How to Create a Smooth Onboarding Process for New Employees
It’s great to find the perfect hire, but your job as a manager or HR professional is only just beginning. The next steps taken, onboarding, will set the tone for how well your new hire integrates into your company’s culture.
It’s common wisdom that first impressions make a lasting difference in how people relate to one another That’s true in business, too, where what takes place early on in a new hire’s experience can easily make all the difference between success and failure.
Indeed, employees who take part in a well-organized onboarding process are 69% more likely* to stick with their new jobs for three years!
It’s puzzling, then, that so many companies don’t put much effort into the onboarding process. In one survey* conducted by the folks at HR.com, almost one-third of executives said their onboarding was poor. You don’t have to let that stand at your company, though. Here’s how to make the employee onboarding process go as smoothly- and productively – as possible.
Tips for a Successful Employee Onboarding Process
1. Make new hires feel welcome, especially during the first 2 days.
We’re all too familiar with the paperwork-as-orientation approach to onboarding. However, that flies in the face of research, which tells us that more than three-quarters of new hires feel that socialization is the most important ingredient for a smooth transition.*
Therefore, one great way to make new hires feel welcome is to take them around the office to meet the higher-ups in your company. This not only signals that your company values the new employee, it also lays the ground for their good rapport with C-Suite leaders. That constitutes a breaking down of power barriers which, eventually, can lead to greater all-around teamwork at your company.
2. Connect them with a mentor.
When an elementary school teacher gets a new kid in her class, she’ll often assign a buddy for that student. It eases the transition for that child when they have a designated person to show them around and teach them how things are done.
The same concept applies in the workplace for new hires. This helps tremendously with that socialization factor that’s so important for onboarding. It also eases the burden on managers: when there’s a mentor involved, questions go first to the mentor.
Plus, mentoring can seriously aid in the training process, and unlike formal training, it’s absolutely free. It also fosters a teamwork-friendly environment, helping to pave the way for collaboration later on.
3. Circle back for weekly check-ins.
Like the waiter who returns to your table for a check-in after bringing your meal, a good manager will check in with new hires after a short time has passed. But don’t call it a “review”, and don’t wait the traditional 2-3 months. Waiting that long, you’ll miss out entirely on checking in with those employees who quit early on.
4. Schedule group onboarding activities like team-building events.
When employees experience positive group relationships at work, they’re more likely to feel vested in their jobs. That leads to better productivity levels and great morale. This goes double for new hires, who are eager to fit in at their new jobs.
When done right, group training that strengthens teamwork by breaking down barriers to communication is great for everyone, but especially for newbies on the job. Just make sure you hire a team building company that knows what it’s doing… bad ones can do more harm than anything, by making everyone feel uncomfortable. Look for interactive, fun, yet challenging team builders that engage everyone.
Conclusion
A great onboarding process can save your company tons of money by reducing churn. These 4 tips not only cut costs, but strengthen your team as well. It’s a win-win for everyone!
*Source: Marino, Christine. “7 Need-to-Know Facts About Employee Onboarding”. HR.com. Retrieved 10/21/2016 from http://www.hr.com/en/app/blog/2015/08/7-need-to-know-facts-about-employee-onboarding_icyu40xc.html