We see you… Waiting by the phone to find out if your dream candidate has accepted your offer of employment. That sigh of relief when the paperwork is signed, it’s a done deal… but now what? You’ve done it, it’s over! Right?
Wrong!
You’ve secured the perfect candidate, but the hard part is yet to come.
Why is onboarding so important?
Let’s start with the things we know… we know an engaged workforce is a productive workforce. We know employee referrals can be a gamechanger when recruiting. We know retention is a BIG challenge for businesses in this post-covid world.
But here are some things you might not know…
Organisations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. (Brandon Hall Group)
77% of employees who went through a formal onboarding process were able to meet their first performance goals. (E-learning Industry)
The first 45 days of employment account for up to 20% of worker turnover. (SHRM)
On average, replacing an employee costs between 16% – 20% of the person’s pay. (Peoplekeep)
But most importantly…
88% of organisations don’t onboard their employees well (Gallup)
Why does onboarding fail?
We can clearly see the link between great onboarding and long-term success in an organisation, so why are so many companies getting it wrong? Well, often that comes down to accountability and ownership.
In our accountability training we talk about four people… everybody, somebody, anybody, and nobody.
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Ultimately Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did.
In many companies onboarding isn’t strictly speaking ‘owned’ by any one function, it falls across the line manager, the HR team, the Talent Acquisition team, the senior leadership, and peers of the new starter. So, if no-one owns it, who holds everyone else to account?
Creating an accountable culture where a whole team supports the new starter is key to creating a welcoming and nurturing working environment, but while wider organisational change can be daunting and a long progression, creating a great working environment from day one can make the difference between a brilliant onboarding experience and one that leaves much to be desired.
Ultimately onboarding is about not only meeting but exceeding your new starters expectations.
An example of great onboarding
Let’s take school for example… on their first day of senior school a teenager is given a timetable showing where they need to be and when, their teachers all introduce themselves individually, they are trained about the important things e.g. fire drills, they are steadily eased into new topics, and encouraged to build relationships.
Are the expectations your new starter has really that different to school? Probably not!
So, let’s break down the 5 onboarding essentials…
1. Timetable
Preparation is key. Having a few days mapped out on paper for your new starter can help them navigate their new environment and feel well supported. Remember to add in some downtime and not overload them too quickly with new information.
2. Introductions
Unless you’re a memory master you likely had to ask your colleagues names multiple times when you first started in your company. Setting up short introductions for key people your new starter needs to know can help break the ice and start to build those great working relationships.
3. The important stuff
Compliance, fire escapes, where the toilets are… this is the important stuff that your new starter really needs to know! Every newbie expects an element of compliance when they first start but it doesn’t have to be boring. At Jaluch we create custom e-learning for our clients with elements of gamification while hammering home those all-important messages such as GDPR, respect in the workplace, microaggressions and much more. I once heard of a company who made their employees sit through 3 days’ worth of non-interactive e-learning. A sure-fire way to disengage any new starter!
4. Ease them in
It’s easy to find yourself wanting new starters to ‘hit the ground running’ but is this a fair expectation? Consider instead what are the absolute essentials they need to know to get started with their positions, what can they learn over time, and what are the nice to haves. Plan their first few months with this in mind and make sure you provide the resources to be help them achieve e.g. acronym guide.
5. Peer support
If you have the capacity, consider a buddying system so your new starter has a point of contact to ask questions, particularly if you are working in a remote environment. Putting them in touch with your employee reps can also help them influence direct change within their working environment, new starters have an important point of view and can often see past the bureaucracy or traditional ways of working to drive innovation.
These 5 things are some of what we believe makes up the absolute essentials of onboarding, but there’s lots more you can do as a company to create a great experience that doesn’t involve spending a fortune on branded water bottles and notebooks!
Other considerations to ensure your onboarding process is a success
Here’s some things to consider over the short and long term:
- Schedule in regular catch ups to talk about new starters progress, concerns, and ideas
- Consider digitising your onboarding to streamline the process and put everything they need in one place
- Work around their personality. Are they a reflector? Do they need more time to process than another new starter?
- Make sure their technology is ready to go. No-one wants to spend their first day at a new company setting up a laptop!
- Plan out a development path for them over a period of time, help them see a progression route with your company
- Make sure you have your legal bases covered. Paperwork signed, right to work checked, and payroll details submitted
And finally…
Remember that every touch point your new starter has over their first weeks and months has an influence on their retention and future with your organisation. Make sure everyone is accountable for the part they have to play to ensure your new starters are set up for success.
If you need support please contact Jaluch, we can help with:
- Recruitment and Onboarding
- Management Development Programmes
- E-learning design and creation
- Accountability Training
- Motivating, Engaging and Retaining Training