Standard Operating Procedure: Employee Onboarding via Employment Hero

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlines the standardized process for onboarding new hires using the Employment Hero platform. By leveraging this system, the organization ensures regulatory compliance, streamlines document collection, and provides a seamless digital experience for new team members. Adherence to this workflow is mandatory for all People & Culture and hiring managers to ensure consistency in data accuracy and employee engagement.

Phase 1: Pre-Onboarding Setup

• Create the Employment Contract: Generate the offer letter within Employment Hero using approved templates to ensure all statutory clauses are included.
• Trigger Onboarding Workflow: Initiate the "Onboarding" module for the new hire, ensuring the correct "Onboarding Template" is selected (e.g., Full-time, Part-time, or Contractor).
• Assign Required Documents: Attach necessary policies (Company Handbook, WHS Policy, IT Acceptable Use) to the onboarding pack for digital acknowledgment.
• Set Permissions: Assign the new hire a "Direct Manager" within the system to ensure reporting lines and performance review access are correctly mapped.

Phase 2: Employee Data Collection

• Verify Personal Details: Instruct the employee via the welcome email to input their tax file number, superannuation details, and bank account information directly into the Employee Portal.
• Identity Documentation: Review and verify submitted Right to Work documents (Passport, Visa, or Birth Certificate) uploaded to the platform.
• Hardware/Access Provisioning: Use the Employment Hero task list to trigger automated IT tickets for laptop procurement, email address creation, and software license provisioning based on the start date.

Phase 3: Induction & Integration

• Establish Key Dates: Confirm the employee’s start date and induction schedule within the platform’s "Upcoming Events" or calendar integration.
• Set Probation Goals: Define the initial 3-month probation KPIs directly in the Employment Hero "Goals" or "Performance" tab to ensure alignment from Day 1.
• Introduction Post: Utilize the platform’s "Company Feed" to draft an announcement welcoming the new team member, fostering early team integration.

Phase 4: Finalization & Compliance

• Payroll Sync: Once the employee completes their profile, perform a final audit to ensure all payroll data has successfully synced from Employment Hero to the payroll engine.
• Completion Sign-off: Change the status of the onboarding file to "Complete" to archive the digital record and trigger the post-onboarding survey.

Pro Tips & Pitfalls

• Pro Tip: Use the "Custom Fields" feature in Employment Hero to capture non-standard information, such as dietary requirements for team lunches or preferred t-shirt sizes for company swag.
• Pro Tip: Set up "Automated Reminders" for pending onboarding tasks to nudge new hires without manual follow-up from the HR team.
• Pitfall: Avoid manually inputting payroll data. Always require the employee to input their own banking and tax details to reduce the risk of human error and liability regarding data accuracy.
• Pitfall: Failure to map the correct "Pay Category" in the onboarding template can lead to payroll errors on the first pay cycle. Double-check pay rates against the employment contract before finalizing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What happens if an employee fails to complete their onboarding tasks before their start date? The system will flag incomplete items in the "Onboarding" dashboard. Contact the employee via the platform to remind them that completion is a prerequisite for payroll processing.

2. Can I change the onboarding workflow once it has been sent to the new hire? Yes, you can edit the onboarding pack in real-time, though significant changes should be communicated to the employee to ensure they are aware of the updated requirements.

3. Does Employment Hero automatically store all signed contracts? Yes, once an employee digitally signs a document via the platform, it is automatically saved to their secure "Documents" tab within their employee file for future audit and reference.