Digital Onboarding

<< Background >>Acquiring and retaining talent is a strategic task for any organization. Onboarding plays an important role in tackling this task. The Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the usual forms of work to remote and hybrid and posed new challenges to onboarding and training. We applied for this project, because we realized a new approach to remote and hybrid onboarding was needed based on the well-designed onboarding process, that intensively uses digital technologies like e-learning, automatic translation, VR, communication platforms, etc.The main needs we had to address were:1. Dramatically improving our onboarding processes to address the challenges of remote and hybrid onboarding2. Creating a digital onboarding methodology that enables designing the employee experience along their enterprise lifecycle3. Identification of open source digital tools applicable in digital onboarding4. Creating a training course for individuals involved in digital onboarding – HRs, mentors, managers, team leaders, trainers. Training our employees and partners, like dual-education schools, and VETs.5. Implementation of digital onboarding to reduce onboarding time and costs6. Creating digital content in multiple languages and reuse it in onboarding<< Objectives >>The main objectives of the project Digital Onboarding are:Objective 1 - Develop Digital Onboarding Methodology for setting new hires for success and decrease time for them to become proficient in their new rolesObjective 2 - Identification of a set of open source tools suitable for digital onboarding purposes like e-Learning, VR, Automatic translation, multilingual Text-to-Voice Synthesizers.Objective 3 - Develop a training course on the Digital Onboarding Methodology and tools.Objective 4 - Dissemination and Implementation of the project outputs.In parallel, we aimed to create examples of digital content applicable to onboarding, using the open source tools identified in the course of the project.By implementing the products of the project, we aim to achieve:1. Implementation of a well-designed digital onboarding process2. A systematic approach to the design of the experience of employees along their life cycle in the enterprise3. The use of digital technologies in onboarding, where possible4. To significantly reduce onboarding time and costs and improve onboarding efficiency5. To train employees involved in onboarding how to implement the digital onboarding process and tools<< Implementation >>We used the PRINCE2 project management method. We organized the activities into 5 work packages, each with a clearly defined output and the necessary activities to deliver these outputs:O1 Develop Digital Onboarding MethodologyO2 Identification and implementation of a set of open source tools suitable for digital onboarding purposesO3 Develop a training course on how to implement the Digital onboarding methodologyO4 Dissemination and ImplementationProject management.The key activities for these work packages were:O1 Baseline current partners’ onboarding processes; Make a research on the topic; Define the requirements to the methodology; Develop the methodology; Represent the output to the partners; QA and improvements; Publish the results on the project website.O2 Baseline current digital tools used by partners within onboarding; Make a research on suitable open source digital tools and test them; Develop examples of digital content by these tools; Represent the results to the partners; QA and improvements; Publish the results.O3 Design a training course; Pilot training; QA and improvements; Publish the results.O4 Dissemination and implementation activitiesManage the project according to PRINCE2. Deliver all reports.<< Results >>1. The project’s website www.digital-onboarding.euAll project outputs are published here in Open Access Format. There is a link to an open source e-learning platform on the site. Digital content is uploaded to it, which is used in onboarding. The course for implementing the digital onboarding methodology is also uploaded here.2. O1 – Digital Onboarding MethodologyThe methodology includes results of research on the topic, results of a survey among employees of AQ Electric and onboarding best practice. The process of digital onboarding is described, which willing organizations can easily adapt to their needs. Business and digital tools are described that are used along the digital onboarding. Digital onboarding scenarios are provided, including how AQ Electric uses VR workstation to train welders.3. O2 – Set of open-source tools suitable for digital onboarding.The document identifies a number of open source digital tools applicable to digital ordering and provides examples of their application. Using these tools, examples of digital content were developed and uploaded to the e-learning platform4. O3 – Training course “Digital onboarding methodology implementation”5. O4 – Dissemination activities.