Does your company have a solid onboarding process?
Many CEOs treat onboarding as an afterthought. It’s something they know they should do. But because there are so many urgent tasks demanding their attention, they don’t always prioritize it. It can feel like trying to eat home-cooked vegetables when you drive past a gauntlet of fast-food restaurants at the end of a long day. When time and money are tight, we gravitate to the quick fixes. We hit that drive-thru…
According to a recent survey, 36% of employers don’t offer a structured onboarding process for new employees at all.And just 12% of U.S. employees believe that the company they work for has a good onboarding process. After participating in their company’s onboarding experience, only 29% of employees felt fully supported and prepared to excel in their defined role.
Onboarding falls into the ‘must have’ category because it’s a critical step to set your new employees up to succeed. You’re laying groundwork and introducing intentional habits that reflect a healthy company culture. 20% of employee turnover occurs in the first 45 days of a new job. Without a strong start, they won’t stick around. Turnover leads to lost productivity and low morale among the employees that stay. Turnover can cost an employer 33% of the employee’s annual salary. It’s a red flag that top talent is watching for. If you can’t keep the right people, you won’t attract the right people.
A strong onboarding process can improve new hire retention by 82%. And 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for 3 or more years if they experience a great onboarding process. Onboarding creates the structure your employee needs to thrive in their new role.
By implementing 5 strategies in your onboarding process, you can reduce new hire turnover.
1. Connect new employees with the people they need to know, to succeed in their role.
Determine who needs to be involved in the onboarding process and share why that person is critical to the employee’s onboarding success. This includes mentors and people that have worked in the role previously, that are available to answer questions. It models a culture of collaboration and learning. You’re prioritizing relationships.
2. Identify clear expectations for onboarding.
It’s almost impossible to be successful at something when the expectations aren’t defined. What do you want new team members to accomplish during the onboarding process, and what’s the timeline? How long will each part of the process take?
By the end of the onboarding training, every employee should understand what their role is, and how to do it. They need to know where to find the information they need that’s relevant to accomplishing their responsibilities.
3. Set goals for their outcome.
What should a new hire be able to accomplish in 30 days, 60 days, etc.? Be specific. For example, will they be able to take on their first client? It’s meant to motivate them, and to determine whether they’re equipped to do their job. Throughout the entire process, check in with them. How are they feeling? Do they need anything? Do they have any questions? Do they know where to go to get the information they need, to meet their deadlines? What can you do to improve their experience?
What are their professional goals? Initiate this conversation with them. Onboarding is the perfect time to talk through any future opportunities that are available to them within your company. Let them know what training and resources you offer employees to invest in their growth.
4. Align your onboarding experience with your Mission, Vision, and Values.
Make sure every step of an employee’s journey is aligned with your mission/vision/values. Even before they’re hired, these elements need to be infused in the job description and incorporated throughout the interviewing process. Every interaction reflects who you are as a company, and what you believe.
Each person in your company needs to understand how their contributions directly impact the company’s mission. They identify with the company’s vision, and they use the values in their decision making.
5. Have each new hire complete a pulse survey to gain feedback.
Give them the heads’ up- at the end of the onboarding experience, they know that you’ll ask them questions to gauge how their experience went and to get their feedback on areas where you can improve.
Any time information is presented, keep in mind that we all have different ways of learning. To maximize retention, integrate visual and audio learning. A survey at the end is to ensure that they caught what you taught. They were hired because they’re a mover-and-shaker. After the onboarding, they’re ready to rock-and-roll.
Onboarding is a strategic place to reduce new hire turnover. You’re laying the foundation from which your people build healthy professional relationships; they’re appropriately seen, heard, and their input is valued. They want to stick around because they contribute meaningfully to the mission of the company.
#notyouraveragerecruiter #onboarding #bestpractices
