Reboarding effectively! Reboarding an employee
Parental leave, secondment, or transfer between departments – we demand more from employees, returning after a long break. What is reboarding and why should it be used?
Table of Contents
- Return of the employee to work – reboarding
- Reasons why re-introductory training is important
- How to make re-boarding a success?
1. Return of the employee to work – reboarding
Welcoming a person back after an extended leave of absence or re-hiring an employee improves the employer’s image and internal confidence in the employer. In addition, returning employees feel appreciated and quickly integrated. It is advisable to take advantage of this positive attitude and guide them accordingly, dispelling any doubts from the first moments after their return. With a solid introduction to procedural and team changes, we can count on greater employee engagement. You will find that good reboarding improves the dynamics of the entire department.
Training new employees is standard procedure in any industry. Welcoming, showing the workplace, discussing the tasks facing the new person and, of course, introducing the team. Reboarding is based on these pillars, but the implementation is shorter.
When do we have to deal with reboarding?
- Return from parental leave / unpaid leave
- Changing jobs, or returning to an old employer
- Change of job position inside the company
- Long illness
2. Reasons why re-introductory training is important
Changes, changes, changes. We don’t notice them on a daily basis. They are so subtle or obvious to us that we quickly forget that we worked differently yesterday. When introducing an employee who returns to the plant, we assume that he knows the company, his job, the program in which he will work, we think he remembers everything. And yet today the world of work is changing faster than ever before.
The most common and largest changes include:
- Structures and processes
Basic workflow procedures change sometimes many times a year. A few small changes over time are sometimes a 180-degree reversal of the operation of the films. Process changes entail a transformation of the entire structure, as well as the nature of individual jobs. Reboarding helps employees learn about these new relationships. It allows them to see themselves in the communication processes, work processes, or structure of the company.
- Responsibilities and tasks
Over time, the responsibilities associated with a position change. What follows is a flow of responsibility within the team, and the hierarchy may also change. New responsibilities also affect who we work with and define the forms and channels of communication. In this case, onboarding again provides important information regarding interaction within the company’s team.
- Colleagues and superiors
If an employee returns to a company after a long break, it doesn’t mean that former colleagues and superiors are still there. In a fast-changing business, returning may mean working with a whole new team. As with a new employee, it is necessary to bond, gain acceptance and fit in with the team.
- Expectations and goals
The entire corporate culture does not necessarily change, but adjustments and changes in direction take place regularly. New business or departmental goals, different customer expectations, changed supplier requirements – all of these aspects should be thoroughly discussed during re-boarding. The idea is to update the employee’s knowledge.
- New work system
Sometimes, in an effort to improve processes in line with lean concepts, a company changes software and ways of communication between employees. Such technological moves affect the entire functioning of the team. They create a new network of cooperation that needs to be understood in order to start operating in such a changed company.
3. How to make re-boarding a success?
Any change in the functioning of the team is important. Regardless of whether the new employee is familiar with the team, he or she should be introduced in a controlled manner. A well-planned relaunch ensures that employees cooperate more quickly and strive for first results with satisfaction.
Tip 1 – Openly and clearly communicate that this is a “new start”
Often employees returning after a long break think they can just continue where they left off. To avoid confusion and disappointment, clearly communicate the new rules. Explain why you are conducting re-training. Inform them that it is not related to the employee’s qualifications, but serves to illuminate the changes. After a thorough meeting, doubts disappear, acceptance and commitment of the returnee increases.
Tip 2 – Discuss all changes
Before meeting with a returning employee, make a list of all the changes that have occurred since the employee left. Priority should be given to things that directly affect the employee or his work area. After that, we can familiarize him with changes in other departments so that he feels secure in the new structures.
Tip 3 – Give the returnee enough time
The fact that an employee returns and is already familiar with the position does not mean that when he or she returns from day one everything will work as it did before the break. Returning always requires finding oneself in a new situation and rebuilding habits from before the break. It may take some time before the employee is as productive as he once was.
Tip 4 – Remain available for questions
Many returnees are initially very confident. They want to show how fast they learn and how much they remember. They are ambitious and courageous. To capitalize on this positive enthusiasm, offer help and answer questions as they arise. Another method may be to assign a returning employee a mentor or contact person. Such a solution greatly speeds up the implementation into the daily operation of the company.
Wondering how to conduct such a meeting? Learn about a lean technique – TWI, which increases employee satisfaction and productivity. Sign up for open training and apply proven management methods in your company!