Pre-Boarding

Pre-boarding involves the interaction with new hires from the day they accept the offer until their official date of employment. It is a preventative measure to acquaint new hires with the organization, its culture and onboarding process, before their first working day. Pre-boarding activities could include sending welcome emails, providing access to online resources and training material, assigning mentors or buddies and getting introductions to the key members of the team or stakeholders. Organizations implement pre-boarding activities with the goal of eliminating new hire anxieties, hastening the integration process, and paving the way for a successful and energetic employee experience from day one.

Example

Say for instance we take a global company that employs workers from different races and countries. In order to simplify the onboarding process and to ensure consistency across sites, the HR department uses a pre-boarding program. After taking the job, new hires are sent a series of pre-boarding e-mails that are stuffed with crucial information on the nature of the company, its values, policies, and expectations. In addition to registration, they are also provided with an online portal where they can fill in the necessary papers, watch orientation videos and learn about the company's history and culture. In addition to that, new employees get their own mentor who is the person to contact in case of questions and help. The company does early participation of the new hires in pre-boarding activities to play its part in a smooth transition and to evoke a sense of belonging and anticipation even before the official start day of new hire.