5 Tips for Handling Onboarding Effectively
A recent article in Forbes, “10 Simple Ways To Improve Onboarding For Increased Retention”, uses the word “simple” in the title. Since when has onboarding ever been simple?
As one of the key factors for success with new hires, and making the most of the talent recruited, there is really nothing that could be described as simple about the process.
Below we put together five crucial tips for handling onboarding and simplified it as much as possible to help ensure you retain your employees better.
Make No Assumptions
SHRM discovered that employers (generally) lose up to 17% of their new hires within three months of bringing them onboard…and it’s usually due entirely to a flawed onboarding process. The first phase of this flawed process is to start with an assumption.
What is that assumption? That once the contract has been signed, the employee is automatically loyal.
To address that issue, experts say that you have to engage and remain engaged even before that new hire has their first day on the job. As Forbes noted, “Once the contract is signed, companies disengage with the new hire leaving them in the dark until their start date. It’s important to remain in contact and keep talent engaged until their first day of work.”
Think of this period as incredibly risky and when you could lose that hard-won recruit or candidate to the competition. Check in every day, keep them excited about the new job, ask them to do all the paperwork as a new hire before that first day, and really bring up the energy about their coming onboard.
Think Mentors
We are hiring into the millennial generation, and this is a group that appreciates mentoring. They want to know how to grow into the business, and what better way to help them figure out a workable answer than to pair them with someone who has been in the company for a length of time.
Seasoned employees and new hires should be partnered as part of your onboarding, this gives the new hire a social circle, easier integration, a resource for answers, and the key to their professional growth from day one.
First Impressions Count
Further studies show that employees welcomed warmly by all during their first day will be more likely to remain in the company. Make “day one” for any new hire a day in which all in their department are encouraged to introduce themselves, welcome them, engage with them, and make a good impression.
An onboarding gift is also a very wise idea as it can be structured to help them get a grip on company culture while feeling the warmth of a welcome.
No Orientation
A day of orientation is just that – and it’s not onboarding. Design your onboarding over the course of those first 90 days or even as the new hire’s first year.
As Forbes said, “An onboarding program is a process integrating the new employee into their role with training, support and expectations helping them to be successful in it. Harvard Business Review said it takes employees eight months to reach peak productivity, yet the average onboarding program lasts only three.”
Don’t lose the opportunity of onboarding by mistaking it for orientation.
Be Clear
Do you have clear goals and expectations written out for the new hire?
Millennials want growth and your best results will come from giving them the map to identify, reach, and exceed goals and expectations. As part of the onboarding, you can sit down with them, identify their goals, let them know the company expectations, and offer opportunities to facilitate growth with regular meetings, planning, and more.
Nothing is truly simple with onboarding, but you can make successful onboarding a simpler task using these tips.