The onboarding process represents one of the most critical stages in a new employee's journey within an organization. It consists of a set of planned actions aimed at integrating the new team member, providing them with the necessary resources, knowledge, and guidance to quickly adapt to the company culture and their role.

A well-structured onboarding program is essential for enhancing the productivity, engagement, and motivation of new employees, ensuring they feel welcomed and aligned with the organization's values and goals.

With the pandemic, new challenges arise, among them we highlight the following question: How to manage the disengagement process during the pandemic?

One of the impacts of the pandemic was the demonstration of the great potential of remote work, commonly referred to as telework. Telework allowed Organizations and Human Beings, globally, to discover a new modus operandis, in terms of human experience and work. The focus on this type of work is fundamentally aimed at creating an environment of safety and comfort, reducing the risk of contagion, but at the same time, the full pursuit of professional goals combined with good time management. On the other hand, the pandemic triggered an economic crisis and, as a consequence, the disengagement of human resources from Organizations/Employers.

A desvinculação de um colaborador deve ser entendida como um processo de fecho e abertura de horizontes. O fecho permite ao colaborador abraçar novas oportunidades, fora do palco da Entidade Patronal, saindo da sua zona de conforto. Abertura, por seu turno significa que o ex-colaborador poderá transformar-se num potencial cliente, fornecedor, seguidor ou até mesmo regressar futuramente à Organização. Mas fundamentalmente significa que há espaço para aprender, crescer e progredir na carreira profissional. É um “empurrão” duro, mas por vezes necessário para uma viragem profissional.

Um bom planeamento do processo de desvinculação contribui para o processo de Retenção de Talentos. Os tempos de crise permitem evidenciar quais os colaboradores que de facto “vestem a camisola”, quais os que estão dispostos a continuar a produzir resultados, apesar das adversidades constantes e emergentes. O teletrabalho exige uma excelente otimização do tempo e uma conciliação da vida pessoal com a vida profissional. O mesmo espaço (casa) torna-se em simultâneo e, por vezes sem fronteiras lar e escritório. Portanto, é preciso reconhecer e reter os grandes talentos, que agregam valor à Organização. Um olhar atento é determinante, neste processo de avaliação e retenção de competências.

In times of pandemic, physical approximation is limited and almost non-existent, for this reason it is crucial to ensure the necessary means for the existence of a huge virtual proximity, which equally fills the emotional side of the Professional, given that before being a Professional, it is a Human Being, full of emotions and affections. In this sense, it is really important to emphasize the great importance of technology, in a properly planned offboarding that provides the necessary means for a successful work!

Technology has shown itself, once again, to be a strong ally to Human Resources Management, so why not use it in the planning and execution of your Offboarding process? Want to know more? Get in touch with us!

Onboarding and offboarding are distinct processes, which take place in different phases, but which are entirely interconnected.

The phase prior to onboarding, Recruitment and Selection, is crucial and for this reason it must be successful, in order to generate positive results, especially with regard to the pursuit of the goals set for the function and fulfillment of expectations. However, it is a stage that requires time, sometimes it has a high cost, but from which profitability is expected. For this reason, it may have an impact on the following phases, due to the fact that post-admission is given less relevance.

Good onboarding practices allow the Employee to:

• Get to know the Employer and the professional challenge it has set itself. Clarity in the presentation of new functions will tend to drive greater motivation of the Employee;
• Better integration into the new team, thus fostering the spirit of belonging;
• Provide resources and mechanisms that enable better employee performance. These resources must include different aspects, but which complement each other: technical, social/interpersonal and organizational.

The onboarding is a critical moment as the execution of this process will lead or not to the Collaborator's success. This process does not end after the employee is hired, it is continuous throughout their entire career in the Organization. This close monitoring is crucial for the employee's delivery and performance and, therefore, for the Organization's talent retention policy. Once again, it is crucial to work with a win-win logic, based on solid values ​​and principles, with a view to sustained growth and continuous improvement.

A motivated, valued employee with a strong and solid sense of belonging is less likely to leave the Organization, because they feel part of the whole and contribute to its growth.

On the other hand, in a structured offboarding process, , whatever the origin of the disengagement (Employee or Employer), the existence of:

• Empathy, with a view to knowing and recording the reasons that led to the Employee's departure, in favor of continuous improvement, within the scope of future processes;
• Feedback from the Employee regarding their experience in the Entity, as well as from HR about the Employee's path in the Entity;
• Respect is also a very relevant factor for the entire process to be carried out successfully.

In short, it is very important to take into account:

– The importance of optimizing the onboarding process, as it allows for a high level of employee retention and reduces the possibility of carrying out offboarding. However, in the event of offboarding, if the process is properly structured, it may lead to a future return of the Employee. After all, Employees are the Organization's most important asset. Human capital is what distinguishes the Organization, it is the brand image that is intended to be well positioned in the market.

For the reasons described above, as mentioned initially, onboarding and offboarding, despite being opposites, are interconnected processes that complement each other!

The Offboarding process consists of the procedure performed when assigning the employee's contract. This process impacts the organization's Employer Branding and Human Capital Retention. Therefore, the objective of this process is for Human Resources to provide employees with a positive experience in the organization.

Best Practices:

1. Communication

This step consists of communicating to the manager or the employee the intention and reason for one of the parties to terminate the contract, thus initiating the Offboarding process.

2. Knowledge Transfer

In Offboarding, it is important that the employee shares his or her practices about the role with his or her successor or manager, documenting and detailing the process, thus facilitating the integration of the next employee.

3. Exit Interview

The exit interview serves to understand the reason that led the employee to take this option, obtain feedback about the employee's experience in the organization and the role with a view to potential improvements and maintain a good relationship in the future.

4. Recolher os instrumentos utilizados

Your manager must collect the material used and provided by the organization in the course of his duties.

5. Recognition

In order to increase the likelihood of the employee having a favorable relationship in the future with the organization (perhaps as a future customer, supplier or other type of stakeholder) and also keeping the rest of the team motivated, it is recommended that a Reference Letter be drawn up appreciating its contribution to the organization and offering a reminder of its permanence.

6. Payment

Proceed with the payment of compensation at the time of departure of the employee and not after it so that he / she feels legally compensated.

EXTRA POINTS: Keep future contact with the employee by creating an alumni group.
In the case of temporary work, opt for a termination questionnaire.

Crossbording consists of adapting the employee to the new role caused by internal mobility or by changing structure / team / area / new business or project. In this process, the objective of human resources management is to provide your pool with the human capital with the necessary skills to be able to carry out its work and facilitating the integration process so that they are quickly productive.

Best Practices

In the Crossboarding process, it is essential that the employee is again involved in the function or in the new facilities as if it were an Onboarding process.

1. Process Preparation

The objective of the first step is to plan the entire process, namely through documentation, access and preparation of the crossboarding calendar.

2. Communication

The integration of the employee in a different function / team / structure / business or project is essential to be communicated to the organization in order to facilitate socialization and the passage of information.

3. Presentation of the team and the job

In the third step, the new employee should be introduced to their work team, their colleagues and their workstation so that they can begin to settle into their new environment.

4. Information Sharing

Information sharing consists of passing on knowledge, procedures and tasks inherent to the employee's role. This step can be adapted if the crossboarding is not related to a change of function but to a product / area / structure or team opting for the transfer of knowledge of them.

5. Goal Setting

As we discussed in onboarding, setting goals and analyzing them is essential for the organization to ensure that the employee is achieving the results and for the employee it is a form of feedback on their work.

6. Check in from “Mentor”

The goal of mentoring is for the employee to be accompanied during crossboarding so that his boss is monitoring his progress, offering the necessary support and guidance on the organization.

7. Identification of potential improvements

Point seven consists of analyzing the defined goals and, consequently, the potential improvements so that the employee is 100% integrated and productive.

8. Process evaluation

After the completion of crossboarding, an evaluation of the process should be carried out, identifying its strengths and improvements.

EXTRA POINTS: Motivate your employee by showing him the confidence you place in him in this new stage.

Onboarding consists of the process of incorporating the new employee into the organization from the first moment, namely involving him in the mission, culture, values, team, function and objectives of the organization in order to complete his effective integration, enhancing your performance.