Employees As Customers:
How We Used CX and HCD to Improve Our Onboarding Process
TL;DR
We grew fast and needed to improve our onboarding process – so we decided to take our own advice and use CX to make it great.
We interviewed and surveyed the staff to gather key insights on how the program could improve for current and future new hires.
Our onboarding system rocks. New hires are more engaged and excited to get started – and our HR team has a streamlined process that works.
The Problem
NuAxis is an IT consulting firm that provides technology and customer experience services to federal government agencies. As we grew, we recognized the need to improve our onboarding process to quickly acclimate new employees to our culture, processes, and procedures. Our team wanted a great employee experience to start from day one and created an onboarding program that would make new hires feel welcome, informed, and supported.
Our goals included creating a positive experience, reducing employee turnover during the onboarding process, and ensuring new employees could effectively contribute to the company’s mission.
CX In Action
NuAxis used a human-centered design approach to improve our onboarding process. We formed a cross-functional team including team members from HR, IT, and leadership to understand the needs and experiences of new hires. The team surveyed current employees and conducted interviews with new hires, program managers, and HR to identify pain points and areas for improvement in the current onboarding process
From the research we developed a set of personas and journey maps to guide the development of the new onboarding process. The team then used design thinking methodologies to generate ideas and prototypes to test with the team.
The team conducted testing sessions to gather feedback on the prototypes and made necessary adjustments to the onboarding process. We also collaborated with other departments to ensure that the process was efficient and effective for operations and consulting teams.
The Results
We developed a comprehensive— and fun!—onboarding program that helped new hires and provided a positive experience during their transition into the organization. The new process includes a welcome package, and an interactive onboarding program with resources and training modules. Our welcome package includes company swag, and an overview of company culture and values. Our updated onboarding program provided access to training modules, FAQs, and a feedback mechanism for new hires.
Customer Impact
Feeling Like Part of the Family
We made new hires feel like part of the NuAxis family from day 1 by providing a comprehensive overview of our company culture and values and highlighting how they can contribute to the company’s mission in their role.
Training and Resources
We gave all new hires in the past 3 months the resources and training they need to be effective contributors to the company’s mission.
Demonstrated Importance
Using human-centered design methodologies demonstrates the importance of involving customers in the design of any new process. Our new onboarding program is a great example of how HCD can impact employee experience.
