The process of bringing in new employees (or contractors/temps/interns) can be a big drain on your technology resources. You need to order a new computer, get it set up with the needed software, connect it correctly to your network with the appropriate permissions and employ a backup solution. You also have to get a phone to ring in the right place, and will likely even need remote options, especially these days. And that doesn’t even consider any technology training that may have to accompany the setup. And all of that is on top of all the regular Human Resources tasks that go along with bringing someone into your organization – that’s a lot to have to deal with, especially if you need to focus your technology resources on the business you’re already doing…
There are solutions out there that can streamline the process. First, there is technology you can choose proactively to make adding users a quick and easy routine that requires minimal technical oversight.
The first proactive solution, employing a cloud file storage system (eg. OneDrive, DropBox, SharePoint) takes care of backup issues and allows users to retrieve their data from the office or anywhere else with internet access. Additionally, workstation images for your organization’s standard computer configurations can be preloaded by hardware providers making the ordering and setup of the computers straightforward and brief.
Regarding the phone aspects of onboarding, there are proactive solutions there, too. Having a modern phone system allows the easy configuration and customization of the phone services for new users. Not only will this phone solution offer an easy setup, there are options for recording phone calls (for training purposes or accountability), customized ring circles and call routing that can be applied. Additionally, using collaboration platforms (eg. Microsoft Teams, Slack, WebEx) can provide additional options for your users to connect with each other without even needing a phone system.
Setting your business up for expansion is a good idea, and we’ve listed many ways to do so. Regardless, the task may still seem daunting – especially if your resources are already fully committed. The good news is that there are companies out there like EasyCom that will be happy to help you manage the entire process. Managed technology services can take you from beginning to end of a single onboarding, or serve on an ongoing basis to ensure that expansion is not painful and resource-intensive, but is well-managed and affordable.
