Skara Municipality
- Efficient onboarding through digitalization and learning
Who is Skara Municipality?
Skara Municipality is located in Västra Götaland County, between Skövde and Lidköping. It has a population of approximately 19,000 and around 1,600 employees. The municipality has about 90 managerial positions and is divided into six departments.
The need for a unified and efficient onboarding process
Previously, Skara Municipality used a standard checklist to introduce new managers. However, variations in how it was applied highlighted the need for a more precise and consistent process. Managers, support staff, and employees called for a streamlined onboarding process to ensure that all new hires received the same introduction and that those responsible understood their roles and expectations.
After a thorough review, over 100 key pieces of information that needed to be communicated to newly hired managers were identified. The goal was to create an efficient, structured onboarding process to help new managers quickly settle into their roles.
A working group was assembled, consisting of representatives from digitalization, HR, and communications, to handle the extensive information and create an onboarding process that is both user-friendly and engaging. The project focused on three critical areas:
Information: What information does a new hire need, and how can it be presented in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming?
Welcome Experience: How is the first meeting organized, and who will assign a mentor or supervisor?
Learning: How can information be delivered over time so everything doesn’t have to be absorbed all at once?
The portal ensures continuous learning for managers, even after the initial introduction period.
Three steps to an optimized onboarding
The idea of using InfoCaption, a platform already used by the municipality, emerged. It offered an easy way to create transparent processes and engaging courses. Additionally, knowledge could be easily shared with employees, and parts of the digital journey could be automated.
A clear process for consistency
In the first step, a distinct process map was created to guide the work, ensuring nothing was overlooked. This also saved time and maintained consistency.
With digital automation, managers and those responsible are notified when a new hire signs their contract, signalling it’s time to start planning their onboarding. As the process was mapped out and documented, the next step for improved onboarding naturally followed.
A welcoming and interactive introduction
The second step for Skara Municipality was to develop an introductory course, not only for managers but for all new employees. Once again, all the necessary tools were available in InfoCaption, and a comprehensive introduction course with access control was created.
The course includes essential information, short video clips, and knowledge tests, making learning both interactive and enjoyable.
Knowledge is always close at hand
As the third step in the digital onboarding journey, new managers are welcomed with their own dedicated knowledge portal. This portal is permission-controlled and tailored explicitly for managers.
The information is well-organized, making it easy for managers to revisit at any time to refresh or expand their knowledge. Larger training modules are also available, allowing learning to continue long after the first few weeks of onboarding.
A Process That Won’t Be Forgotten
“A welcome email for new hires, which is generated automatically when their user account is set up in our AD system, has been updated to include a link to the onboarding portal. At the same time, an email is sent to the hiring manager, directing them to guides from a managerial perspective related to onboarding. This way, we support both the new hire and the hiring manager.”
– Lina Dittmer, Digitalization Developer, Skara Municipality