Introduction

We love technology —it enables us to enhance experiences, especially for new team members. Sometimes your first day can be hard enough, even without the annoyances of technology. Let's walk through how we transformed this project's onboarding process, prioritising consistency, efficiency, and a warm welcome for every new starter.

The Challenge

We noticed inconsistencies in the onboarding process, leading to missed tasks and delays for new team members. This affected their initial experiences and incurred unnecessary time and cost for the project as they couldn't dive straight into work.

The Old Way

HR relied on sending out emails with checklists to multiple stakeholders involved in the onboarding process. While this worked initially (to a degree), this manual process lacked consistency and efficiency. Especially now there are over 200 staff on the project!

The Solution

Using the existing platforms on hand, we implemented a streamlined approach using Microsoft Forms, Google Drive, and Power Automate to embrace this challenge. The cost saving and security gains leveraging existing software were also a welcomed bonus.

The New Process:

1. HR Form Integration

   HR fills out a Microsoft Form with new starter information, triggering automated actions through Microsoft Power Automate.

   
   

2. Automated Welcome

   This triggers an automated welcome email to the new starter and sets up a Google Drive folder, facilitating a smooth document uploading experience that looks professional.

   
   

3. Effortless Folder Creation

   Automated creation of folders in Microsoft Teams, eliminating manual folder setup and ensuring standardised organisation for our HR friends.

   
   

4. Proactive Notifications

   Automated emails to all parties involved, notifying them of the new starter's arrival date and details.

   
   

5. Task Management

   Creation of a Microsoft Planner bucket with assigned tasks for involved parties, ensuring transparent progress tracking. This was huge, now everyone could see where the onboard process was up to, and an easy system to use (click and tick checkbox flow).

   
   

The Impact

Our revamped process redefined onboarding. It fostered consistency, empowered new team members with a guided and user-driven document upload process, and provided stakeholders clear visibility into the onboarding progress.

Conclusion

Our commitment to leveraging technology for human-centric solutions shines through in this transformed onboarding journey. By harnessing Microsoft Forms, Google Drive, and Power Automate, we've ensured a seamless and welcoming experience for every new team member, eliminating delays and enhancing project efficiency.

Thanks for the quick read!

Chad Rossi