August 20, 2024
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered working life, and hybrid working has since become a prominent (and successful) model for many businesses. This seismic shift has meant that an employee’s time—from start to finish—has needed a bit of a rethink. From the tech setup and flexible working policies to the company onboarding gifts, there have been changes on the WFH/Hybrid/office-based working front.
So, in 2024, how do businesses ensure that their brand-new employees feel welcomed and valued, are equipped to understand how the organisation works and can begin to make a meaningful contribution?
Helpfully, some businesses have been talking about their successes and failures regarding the new onboarding challenges. Tracy Brower, sociologist and author of Secrets to Happiness at Work, suggests in a post on Forbes.com that “Your ultimate goal is to help new employees build ‘social capital’—networks of people and information that help them learn, grow, and get their work done.”
This ‘social capital’ is good for employees as it supports job satisfaction and progression. It also suits businesses as it helps retain and engage staff.
In another article, Top Onboarding Practices for New Employees, by Saurabh Wani, a digital marketer at Zoomshift, clarifies that it’s an ongoing process rather than a series of disparate events. “The world of work has undergone a dynamic transformation… companies are competing to attract and retain the best people”.
There’s that reference to staff retention again – after all, it makes perfect sense to maximise the chances that your talented new pick will stay for a long time. Onboarding is a multifaceted and expensive process involving all aspects of working life, so it needs to be done well.
Case study: Company Onboarding Experience
The insider view of an onboarding process: We were curious to find out what onboarding feels like in 2024. To get an inside view, we talked to someone who recently changed jobs and experienced onboarding, mainly as a remote WFH process. Having moved from a medium-sized organisation based in a small city to a similar but much bigger one in London, Naomi* gave us an insider view.
She reported her experience as “disappointing” for several reasons. The first was the lack of a support network, which led to her feeling she was on her own and unsure of who to contact for help and advice. She also mentioned a buddy system would have helped her overcome that initial sense of not yet being a part of the team.
The second was the organisation’s reliance on intranet-based material to provide essential information. Naomi said: “It was so easy to lose track of what I’d seen and still needed to watch, so a checklist of items that could’ve been ticked off (with a real-life pen) would have been handy.”
Was there any sign of company onboarding gifts to help smooth the process? “No!” Naomi exclaims. Adding: “That would have been amazing – a combined notebook and diary would have been ideal; I would’ve loved having the dates and times of events, pages to make notes in during online and telephone meetings, and other relevant information, all in one handy, portable item.”
That intranet checklist and a list of key team members and their contact details could also have been added. But Naomi said, “The most useful addition would have been more information on the induction process itself, so you could see the whole onboarding schedule set out clearly and know at what stage of the programme you , along with any useful company information and contacts – so always on-hand without the need to be logging in or on screen.”
Other company onboarding gifts would also have been appreciated. Naomi mentions, “A sleek, stylish pen or a water bottle would have reminded her that she was now part of a different team.”
So, get into the employee’s mindset – even if the commute is just a walk down the stairs, a new coffee mug with a nice message on your desk positively impacts employee happiness.
Popular company onboarding gifts for 2024
Including onboarding gifts can make new hires feel welcomed and appreciated. Here’s a list of the most popular company onboarding gifts to invest in now:
- Personalised/Branded Notepad and Pen: Useful for taking notes away from screen time.
- Bespoke Water Bottle: Encourages hydration and can be taken anywhere, promoting your brand.
- Desk Accessories: Items like a mouse pad, desk organiser, or branded coffee mug.
- Tech Gadgets: Headphones or a portable charger.
- Custom Diary: With important company dates and contacts added for ease
- Welcome Gift Box: This could be a practical onboarding gift set that goes the extra mile – including tea and chocolate or a well-being version with a water bottle and grow-your-own desk plant.
We have plenty of curated gift boxes or can build you a bespoke package, based on your needs and budget.
Where company onboarding goes wrong (and what to do about it)
DW Innovation, a German media brand, admitted to getting things wrong during their first round of hybrid hiring during a mid-pandemic recruitment flurry – colleagues admitted they would’ve liked to have seen a more ‘structured company overview’, along with an ‘easily accessible’ and ‘comprehensive’ set of onboarding documents.
On a global scale, many employees have shared similar onboarding experiences, expressing difficulties navigating the process, feeling disconnected from the company culture, and facing technical challenges. The absence of a comprehensive onboarding process, including personalised gifts, has been a common issue, hindering the integration of new team members.
For us, the solution is clear: the delight of receiving a surprise package, the happiness of seeing something that has been carefully chosen and personalised for you, and the understanding that your new employer has considered your needs to help you feel fully integrated into the team. Practically speaking, a notebook with all relevant company info in one place, or a diary with important contacts and company dates would be hugely beneficial.
Don’t just take out word for it. According to a survey of 4,000 office workers by cloud software company Webonboarding found, 71% of UK office workers agreed that they would have settled into their new role much more quickly with a straightforward onboarding process to follow. While Tremendous, the research and survey brand noted that 75% of workers experience higher job satisfaction after getting a good gift.
Contact us to discover how we can help you incorporate useful, customised content into your company onboarding gifts, making them a vital and memorable part of your HR toolkit and ensuring a seamless transition for all new employees.
* We’ve changed the name of our confidante, to whom we are very grateful.
