Using Slack to Onboard New Hires: A Comprehensive Guide

Onboarding new hires is a critical process that sets the stage for their success within your organization. Slack offers a ton of features that can make this process seamless and engaging, from setting up dedicated channels to leveraging automated tools for introductions and training.

1. Setting Up a New Hire Channel

The first step in using Slack for onboarding can be creating a dedicated channel for new hires. This channel serves as a central hub where new employees can find essential information, ask questions, and connect with their peers.

Steps to set up a new hire channel:

1. Create a channel: Click on the “+” icon next to “Channels” in your Slack workspace and select “Create a channel.” Name it something like #new-hires or #welcome.
2. Invite key members: Add HR representatives, team leads, and any other key members who will be involved in the onboarding process.
3. Pin important messages: Pin messages that contain crucial information such as links to onboarding documents, schedules, and company policies.

2. Automating Introductions

Building connections is a vital part of onboarding. Tools like Doozy and Donut can automate introductions between new hires and existing team members, fostering a more inclusive environment.

Using Doozy to automate introductions:

• Install Doozy: Add Doozy to your Slack workspace from the Slack App Directory.
• Schedule introductions: Configure Doozy to automatically pair new hires with different team members for virtual coffee chats.
• Add activities: Doozy gives the option of meeting in a video call with icebreakers, games or quizzes built in, to make an intro chat entertaining, too!

3. Creating Engaging Onboarding Content

Slack’s versatility allows you to create engaging content that can enhance the onboarding experience. Doozy, in particular, offers excellent features for this purpose.

Welcome messages and videos:

• Personalized welcome: Send personalized welcome messages or videos from team leaders and executives.
• Introduction threads: Create a thread where new hires can introduce themselves and share their backgrounds and interests.

Interactive onboarding quizzes with Doozy:

• Custom quizzes: Use Doozy to create custom onboarding quizzes that automatically go out to new hires. These quizzes could cover company history, values, culture, and other important topics.

Resource libraries:

• Channel for resources: Create a separate channel like #onboarding-resources where new hires can access training materials, FAQs, and company documentation.
• Pinned files: Pin important files and links in the channel for easy access.

4. Regular Check-Ins and Feedback

Continuous support and feedback are crucial for a successful onboarding process. Slack can facilitate regular check-ins and feedback loops.

Weekly check-ins:

• Scheduled messages: Use Slack’s scheduled message feature to send weekly check-in prompts to new hires.
• Pulse surveys: Implement pulse surveys using tools like Polly to gather feedback on the onboarding experience and address any concerns promptly.

Mentorship and buddy programs:

• Mentorship channels: Create channels for mentorship programs where new hires can connect with their mentors.
• Buddy systems: Use Slack to match new hires with a buddy from their team who can provide day-to-day support and guidance.

5. Celebrating Milestones and Achievements

Recognizing and celebrating milestones can significantly boost morale and engagement for new hires.

Milestone celebrations:

• Welcome celebrations: Announce new hires in a dedicated channel and encourage the team to welcome them.
• Anniversary celebrations: Celebrate important milestones like 1-year anniversaries with virtual celebrations. Doozy makes this easy by syncing with your HR system to automatically learn these dates. Set up Celebration notifications, and new employees will see evidence of an appreciative team culture as their teammates are celebrated too!

Recognition programs:

• Kudos bot: Use a kudos bot to allow team members to give shoutouts and recognition for achievements and contributions.
• Monthly awards: Implement monthly awards and recognitions announced in a public channel to foster a positive and appreciative culture.

Conclusion

Slack is an incredibly powerful tool for onboarding new hires, offering a wide range of features to create a seamless, engaging, and supportive experience. By setting up dedicated channels, leveraging automated tools like Doozy and Donut, creating engaging content, maintaining regular check-ins, and celebrating milestones, you can ensure that your new hires feel welcomed and integrated from day one.