Federal Agency Digitally Transforms New Hire Onboarding Process

A federal government agency responsible for collecting and analysing U.S. economic data needed to overhaul its outdated and inefficient new hire onboarding process. The ideal version needed to be digitally modernised to improve internal communications, break down departmental silos, and enhance the employee experience. 

Similar to the private sector, the public service sphere has also experienced ripple effects of the “Great Resignation.” Such trends have contributed to more employee churn and a greater number of job openings, but filling these roles with qualified candidates depends on solid hiring strategies. With a mission to hire and retain top performers, this federal agency wanted to improve onboarding to contribute to the broader organisational goal.

By enlisting Thirdera to tailor ServiceNow’s Enterprise Lifecycle Events, the agency maximised its use of ServiceNow in a way that addressed the unique needs and expectations of new hires, hiring managers, and HR staff alike.

Key Challenges

	The agency’s employee onboarding process was complicated and inconsistent. There was low visibility into the completeness of each step, making it difficult for hiring managers to have proper oversight into remaining to-do list items.
	The onboarding process was lengthy, taking nearly six months to complete. Tasks were mostly carried out through email, expanding the onboarding timeline and creating unnecessary security risks.
	Along with an onboarding process that took months, new hires had little insight into the process. Status tracking was nearly nonexistent, and hires were left in the dark as to where they were in the pipeline of security clearance.
	The agency relied on a workflow that included printing PDF materials and delivering or emailing these documents to various offices. Time and resources were wasted attempting to manage this antiquated paper delivery system.

To address these challenges in a compliant and productive way, Thirdera spent ample time conducting workshops and getting adequate requirements from security, IT, and existing onboarding teams. This foundational work allowed key players to find alignment and enabled Thirdera to tackle the most pressing frustrations head-on.

Our Solution

To help the agency improve its ineffective onboarding processes, Thirdera implemented multiple ServiceNow products while laying the groundwork for better transparency and collaboration.

ServiceNow’s Enterprise Onboarding was one piece of the puzzle, geared toward creating better workflows, driving team productivity, and offering end-to-end visibility. Additionally, lifecycle events enabled collections of activities that were easy to see and address in real-time. These solutions helped mitigate data silos between departments and HR hiring managers.

Employee Center Pro also allowed solution architects to craft experiences designed to keep new hires and managers in the know. Now, managers can go into the Employee Center and quickly see the current status of onboarding and every associated task (whether completed or still due).

“Through our work with Thirdera, we accomplished something that has never been achieved [at our agency]: a curated onboarding program that communicates who we are and how we work,” said the organisation’s project sponsor.

Thirdera built three unique onboarding workflows to address the distinct needs of full-time employees, contractors, and intra-agency hires (temporary and project-based). After multiple iterations and step-by-step support, the agency was equipped with the solutions needed to make the onboarding experience truly exceptional.

The Result

“We feel that we released a fantastic application to the bureau that focuses on four key outcomes: an improved new employee experience, an improved relationship between the supervisor and the new employee, early communication of organisational culture, and timely work by staff preparing for the new employee,” said the organisation’s project sponsor.

Thirdera’s developer team embodied the organisation’s onboarding goals, creating a digital experience that was truly an extension of the agency’s internal team. By improving the onboarding process, this government agency can move beyond the red tape and place new hires in the right positions—without having to keep future employees “out of the loop” for months.

Agency staff can now easily communicate with their counterparts and keep the wheels of the hiring process turning. Reduced frustration from within the organisation enables a more confident approach to hiring candidates and offers a competitive edge—a must in today’s unpredictable hiring climate.

About Thirdera

As the largest global pure-play ServiceNow partner, Thirdera is a trusted Elite ServiceNow partner focused solely on improving and innovating the way our customers leverage the ServiceNow platform. Our experts possess authoritative capabilities and skillsets spanning the entire Now Platform. This extensive platform expertise allows us to understand our customers’ needs and deliver tailored solutions that solve business challenges.

Contact us today to discuss your next project, and enter a new era of ServiceNow partner experience.