedback. We like to add “FYI” in front of messages that don’t need any response.
- If you need feedback from many stakeholders, use polls. Nobody is going to read comment threads that go on forever. Keep things simple and get everyone involved.
- If you need more precise feedback, use file attachments or video replies. It’ll help you save a lot of back and forth.
- If you need to reply quickly to feedback you get, we recommend installing the Claap App in Slack so you receive and reply to comments directly from there.
How to have sync and async Onboarding Meetings together
Combining synchronous and asynchronous approaches can create the ultimate onboarding experience. Start with a live welcome meeting to introduce the newbie and answer their initial questions. Follow this up with an asynchronous Claap video covering the nitty-gritty details of their role and responsibilities, which they can peruse at their own pace.
The Whirlwind 30-Minute Onboarding Meeting Agenda
1. Welcome and Introductions (5 minutes):Goal: To make the new hire feel welcome and a part of the team.
Start off with a warm welcome. Briefly introduce yourself, the team, and give a light-hearted outline of the company culture. Inject some fun into the proceedings by sharing an interesting fact about each team member.
2. Quick Overview of Company Mission and Values (5 minutes):Goal: To make the new hire understand the 'why' behind what they're about to do.
Provide a concise overview of the company’s mission, values, and objectives. This isn't a history lesson or corporate lecture. It's a chance to share the heart and soul of the company, what drives you and why it matters.
3. Role and Responsibilities (5 minutes):Goal: To ensure the new hire understands their role and how it contributes to the company's mission.
Give a high-level overview of the new hire's role and key responsibilities. Avoid jargon and corporate-speak. Use clear, plain language that paints a picture of what their typical day could look like.
4. First-Week Objectives and Expectations (5 minutes):Goal: To set clear, achievable objectives and give the new hire an understanding of what success looks like.
Outline what they can expect in the first week, what you'd like them to achieve, and how they can measure their success. Break it down into manageable, bite-sized goals to avoid overwhelming them.
5. Q&A Session (5 minutes):Goal: To clear up any initial doubts or concerns the new hire might have.
Open the floor to questions. Encourage the new hire to voice any queries, concerns or comments. Respond with clarity and empathy, reinforcing that no question is too small or silly.
6. Wrap-up and Next Steps (5 minutes):Goal: To provide a clear roadmap for the next few days.
End the meeting with a summary of what was discussed, highlight next steps, and assure them that a detailed Claap video will follow with more information they can digest at their own pace. This is a chance to reassure the new hire that they're not alone in this journey and that help is always at hand.
Remember, this agenda isn't set in stone. Feel free to tailor it to your new hire's needs, role, and the unique culture of your company.
FAQs
1. What's the importance of the first Onboarding Meeting in employee retention?
The first Onboarding Meeting sets the tone for the employee's experience with the company. A well-executed meeting can foster a sense of belonging, boost productivity, and decrease turnover. When employees understand their role, know what to expect, and feel welcomed into a supportive team, they're more likely to stick around.
2. How can I make my remote Onboarding Meeting engaging and personal?
Engaging remote hires is a unique challenge, but certainly not impossible. Use technology to your advantage. A tool like Claap can facilitate video introductions of the team members, virtual office tours, and personalized messages. Include interactive elements like polls or quizzes, and always ensure there's room for dialogue, not just a monologue.
3. How often should I conduct follow-up Onboarding Meetings?
While the initial Onboarding Meeting is crucial, onboarding is a continuous process, not a one-off event. Regular check-ins during the first few weeks or months can be beneficial. This frequency depends on the role, the individual, and the complexity of your organization. However, a general rule of thumb is to have a follow-up meeting at the end of the first week and then at 30, 60, and 90 days.
4. How can I measure the effectiveness of my Onboarding Meeting?
Feedback is your friend here. Request feedback from the new hire about their experience. Did they feel welcomed? Was the information clear and relevant? Do they have a better understanding of their role? You can also assess the productivity and engagement levels of the new hire in the weeks following the meeting, and note if there are areas they struggle with.
5. What should be avoided in an Onboarding Meeting?
Avoid treating the Onboarding Meeting like a data dump. It should be an interactive, welcoming session, not an exhaustive lecture. Don't overload the new hire with too much information at once. Avoid negative or unconstructive comments. Lastly, don't rush it. Ensure the new hire has time to digest information, ask questions, and feel welcomed.