Folklore

Maintain business continuity with effective onboarding and offboarding

“People can't live up to the expectations they don't know have been set for them.” Rory Vaden

The onboarding and offboarding experiences play a pivotal role in shaping employees' overall journey, directly influencing your company’s brand, reputation, and success.

‍Why does onboarding play a pivotal role in the employee journey?

Onboarding sets initial impressions and the foundation for an employee’s success, engagement, and long-term commitment to the company. By providing a well structured, organised and detailed onboarding program, setting clear expectations and providing comprehensive training (this doesn’t have to be labour intensive for the manager or other employees – see more details of what to include below), employees feel valued and empowered, leading to higher productivity, job satisfaction, and retention.

From a brand and reputation perspective, a strong onboarding experience enhances the company's image as an employer of choice, attracting top talent and fostering positive word-of-mouth among industry peers. Employees who feel welcomed and like they are making impact quickly become strong brand ambassadors, both internally and externally.

Finally, an effective onboarding program contributes to overall business success by accelerating the time it takes for new hires to reach full productivity.

‍Why does offboarding play a pivotal role in the employee journey?

You can’t always control employees resigning, but when they do, the offboarding process is often overlooked until challenges arise, making it crucial to have a well-structured and proactively managed approach. A thoughtfully executed offboarding process facilitates a smooth transition for both the departing employee and the company, minimising disruptions and maintaining productivity during the change.

Additionally, it leaves the departing employee with a positive final impression of the company, reinforcing brand advocacy and fostering potential future opportunities, which could be in the shape of customer, or even returning employees.

By handling departures professionally and empathetically, companies uphold their reputation, maintain positive relationships, and create a lasting sense of respect and integrity within their workforce.

Additionally, for remaining employees, a well-structured handover process is essential for maintaining business continuity and ensuring they feel equipped to manage the transition following a team member’s departure.

‍The onboarding and offboarding process/programs

‍Onboarding program

Onboarding begins the moment a candidate accepts an offer, not just on their first day. Onboarding then doesn’t start and finish with day 1, week 1 or even month 1. To ensure your employees get to full productivity as soon as possible, expectations are managed, and you and your new employees are aligned in all aspects of the role, onboarding should start with preparation before a new hire starts and continue all the way through to probation. This approach not only accelerates new hire effectiveness but also provides managers with the necessary support to integrate employees efficiently with minimal disruption.

Aspects to include in the onboarding program:

1. Before they start

Before your new employee’s start date, you should keep them updated and engaged. Make sure to get creative and add your own flare! Some ideas are as follows:

At offer stage make a phone call to congratulate them, welcome them to the team and provide verbal details of the offer, pending contract signing (and background checks if you have not already done these)
The contract and collecting new starter details in writing (see rejection and offers to find more details of what to request at this stage)
Send a welcome
Swag welcome pack – you can either mail this or have it for day 1 (or split it out so some arrives before they start)
Welcome note from Founder(s)/CEO
Book in a “meet the team” – this could be a breakfast, lunch, virtual call for remote teams
1 week before they start: send an onboarding email including an introduction to your onboarding program, details for arrival on day 1 (Folklore’s resource we attach to emails here) and what their first day will look like. You could even go one step further and add favourite cafes, restaurants, things to do in the area
Their first day: pre-schedule an email to go to their work email with all the details of onboarding and officially welcoming them to the team.

2. Onboarding content

The structure:

Make this a clear, concise format
Split out what is required across week 1, 2 and 3 individually, then beyond
You can use Notion or an intranet page
Hyper link to already existing pages so if things are changed, you are not having to update in 2 places.

Company onboarding (this should be relevant for any role):

Key resources to get up to speed quickly e.g. company strategy, pitch deck, investor updates. Ensure these are recent/relevant
Company processes and policies: physical office, company policies and/or handbook (more details below), benefits, payroll, expenses, leave approval process
About your tech stack: links to all platforms, what messaging tool you use, guidelines for tech, messaging, channels etc.
Provide a guide on where to find information i.e. if you use Dropbox, a guide to how you house and find documents
Values and principles
About the team/team profiles
Introduce the learning and development framework you are using i.e. 1:1s, L&D sessions, performance reviews
Cyber security training – use an external provider who can take developing this off your hands
How to get to know the team: outline the expectations you have of your new hire to get to know the team i.e. a coffee meeting with everyone, or their whole team (depending on company size) in the first 3 weeks.

Role related onboarding

Provide links with quick guides (written or recording) to all currently utilised resources
Utilise previous handover documents, but remove previous employee’s name/details.

3. Format of onboarding

An engaging onboarding program should be a mix of self-study, coaching, shadowing, e-learning (if you are set up for this). Do not worry if a new hire is spending a lot of time reading resources in the first few days – this is important for them to take things in. However, do ensure you have regular check ins to ensure they can ask questions on the content they are reading, and anything else that comes up
Research – there may be roles that require research early on – make sure the individual has time and space for this
One on one meetings with managers are essential and for the first 2 weeks, are recommended daily. Get your new hire to save as many questions for these as possible, so minimal disruptions for you during the day.

Onboarding for managers

Depending on your company size, it may be the founders, managers or People and Culture onboarding new employees. That said, it is important new hires have a consistently good experience, so ensure anyone managing onboarding are trained and confident on how to run onboarding.

Reference the New hire onboarding tips for managers template in Campfire for further guidance for managers, or anyone facilitating a new hire’s start
Reference the New hire onboarding progress review template for managers, or anyone facilitating a new hire’s start, to use as an official review, check in and feedback program in the first 6 months of a new hire’s start, until probation.

Employee handbook

An employee handbook serves as a comprehensive resource for new hires, consolidating essential company policies and procedures in one accessible document that can be integrated into the onboarding program, or sent ahead of time and embedded in the pre-onboarding email.

It typically includes key information such as company values and principles, onboarding guidelines, payroll processes, pay dates, working hours, leave policies (annual, personal, parental, and other types), flexibility options, workplace health and safety (WHS), code of conduct, gifts and entertainment, anti-bribery and corruption policies, whistleblower protections, disciplinary procedures, bullying and harassment policies, grievance processes, privacy policies, vehicle usage, and more.

To note: This may be best as a live document that leadership can edit in case policies or processes need updating.

To ensure comprehensive coverage and risk mitigation, it is advisable to seek guidance on the specific policies and procedures relevant to your company and industry.

For an example handbook, see the “Employee Handbook” template. You can see more guidance on handbooks using Employsure’s resource here.

Offboarding

Offboarding is just as crucial as onboarding, as departing employees can either become brand ambassadors or detractors. Managing their exit professionally and thoughtfully can significantly impact your company’s reputation and workplace culture.

Best practices for handling resignations

Maintain professionalism and support: regardless of the circumstances, your response should be composed, supportive, and professional. A leader who remains positive and understanding leaves a lasting impression.
Consider counteroffers strategically: if a valued employee resigns for a higher salary elsewhere, assess whether a counteroffer is appropriate. Weigh the individual's contributions and the cost of replacement against fairness and internal equity—ensuring that similar roles remain aligned in compensation.
Assess competitive cultural risks: if the employee is moving to a direct competitor or poses a risk to company culture, consider whether immediate termination or placing them on gardening leave (paid leave during the notice period) is necessary.
Ensure a positive offboarding experience: the way employees exit influences their perception of your company. Aim to create a respectful and engaging offboarding experience so they leave as brand advocates—and potentially as future customers.

‍What to do

Complete a full handover: use an offboarding and handover checklist shared between the manager, employee, and HR/P&C representative to ensure all tasks, responsibilities, and knowledge are properly transferred. Ensure all resources are linked and the employee has shared edit access. A template is here.
Conduct an exit interview: schedule an exit interview close to the employee’s departure to gain valuable feedback. Use a structured exit interview template to guide the conversation. A template is here.
Organise a thoughtful send-off: acknowledging the employee’s contributions with a simple farewell gathering fosters goodwill and leaves a positive final impression.
Retrieve company property: ensure all company-issued technology, equipment, and assets are returned before the employee’s last working day.

This resource, and any guidance within it, must not be relied on as legal advice. We recommend that you seek specific advice to deliver an outcome best suited to your situation.