EVERYBODY GET ON BOARD! A case study of two perspectives on onboarding process

Abstract

Abstract Essay/Thesis: 30 hp Program and/or course Strategic Human Resource Management and Labour Relations Level: Second Cycle Semester/year: St 2017 Supervisor: Ulla Eriksson-Zetterquist Examiner: xx Report No: xx (not to be filled in by the student/students) Keyword: New employees onboarding socialization Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to study the two perspectives on onboarding. On one side the perspectives of managers/HR professionals who conduct onboarding, and on the other the perspectives of new employees. The study aims to discover what aspects of onboarding play a critical role. Theory: Onboarding, or organizational socialization, is a branch of socialization theory that seeks to explain the ways in which new employees acquire the skills, knowledge and dispositions required to become effective members of a workplace environment. Therefore, the authors primarily use organizational socialization theory. Method: This thesis depended greatly upon primary data. 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted, including new employees, HR professionals, and managers of an automotive engineering company in Sweden. Hence, the thesis is considered as a qualitative research. Result: Despite that the company has an onboarding plan, it is not thoroughly carried out by managers and HR professionals. The lack of cooperation, motivation and resources to fully implement the onboarding plan, caused frustration between HR professionals and managers. Therefore, a number of new employees experienced the onboarding as insufficient. Yet, new employees valued interpersonal connections, such as having a mentor for guidance and supportive colleagues.