Effective on-boarding sets employees up for success in a new workplace. Veterans who have recently left the ADF may be unfamiliar with civilian workplace practices. Providing tailored support during on-boarding can assist veterans to thrive in your organisation.
A veteran-inclusive on-boarding process has several benefits, including increased productivity and retention. Tailoring your on-boarding process to your employees’ needs is good practice for everyone but can be particularly beneficial for veterans.
On-boarding guide
See the How to tailor on-boarding for veteran employees guide below for detailed information about veteran employee on-boarding.
The guide includes six phases of a structured on-boarding process. The guide outlines practical actions you can take within each phase to make your on-boarding process more veteran-friendly.
How to tailor on-boarding for veteran employees (PDF 425.79 KB)
Priority actions
Here are some key actions you can take to tailor your on-boarding process for veterans.
Communicate the detail
Clearly communicate what is expected of the new employee on or before their first day. This includes things like:
- procedures surrounding the employment contract
- a clear start date, time and location
- the workplace dress code.
Be specific and practical about what the employee is expected to do.
Outline the structure of the on-boarding process
It is important to clearly communicate the structure of the on-boarding process to new employees. You can:
- provide a clear timeline of the on-boarding process (this may be in the form of a checklist or itinerary)
- talk through the process with the employee.
Clearly outline expectations
Be specific and practical about what the employee is expected to do in the role. It is also important to show how the employee’s role connects to your organisation’s purpose, as this can help veteran employees to adapt.
Clearly communicate:
- the responsibilities of their role
- expectations for the employee’s performance
- how performance will be measured
- the relevance, meaning and value of the employee’s work to the broader purpose of your organisation.
Provide technical and role-specific training
Identify any gaps in employees’ technical or role-specific skills. Endeavour to support employees to develop these skills during the onboarding process. This may involve providing formal training or assisting employees to learn new skills on the job.
For more information about training throughout an employee’s career, see Veteran employee career development.
Provide opportunities for networking
Support the new employee to connect with others in the workplace. You can provide networking opportunities by:
- holding social events
- making introductions
- facilitating connections with different staff/teams.
Provide regular feedback
Provide regular and constructive feedback to help employees meet expectations. Ensure that feedback is informed by an understanding of veterans’ Defence and transition experiences. Feedback should account for both the challenges that some veterans may face during transition, and veterans’ unique and valuable strengths. It should also be tailored to the individual.
These resources provide general information about how you can take steps to enhance your on-boarding process and improve its inclusivity.
- For further step-by-step guidance and induction checklists, Business Queensland provides these on-boarding resources for employers.
- For regulatory on-boarding guidance, business.gov.au provides this on-boarding guidance.
- The NSW Public Service Commission provides this on-boarding guidance to HR and hiring managers, with a focus on pre-boarding, week one and the first 90 days.
- The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations provides this on-boarding experience resource, targeted at new employees to help them navigate the first six months of their new role.
- Business Victoria provides a performance and development plan template which you can use to review new employees’ progress in their key tasks and areas of responsibility. They also provide guides for one-month and three-month probationary reviews.
Related Veteran Employment Commitment (VEC) activity:
- Establish a structured on-boarding process tailored to veterans.