The process of recruiting, interviewing and hiring a new employee often requires a lot of effort. But the work for human resources (HR), as well as for team or department leaders, doesn’t stop there. The organization then needs to onboard that new hire. Employee onboarding involves familiarizing new employees with the organization, teaching them about internal processes and giving them the tools they need to become productive team members. The right employee onboarding software makes the process easier.
What Is Employee Onboarding Software?
Employee onboarding software is any solution with the specific purpose of making onboarding new hires easier and more efficient. Successful employers know the value of onboarding: A smooth onboarding process helps new staff become more productive quicker. This can have positive effects on the long-term value an employee brings to an organization.
Key Features of Employee Onboarding Software
Here are some of the most important facets of an effective employee onboarding solution:
- Automated workflow: Onboarding can require a lot of communication. A new hire can be stuck in limbo for a while, waiting for somebody in HR to give them clearance to access an internal system, for example. But by automating workflows, a good employee onboarding software solution can instantly send documents and task requests to the appropriate staff to speed up the process.
- Compliance: Onboarding often involves sensitive data, such as employee bank information. Any software that handles this must comply with regulations such as those from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
- Data security: A key part of compliance is security. An effective modern employee onboarding solution must have advanced data security and privacy protections.
- Integrability: Onboarding software can’t speed anything up if it introduces friction with the other systems and applications your workplace uses. An effective solution must provide seamless integrations for assessments, background checks, virtual interviews and more.
Core Benefits of Employee Onboarding Software
Some benefits of effective an employee onboarding solution include:
- Centralized information: Nothing eats up time like searching for documents and information. With a centralized portal to host all new hire paperwork and employee information, nobody has to wonder where certain documents are.
- Easy document sharing: A centralized hub for employee information and training material, such as an employee handbook, makes sharing these documents a lot easier. This can also help achieve paperless onboarding, which is crucial for many organizations, especially those with remote employees.
- Efficiency boosts: The stated aim of any effective onboarding tool is to make the whole process more efficient. This makes it easier for the HR manager, for payroll and for the new hire. This can have long-term benefits, because the first few months are critical for new staff deciding if they want to stay with their new company. A more efficient onboarding process can mean higher employee satisfaction, a more positive company culture and greater employee retention.
- Quicker ramping processes: The faster administrative tasks and payroll forms are out of the way, the sooner a company can get a new hire up to speed. A quick onboarding journey means staff are working at full capacity sooner.
Comparing 6 Employee Onboarding Software Solutions
Here are six of the best employee onboarding software options:
1. ApplicantStack
Of course we were going to include our own software on this list. It is our list, after all, and ApplicantStack just happens to start with an “a” so we’re number one.
ApplicantStack offers all the benefits discussed above. You can easily import new hires from our applicant tracking system and upload all the necessary forms (W-4, I-9, etc.). And you can find all this information in your centralized, customized and branded New Hire Portal. You can also set reminders and use templates to automate workflows and speed up tasks.
2. BambooHR
BambooHR offers tools to speed up onboarding paperwork, such as electronic signatures, with customizable pre-boarding packages.
3. Click Boarding
Click Boarding offers a mobile-first, international and configurable solution. This software has compliance and security features and can reduce no-shows during the hiring process.
4. Efficient Hire
A subsidiary of Equifax, Efficient Hire focuses on streamlining the hiring process. This system’s specialty is onboarding hourly employees.
5. HR Cloud
HR Cloud offers an organized, detailed approach to onboarding. With this software, you can create a comprehensive onboarding workflow to keep everyone on the same page.
6. Rippling
Rippling provides an all-in-one system for HR, IT and payroll. This software reduces the effort needed to manage the employee lifecycle, from hiring and onboarding to benefits administration.
ApplicantStack Has Every Onboarding Feature You Need
ApplicantStack can provide all the benefits mentioned in this article. Our powerful employee onboarding software allows you and your HR team to improve efficiency and save time — and get new hires working for you.
If you’ve read all the way to the end of this article, then you’re clearly interested in leveling up your employee onboarding process. And you evidently trust us enough to read an entire article, so why not try our employee onboarding system risk-free with a free trial and see how you like it?
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