When done right, new employee onboarding can be an efficient process that gives hires the tools they need to hit the ground running. If your organization operates in Google Workspace, there are many resources at your disposal you can use for successful onboarding.
Curious as to how to simplify this process? Let's dive in.
Google Workspace onboarding plays a crucial role in enhancing user productivity and collaboration. Efficiently onboarding new users to the Google Workspace account is paramount in fostering effective usage of Google apps.
Apart from familiarizing employees with the tools of Google Workspace, such as Drive and Docs, the process is key in educating them on your organization's security policies.
Whether you have training materials already organized or you're just starting to map out your onboarding process, here are some essential steps and tips.
Remember that to add a new user and configure settings, you must use a user management tool like Google Admin Console and have admin permissions.
The initial phase of Google Workspace onboarding involves user account setup. This encompasses getting a unique email address for the user that falls under your organization's domain. Learn more about adding a user here.
If you're hiring more than one employee, you can use the Admin Console to easily create multiple Google Workspace accounts at once. Under Users, click "Add new users" and upload a CSV file with the key details like first name, last name, and email address for each new hire.
For larger batches of users, scripts and tools like Google Apps Manager (GAM) enable automating account creation in bulk. This saves IT teams time and makes it simple to generate accounts as new hires join the organization.
For consistent onboarding, create template users in the Admin Console that contain standard settings, licenses, security policies, and access permissions to copy when generating new accounts.
Templates enable quickly spinning up new users with the right configuration instead of manual setup each time. Default drive folders, calendar settings, and email forwarding rules can also be pre-configured in templates.
Google Groups streamline communication and access to files for specific teams and roles. When a new hire joins, add their account to the appropriate Google Groups for their department or initiatives based on the role.
This automatically grants them access to relevant team drives, mail lists, and calendar resources. Group membership is an efficient way to connect new employees to collaboration tools.
Configure the Admin Console to automatically send customized welcome emails when new accounts are created. Include account credentials, access instructions, a Day 1 agenda, equipment setup guides, and an onboarding checklist.
Ask new hires to reply to the welcome email for validation. This email sets clear expectations upfront.
Enforce 2-step verification (2SV) on all Google Workspace accounts for strengthened security. This requires users to enter a code from their mobile device plus their password when signing in.
With new accounts, enable 2SV by default through a security policy in the Admin Console. This safeguards corporate data and adds critical protection, especially for remote workers.
In Google Drive, create templated folders and files for new hires before their start date. For example, share an "Onboarding" folder with guides, contact lists, employee handbook, and onboarding schedule.
This gives them access to key resources right away in Drive without waiting for provisioning. The Drive API also allows programmatically copying templated files to user accounts in bulk.
Use Google Calendar to schedule critical onboarding training sessions, meetings with managers, and start date reminders. This blocks time on the new team member's calendar for important events.
From setting up a new email address to navigating Google apps like Google Docs and Google Drive, the onboarding process plays a pivotal role in ensuring seamless integration within Workspace. That's why it's important to follow best practices for onboarding.
A smart way to cut down on paperwork is by moving your administrative onboarding online. Using Google Forms, you can create electronic forms to get new employee information, collect policy-acknowledgment signatures, and more in just a few minutes.
Google Forms are easy to update and can be accessed from kiosks, computers, and mobile devices.
It's best to keep this information in one place because onboarding requires a large amount of content (employee handbooks, contracts, etc.).
Use Google Docs to work with your team to create onboarding content, provide feedback, and collaborate to create comprehensive materials that capture everyone’s perspective.
Store your onboarding materials in a shared Drive folder to share with your organization and new employees. Allow onboarding staff and HR to edit, comment, or view the materials to ensure they are comprehensive.
Different users have different needs. A graphic designer might use Google Drive more often for sharing and downloading large files. In contrast, a project manager might spend more time scheduling meetings with Google Meet. Tailor the onboarding process by understanding the roles and requirements of your team members.
One example would be to provide role-based tips during the onboarding process. For a sales manager, you can focus more on the collaboration features in Google Docs, or for an admin, the calendar management and scheduling features in Google Meet would be more apt.
Even if you have a quality onboarding process, new employees will likely have questions as they get settled. Consider holding office hours or one-on-one meetings to give new hires time to ask questions.
Use Google Slides to create presentations or other modules reviewing essential company information. With Slides, you can collaborate with other team members to develop a quality presentation.
With Promevo, you can get more out of Google Workspace so all employees — new and seasoned — can enjoy the rich functionality of this system. As a certified Google partner, Promevo provides end-to-end support with all things Google, from setting up Workspace to deploying ChromeOS devices.
We recognize that some organizations require more robust features than are available in the Google Admin Console to manage their Workspace environments. That's why we created gPanel®, our exclusive management and reporting software designed to help you streamline communication and automate admin work.
When you choose gPanel® for your organization, you can:
gPanel®️ is more than just a standard, one-size-fits-all Google Workplace service — it’s a constantly evolving solution improved by feedback and suggestions from real clients. gPanel®️ is the perfect compliment to Admin Console, helping you harness the robust capabilities of Google to reinvent the way you do business and accelerate the growth of your company.
We are proud to be a 100% Google-focused partner helping you succeed wherever you are in your Google journey. Contact us today to get started.
At a minimum, enforce 2-step verification and create automated expiration policies for inactive accounts. Also, restrict third-party apps and limit suspicious geographic account activity.
Admin Console reports on account usage over time, application adoption rates, and meeting participation provide insights into onboarding engagement levels across new hires.
Yes, you can create and populate onboarding folders ahead of time and share them with new hire accounts. Just restrict actions like editing and prevent deletion until after their start date.
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