How to Choose Employee Onboarding Software

Onboarding software will handle your whole onboarding cycle. In essence, it is a formalised induction. This includes the signing of contracts, inductions, and various admin tasks. These include collecting IDs, bank details, and more. A seamless and comprehensive piece of employee onboarding software means a quick start.

Improves the onboarding process by automating repetitive tasks

The onboarding process consists of document exchanges between the organisation and the candidate. This will usually be through email, where attachments may get forgotten. Documents can also be filled in incorrectly. HR Onboarding Software can automatically request these uploads and process them seamlessly.

Investing in the best onboarding software can avoid these tasks. By doing so, you will not only save time but also cut down on clerical errors. The software's data fields will have specific conditions. They will guide your new employees through the processes efficiently.

Provides a smooth transition for new hires

The transition process for new hires will often dictate the rest of their employment lifespan. An effective onboarding process, for in-person and remote hires, has a significant impact on retention rate. A survey shows that 68% of new hires leave within 6 months and 31% leave within 3 months. Many of these cite the onboarding process as one of the reasons behind their early departure. With recruiting costs high, your organisation wants to avoid re-recruiting for a recently filled role. 

With good onboarding software, your new hires can train quickly. They can also start getting to know their colleagues. Moreover, they can also jump into their work much faster. This can make them feel valued early on in their career in your organisation. By jumping into their work, they will integrate into workplace culture much faster. All of these factors feed into an improved retention rate.

Onboarding is often not smooth enough. 32% of in-house and 36% of remote employees reported confusion during it.

Enhances communication between HR and new employees

The HR and new employee relationship can be intense early on as there is significant paperwork to handle. Employee onboarding software can handle a large portion of this time-consuming paperwork. The job of HR can then become to put your new hire in contact with the correct people and maintain strong communication. 

Starting a new job is nerve-wracking, irrespective of the stage of your career! With effective communication in place, your new employees will be able to contact their manager, colleagues, and a buddy to guide them through.

H3: Ensures compliance with legal requirements

The best employee onboarding software programmes really shine when it comes to compliance data. Your new employee will often need to pass several checks. HR Onboarding Software  has various checks embedded directly in the programme. This feature cuts out the need to go through various sites and track down documents. The checks included in our employee onboarding software include:

• Right to Work - Our digital verification checks candidates' right-to-work status. It combines all checks into one simple, efficient step.
• Identity Checks - Using 3-digit profiling and electoral data, we ensure reliable identity checks. They verify that candidates are who they say they are.
• DBS Checks - Run DBS (England and Wales) basic checks to verify information about an individual's criminal record. These checks are vital for roles involving vulnerable groups. They provide details that match the role's specific needs. 
• Rapid Employment and Gap Verification - Quickly verify employment history and find gaps with a click. It pulls data from verified sources like payroll records, banking details, or HMRC.

When legal checks are integrated into the software, you and your new employee can focus on the human side of starting a new job.

Helps engage employees from day one

Engagement and retention can form the cornerstone of productivity. If you are constantly re-recruiting, it makes sense that the quality of work will decrease. Training and integration of new employees takes time. The cost of recruiting a new employee is estimated to be a third of their annual salary (Tiny Pulse). Therefore, retention is crucial and is heavily facilitated by effective employee onboarding software. 

Research by Brandon Hall Group shows that good onboarding can boost retention of new employees by 82% per cent and productivity by at least 70%. (Brandon Hall Group)

So, you know why onboarding software is important. But what features do you look for when you perform a comparison of employee onboarding software options? Like HR, ATS, and Payroll software, you want comprehensive software that easily integrates with your existing programmes. 

An integrated, all-in-one system has several advantages over standalone systems. Most stem from the communication between the various software components. We discuss this later on. Before that comparison, there are several other features to consider:

1. Automation of admin tasks - Automation is often the main reason organisations choose to invest in software solutions. Administrative tasks are time-consuming, and time is valuable! With automation features, you can process large numbers of documents and candidates at the same time. This includes data gathering, searching, and processing.
2. Customisable workflows - Different roles will require your employees to complete different onboarding procedures. The best onboarding software will let you customise the process. You can assign different training modules based on the requirements.
3. Integration with other HR tools - An automated onboarding process is useless if it does not efficiently integrate with other HR tools. A comprehensive software solution will integrate the data you collect during onboarding into your HR and Payroll system. As a result, your HR team will save time.
4. Employee self-service portal – Employees can complete their training modules and track progress. Waiting for communication about next steps is not needed.
5. Progress tracking & reporting - With the whole onboarding process in one place, data feeds can report any bottlenecks. You are then able to amend the software if required. You can also reach out to your new hires to help them along.
6. Mobile access - Mobile compatibility is as crucial in onboarding as it is in recruitment. On Job today, 88% of job seekers apply on mobile, spread across their app and website. Candidates want to have the flexibility to complete tasks on their phones. Employee onboarding software that lets candidates e-sign contracts on their phone is one step ahead.
7. Pre-boarding features - Engaging new employees before they start is essential to a fast start. Providing your new hires with welcome packs shows your commitment to a smooth transition. The packs should detail your company values.

AI Integration in employee onboarding software

AI continues to grow in utilisation and functionality. This includes the integration of AI in various software programmes, from hiring to onboarding. In a survey conducted by Perspectus Global, 68.1% of HR and recruitment professionals work in a business that utilises AI. 

According to a 2023 survey by the Institute of Student Employers , the use of AI in recruitment has tripled over the past year. Approximately 30% of UK employers implementing AI in their hiring processes, up from 10% in 2022. Additionally, a 2024 report by iCIMS revealed that 99% of UK recruiters are leveraging AI in their workflows

Comparing employee onboarding software will be similar to a comparison of HR or ATS software. You need to select a programme that blends well with your company's requirements and potential for growth. An integrated system can reduce the cost of HR tech as you grow as all stages are under one piece of software.

The most crucial decision is whether to use an integrated, all-in-one system or several standalone systems. An integrated system has several key advantages:

1. Saves time by reducing confusion and frustration. The whole system looks uniform and is easy to navigate, with less clicks required to get to your desired destination.
2. Integrated HR and payroll reduce risk and supports data compliance as data does not need to be manually shared between systems.
3. Single, reliable source of data that flows freely from all areas of the business.
4. HR integration improves reporting and decision-making. It has analytics tools that highlight trends affecting your business strategy.
5. An integrated talent attraction and onboarding solution saves HR managers a lot of time per employee.
6. Single sign on reduces the time employees spend locating what they need.

Also consider the following:

• Assess your business needs - Larger companies will have a wider range of roles and, therefore, a wider range of customisation. Training modules will need to be more tailored to specific job requirements. Make sure that the software allows for this.
• Compare vendors - Conduct your comparison based on features, functions, pricing, and user reviews. The reputation of the vendor may also sway your choice. If you are looking for other software programmes, consider the whole offering from each vendor. In these cases, integration will be seamless.
• Request demos or free trials - Demos are a particularly useful tool for your assessment of employee onboarding software. You can ask about features and customisation while testing the software's user-friendliness.
• Consider scalability - Much like your other software programmes, your onboarding needs to scale with you. Your workforce may expand, or your onboarding processes may evolve; the software needs to accommodate for this.
• Customer support - Check reviews on the customer support offered by the vendor. You need a reliable support team to solve any issues and prevent any outages.

Employee onboarding software comes in two forms; standalone and fully integrated. Standalone models are dedicated purely to the onboarding process. Fully integrated models will manage all aspects: recruiting, HR, payroll, and performance management.

The best model for your organisation will depend on several factors including the size and scalability. The need for different features and functions will also determine which model is more suitable. We have created a table below to present an onboarding software comparison:

Generally, the larger you grow, the more important it is to invest in a comprehensive HR solution. These solutions will incorporate ATS, onboarding, HR, payroll, and much more. Most importantly, the solution scales with you. PeopleXD is our best solution. It covers the entire candidate and employee lifecycle.

The best HR onboarding software has the potential to be transformative for the whole organisation. An integrated, all-in-one system can save time, effort, and money.

HR Onboarding Software has transformed the success of many of The Access Group’s customers, including Cineworld and the Grafton Group.

Cineworld

The Cineworld success story is about the automation and processing that our HR software is capable of. Payroll, employee time and attendance were manual and 90% paper-based. This system was subject to frequent errors which impacted performance and customer satisfaction. With the implementation of Access PeopleXD, Cineworld now has an integrated, all-in-one system handling workforce management.

“The impact of Access PeopleXD on the business has been immediate and transformative. Managers now have everything under a single sign-on.”

Leon Foster Hill, Senior HR Business Partner at Cineworld

Grafton Group

The Grafton Group were using over a dozen different system to manage their HR, payroll, and benefits functions. All of these systems did not integrate with each other. However, with PeopleXD, extensive workforce management of over 13,000 employees is fully automated and integrated. The company saw adoption rates of 69% on desktop and 28% on mobile.

“The ability to centralise a number of siloed systems had a profound impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of our HR team - especially as a multinational conglomerate.”

Gareth McGrane, Head of HR at Grafton Merchanting ROI

Asking software providers questions can help you determine the best HR onboarding software. We have detailed some of the potential questions below.

Does your software integrate with our existing HR tools? 

This is crucial to establish as you want your existing systems to communicate seamlessly with new HR tools. The question also lets you know whether you require an integrated HR system. You can also check what that may look like from the provider in question. The best onboarding software will eliminate the need to manually share data between your payroll, HR, and recruitment.

Can we customise the onboarding process for different roles? 

Different employees require different onboarding processes  For example, office-based staff will require less attention to manual handling procedures as warehousing staff. Check that your chosen software has customisation options. This will help you find the best onboarding software.

What security measures do you have in place to protect employee data?

As a new piece of software will need to share data, it is important to establish how it protects that data. Is it stored locally or in a cloud mechanism? Determining this will inform your decision about whether to invest in an integrated all-in-one system.

How do you handle software updates and support?

Outages, updates, and consistent support is integral to seamless operation of software. You want a dedicated support team to fix issues quickly. They must understand your package and your company's demands. The best onboarding software providers will always have support on-hand.

The Access Group’s onboarding software has several features that meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.

Onboarding dashboard - The onboarding dashboard can create bespoke checklists for each new starter, role, and department. It also grants new hires access before day one, which is important to building workforce culture. The social activity feed allows new hires to interact with their colleagues. Standard and customisable page options give the organisation total control.

Compliance and completion tracking - Integrated compliance and completion tracking automates many of the new hire tasks, including user-defined forms to gather information and data. You can also push out internal policies, procedures, handbooks, and documents. Line managers can track the completion of checklists.

Offboarding tools - Streamline offboarding with customisable exit survey templates. These gather valuable feedback from departing employees. Set the date for when offboarding checklists are available. Then, generate reports from exit survey data to inform future strategies. Ensure a positive offboarding experience. It will boost your employer brand and improve your Glassdoor reputation.

Hopefully, you now know how to choose the best onboarding software! For all the features listed above, check out our HR Onboarding Software.