Our goal is to alleviate any concerns about the first day.

With the addition of Helvoirt to the municipality on January 1st, the Municipality of Vught opened its doors to 5,000 new residents and around 30 fresh faces in their workforce. That also means onboarding a lot of new employees.

"We strive to provide new employees with a warm welcome and an enjoyable way to receive information," shares HR advisor Noor Zoontjens. "Our aim is to alleviate any worries about their first day at the Municipality of Vught and ensure a smooth start."

Navigating the unique structure and processes of municipal organizations

When I first started at the Municipality of Vught, everything was new to me - the position and the way the organization worked. It was clear to me that my colleagues who had been there longer were already familiar with the structure and processes. I realized that municipalities operate differently than other organizations (think of the processes, governance, etc.). I realized there were some things I didn't know when I first started, and it would have been helpful to have that information from the beginning."  

Zoontjens shares a personal story, "I didn't intentionally select Vught, but rather the intriguing position the town had available. Upon starting, I quickly discovered how charming and fascinating the village is. It's wonderful to instill enthusiasm about the town in new employees during the pre-boarding stage, even before they begin working. The pre- and onboarding period should be an enjoyable time with no worries, so that excitement for the new job isn't dampened by simple concerns before the first day of work. Appical's app has been instrumental in achieving this."

What are the first results of using an onboarding app?

“At the Municipality of Vught, all new employees are onboarded through the app. This approach saves a significant amount of time in the initial phase, as new colleagues can access a wealth of information through the app and review it on their own before their first day. As a result, current colleagues are able to devote less time to the onboarding of new employees.”

“Furthermore, we conduct surveys to stay informed of our employees' familiarization experience and determine if any adjustments to the program are necessary. Our app has received an average rating of 9 from new colleagues, indicating that it is a valuable asset to both the organization and new hires during the onboarding process.”

"New employees benefit greatly from receiving practical information surrounding their start. It also enhances their perception of the organization. In fact, the rating for the question 'I was well received on my first day at work' is a perfect 10! A pleasant first day at work is invaluable and reinforces the decision to join us."

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50%

faster productivity on average after using Appical

6

The rating that employees gave for onboarding before implementing Appical."

8

The rating that employees gave for onboarding after implementing Appical.

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Comments from employees

• "The other day I heard a colleague say that settling in went a lot faster because the new colleague in question had already received a lot of information via the app."
• ''Very nice to get all the practical questions that you think 'I'll know later on,' answered in advance!
• "It's always helpful to have access to information that may seem obvious to current employees but is often forgotten to be shared with new ones."
• ''The introduction is helpful. I feel welcome and learn a lot about Vught at the same time.''
• Responding to situations. "Our app was instrumental in ensuring that our induction program remained safe and compliant with covid19 regulations. We provided clear explanations of the measures we took to new employees and updated them about practical information, such as the temporary closure of our company restaurant."