Inclusive Employee Onboarding Action Plan

When we think of the saying “first impressions are everything,” it’s often associated with getting ready for an interview as a candidate. With the shifts in the labour market trends indicating that employee retention is paramount, it is now also important to consider what your company’s first impression on new hires is.

Inclusive onboarding means taking into consideration the varied needs of all candidates as they integrate into the company. Taking inclusion into consideration must happen at every stage of the onboarding process, including job posting language, resume screening, interviewing, training, and beyond. An established action plan ensures everyone involved in the hiring team is on the same wave length and mitigates bias.

Candidates that feel valued throughout the hiring process, onboarding process, and during their employment are more likely to stay with the company and have a stress-free integration. This has been proven to be beneficial to employers as repeating the onboarding process over and over can become costly.

Below you will find some resources to explore that provide ideas and best practices to help guide you in developing your own inclusive employee onboarding action plan in your organization:

• LinkedIn: Making Onboarding Inclusive and Successful for Everyone – Jeannette Campbell – CEO of Ontario Disability Employment Network

• Wavelength: Inclusion Starts on Day One: 10 Ways to Build an Inclusive Onboarding Experience – Sonja Gittens-Ottley

• Forbes: 10 Simple Ways to Improve Onboarding for Increased Retention – Heidi Lynne Kurther – Senior Contributor Creative Strategies, Engaging Workplaces

• The Diversity Movement – Best Practices for Inclusive Onboarding