Pirkanmaa Wellbeing Services County Invests in High-Quality Onboarding
Industry
Social and Health Care, and Rescue Services
Head office
Tampere, Finland
Employees
20 000
Customer since
2019
“A unified onboarding process supported by the Intro onboarding software is a step toward a better employee experience. By investing in onboarding, we also demonstrate appreciation for our employees”
Katariina Paavilainen & Marika Hoivassilta, Pirkanmaa Wellbeing Services County
Background
Developing the onboarding process is a practical part of implementing Pirkanmaa Wellbeing Services County’s strategy. One of the key goals of the strategy’s third focus area, “wellbeing employees,” is that staff are satisfied with their work, community, and opportunities. During the preparation phase, the digital Intro onboarding system was chosen as the permanent tool for onboarding across the entire organization.
The software will be introduced service line by service line throughout 2024–2025, with planning and piloting started in spring 2023.
Onboarding is built on human interaction, where Intro serves as a support tool that helps structure the process. Onboarding always happens “from person to person.” “A unified onboarding experience with Intro is a step toward better employee experience, and by investing in onboarding, we also show appreciation for employees,” reflect Paavilainen and Hoivassilta from the HR Development Services of Pirkanmaa Wellbeing Services County.
The goal of onboarding is to support employees’ competence, thereby improving workplace, patient, and client safety. High-quality onboarding enhances staff wellbeing, expertise, and safety. It is both a legal right for employees and a responsibility for employers. Good onboarding lays the foundation for smooth and safe work and introduces employees to the organization’s strategy, values, and culture.
Perehdytyksellä on myös vaikutuksia henkilöstön veto- ja pitovoimaan sekä sitoutumiseen. Sitoutunut henkilöstö tukee yksiköiden voimavaroja ja osaamisen kehittymistä.
Solution
The implementation of Intro began in the Social and Health Services divisions, which have the largest recruitment and personnel numbers. The rollout has been carried out in collaboration with various stakeholders and experts.
Pirkanmaa Wellbeing Services County created a general organizational onboarding program for introducing common and shared practices.
This guides employees into the organization and helps supervisors access key information. It also facilitates early employment-phase onboarding. “The red thread in creating and maintaining the general onboarding has been to help new employees and their supervisors. In addition, units have been involved in creating their own tailored onboardings in Intro,” explain Paavilainen and Hoivassilta.
Alongside the general onboarding, unit-specific and professional group-specific onboardings are built within Intro to best serve each unit’s needs.
The keys to success have been strong leadership support and commitment, clear division of responsibilities, and designated persons in charge. Effective internal communication, sufficient user support, and continuous follow-up have also played a vital role.
Results
Intro enables a more personalized and individualized onboarding experience. Onboarding is a critical part of the employee lifecycle after recruitment, shaping the new employee’s perception of their workplace and role.
Pirkanmaa Wellbeing Services County employs over 20,000 professionals in 600 different occupations. For example, onboarding for specialized doctors or trainees must be highly customized, as learning paths and prior experience vary greatly—factors that naturally influence onboarding needs.
When developing an organization’s onboarding process, it’s essential to recognize that achieving change requires the courage to do things differently. “Our strategy highlights onboarding development, which has played a major role in our HR work. When an organization has a clear strategic goal and guidance for onboarding, its development becomes a natural part of the whole. Without such guidance, onboarding can easily be neglected. This is concerning, as onboarding is a crucial part of an employee’s early career and significantly affects their entire work journey,” reflect Hoivassilta and Paavilainen.
Developing and investing in onboarding is one of HR’s most important responsibilities. “A well-planned and well-executed onboarding process supports employee engagement and wellbeing while improving organizational efficiency and competitiveness. It’s time to give more attention to this often-overlooked area,” say Paavilainen and Hoivassilta.
“Onboarding is a key part of competence development and leadership, and it also links to the recruitment process. On a larger scale, Intro clarifies and streamlines onboarding. It brings systematicity to the process, and documentation and reporting become easier. Reporting is important from the organization’s perspective.”
Marika Hoivassilta
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