Successful onboarding
from the first working day to the end of the probationary period

Your first day in the new job is right ahead! This is the beginning of an exciting, yet stressful time in your career. As a new employee, you have to get used to new colleagues and a new environment.

Our onboarding process is designed to help you have a smooth start in the new company. After all, you need get acquainted with a new culture, learn new workflows, and find your own role and identity within the team.

Onboarding: What does that mean?

The term onboarding means “taking on board” – in this case, taking someone on board of the company. It doesn’t mean, however, to take a person on board for just a short period of time but to systematically integrate this person into the new company and the team, both professionally, socially and culturally.

In this onboarding process, your supervisor defines your future responsibilities, explains the company’s goals and gives you an understanding of the corporate culture. Joint feedback is an important factor. During the probationary period, it is important to find out whether both parties meet each other's expectations and if they fit together as people.

Onboarding is therefore not limited to your first working day but over the first weeks to months. Companies now utilise a structured onboarding process, which is usually made up of three phases:

Phase 1: The pre-boarding

The first phase of the onboarding process begins when you sign your employment contract. Ideally, as a new member of the team, you will afterwards receive all relevant information regarding your first day of work, information on any required work documents and an outlook on the first few weeks in your new job.

Phase 2: Meeting on the first working day

First of all, arrive. This is the motto by which you will start your first day in your new job. Your supervisor and HR staff will welcome you and introduce you to your new colleagues. You will be shown your future workplace and receive the necessary (work) equipment so you can work productively right from the start. In many organisations, new employees are supported by a mentor or direct colleague during the onboarding process. This person will instruct you on your work projects, answer your questions and make sure that you feel completely comfortable right from the start.

Phase 3: The onboarding

In this phase of the onboarding process, your new employer will focus on providing you the best possible training and help you integrate into your team. You will get to know colleagues from other departments with whom you may also work.

Onboarding processes: What you should know before your first day of work

If your new employer has not yet established a standardised onboarding process, we recommend that you be proactive and make the onboarding positive and profitable for everyone.

For example, if you do not know exactly when to arrive on the first day, you should gather this information yourself one to two weeks before your first day of work. Get in touch with your contact to find out if there is an onboarding plan for new employees and what your first days in the new job will look like.

You can also ask about the usual dress code. Even if you have already met supervisors and HR staff during the interviews, asking about any dress code speaks in your favour and shows that you are willing to integrate into the team right from the start.

Before your first day of work, you can also memorise the names of your future colleagues. You’ll surely find them on networks such as Xing and LinkedIn or on the company’s website.

7 tips for successful onboarding

Your first day is imminent. You will want to leave the best possible first impression with your new employer. Present yourself as an interested, friendly and ambitious new team member – and start this new chapter in your career with the right attitude.

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Meet your new colleagues

When you are introduced to your new colleagues, besides being attentive and remembering their names, you should be interested in what topics they are each dealing with. Perhaps you would like to invite them to a personal and professional meeting already in your first days? Invest time and show commitment at the beginning of the onboarding process. Participate in team events and try to connect with each individual – both on a professional and personal level.

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Conclusion: Onboarding offers many opportunities for you to take advantage of

A change of job as a new professional challenge allows you to develop further - both professionally and personally. Use the onboarding phase intensively to familiarize yourself with the team and to get used to it. You can ask anything you want during this time.

Now is the best time to absorb the company’s DNA and identify with the company’s ideals and values. At the same time, onboarding offers you the chance to meet new people, to benefit from their experience and thus to further develop your own skills. However, do not forget to consider for yourself if you like the culture and get along with the team.

Of course, a certain tension or excitement at the beginning is normal. And new, previously unknown conditions may initially feel uncomfortable for most people. Stay positive and committed throughout the entire onboarding process.

In your feedback meetings with your supervisors, you should honestly and openly talk about how you feel. Talking openly helps resolve issues in most cases.