Your onboarding process is the first opportunity you have to get your new hires started on the right track at your company. Consider these statistics:
- Half of all hourly workers leave their jobs in the first four months. In the case of senior-level employees, the same percentage quit or are fired within 18 months.
- In companies with leading onboarding programs, close to 70 percent of workers stay on for at least three years. Clearly, employees need to be fully integrated into their new jobs – not simply slotted in and then left to sink or swim.
What can you do to boost your employee onboarding process? As yourself these questions:
Do we separate onboarding from orientation?
Orientation and onboarding are two distinctly separate things.
- Orientation is the primary introduction of a new hire to the nuts and bolts of your company. It encompasses baseline training to quickly get an employee to a minimum level of functionality. It is not a substitute for a well-planned onboarding strategy.
Do we identify each new hire’s unique strengths?
No two employees are alike. The first step in successful onboarding is to identify each individual’s authentic strengths. This includes not only their skill sets, but also their demeanor, attitude, and ability to work well with others.
- Personalize your process. Identify key aspects of how your new hires operate. From there, you can build a successful plan to fit them into your overall company and culture.
Could we do a better job of introducing employees to our company?
A person’s successful introduction to their new company is critical. It doesn’t have to be formal, but it should create an interaction in which the employee will learn on the job, as well as take the first steps towards a sense of camaraderie and ownership.
- Keep it personal. Every new hire or transfer comes from a different background and has unique strengths and weaknesses. By tailoring your onboarding process with this in mind, you will create situations where people learn faster and are able to stand on their own sooner.
- Make it social. Your new hire won’t be working in a vacuum, so make their onboarding experience a social one. This will help them bond with others, connect to your company and adjust their long-term goals with their new jobs in mind.
Is our process too complicated?
One of the major obstacles to successful onboarding is information overload. Be sure your process suits the style and learning speed of each individual. Don’t overwhelm anyone by forcing them to digest too much all at once.
- Give it time. You’re acclimating new hires to positions that you expect them to hold onto for some time. So you should be ready and willing to spend time on their onboarding, as well. Most experts agree that between three months and one year is right, depending on the job description, the industry and the experience level of the individual.
Do we effectively assess our program?
You’ll never know how effective your onboarding process is unless you evaluate it. Have a standardized metrics system in place so you can assess the progress of individual employees, as well as examine the overall process and modify it when needed.
The recruitment experts at Employment Professionals Canada can assist as you fine-tune your onboarding process to ensure optimum engagement, loyalty and retention. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.
