Streamline Onboarding with RedCarpet - Great for Mid to Large-Size Organizations
Updated July 29, 2016

Streamline Onboarding with RedCarpet - Great for Mid to Large-Size Organizations

Kristen Sykes, PHR | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with RedCarpet

Polk State has selected Red Carpet to be the onboarding and offboarding portal for its employees across the entire organization. We are phasing the rollout of this product, first by starting with our full-time employees. We will then begin to utilize it with our part-time employees (though we built both simultaneously during the development phase). We are also using a basic offboarding process, but plan to expand both the onboarding and offboarding features over time. This product has helped improve efficiency, created consistency in the process, provided reporting and accountability, as well as greatly improved the candidate's experience.
  • Employee Task Management: Red Carpet provides a customized welcome portal and system for task management, based upon each employee's location, role, department, etc. It allows the organization to build chronological tasks to complete on the front end, which seamlessly flows through as each are completed.
  • Streamlined Process: During the development process, it causes the employer to re-think its current onboarding process, forms, reason and timing for completing tasks, etc. This results in not only creation of electronic forms, but also an improved overall process.
  • Monitors workflow: Through visible tasks/colors on the back end, as well as reporting features, HR administrators and Managers/Supervisors can easily see where each employee is in their new hire process. Quickly view what tasks remain incomplete, as well as if an individual/team is causing a delay in the process.
  • Creation and changes to eForms require completion of a detailed spreadsheet (which can be cumbersome and complicated), also with potential costs associated. It would be ideal to be able to make the form (or potential changes) in Word and forward to the team for creation or change.
  • The task workflow and dependency/hierarchy tree can be confusing. Visually it is not appealing or easy to look at and understand, which also caused more time during the development phase. Seems that it could be more user-friendly.
  • Significant number of fields and specifications required to create each task, notification, etc. This should be simplified.
  • Notifications, document library and other features are not user-friendly. Hard to remember how to get to the correct notification, form/document and then edit, create, etc. Needs to be simplified.
  • Though we do not have official metrics yet since we are relatively new users, we have noticed that employees are sent the link even prior to their start date and are able to complete all but a couple required "on site" tasks even prior to their first day. That is a HUGE improvement!
  • Previously we did not have an official onboarding or orientation program. We have now consolidated and streamlined the process so that it is all electronic, with the exception of benefits. Our previous, undocumented process caused delays, missed tasks, and frustrated new hires that took weeks to ramp up. We now are seeing candidates onboard within 2 days, having all of their required materials, login credentials, equipment and completed documents by Day 1.
  • Our Teams/Task Managers are also easily able to see what they are responsible for completing and can check it off once it's done. Everyone is held accountable and the tasks are easily managed and completed on time. This has provided a great improvement to our level of customer service.
We originally selected SilkRoad's OpenHire applicant tracking system and purchased their RedCarpet onboarding system as a package. Though we evaluated other ATS products, no other onboarding products were analyzed.
As of mid year 2016, RedCarpet (now called Onboarding) has a new "look" which is wonderful and more user-friendly! We are not live on this yet, but hope to begin using it very soon. Clients are migrating over in the near future. Basic eForms are now able to be created with eSignatures by administrators; however, anything requiring routing or coding will still need to be done by their engineering team.

This product is ideal where customization based on type of employee, department, location, etc. is key. There is a high level of customization available in this product and is very good for larger organizations that need that level of detailed service and configuration. There is some significant up-front implementation costs, along with the annual maintenance fee, so it may not be suitable for smaller or some mid-sized businesses. Depending upon the required process improvement and customization involved, implementation can be lengthy. This is not a quick-start and inexpensive product, but will provide great results and very satisfied new hires from their perspective. We have had wonderful feedback!

SilkRoad Onboarding Feature Ratings

Using RedCarpet

3 HR, various managers/supervisors, and departments (IT, facilities, security, communications) to perform tasks.
2 - HR personnel with knowledge of onboarding processes, process improvement, data knowledge, and those who are technically savvy to be able to create, edit and order tasks to be completed by employee and staff.

RedCarpet Implementation

SilkRoad's training/demo video was viewed well prior to beginning implementation. HR Team did not remember details and the video was not sufficient enough to understand all of the features within the system in order to communicate needs to the vendor/implementation expert. Implementation should have been walked through, step by step, by the vendor and each section of their required spreadsheet and the development of the portal should have been explained in depth.
  • Vendor implemented
  • Implemented in-house
  • Professional services company
The vendor, SilkRoad, partnered with and outsourced the implementation to HRMS Solutions. Polk State also utilized me (HR Consultant) and its own staff as the project team during the development and implementation period.
Yes - Discovery - documented current processes, formed task group of "interested parties" (future users) to seek input early on
Design - revised current forms to create eForms, utilized information gathered to create tasks in each Event, document new process
Testing - gather task group to assist with testing
Rollout/Implementation - phased approach, processing first full-time staff, then later part-time staff
Advanced features/improvement - will be a continuous, ongoing process of adding new features, department portals, videos, etc.
Change management was a big part of the implementation and was well-handled - Get other input from other departments on form changes early on in the process. Consider doing process streamlining, to the extent possible, even prior to signing. Once agreement is signed, clock is ticking on contract from stated date of implementation. If development and process improvement takes significant time, dollars are being wasted with portal being counted as "live" once implementation begins.
  • Revisions/creation of new forms to be used electronically (eForms) and documenting on the required spreadsheet.
  • Follow through and communication issues with vendor/external implementation contact. Internal delays as well due to changing priorities.
  • Understanding the capabilities of the eForms, routing, information/data flow, etc.

Using RedCarpet

Excellent features and comprehensive, but complex as compared to some other systems.
ProsCons
Like to use
Well integrated
Consistent
Feel confident using
Unnecessarily complex
Lots to learn
  • Onboarding status and I-9 monitoring views
  • Create new tasks in Event
  • Create/edit teams responsible for tasks
  • Create timing/notification of tasks
  • Create task/group dependencies (knowing whether they should be individual or grouped). Linking, associating, moving, numbering/ordering, etc. is not the easiest feature to grasp.