Hiring new employees is an important process for any company, but it doesn’t end there. The next vital step is to ensure these new hires feel welcome and acclimated in their new work environment. This is where new hire onboarding comes in. The process of onboarding can make or break an employee’s early perceptions of their company and whether they will stay long-term. In this article, we will explore why new hire onboarding is essential to the success of a company and how it can be improved.
First impressions matter, especially in the workplace. Effective onboarding helps new employees adjust to their new surroundings and feel more comfortable in their new role. A comfortable new hire is more productive, builds relationships more quickly, and has a more positive perception of their employer. Onboarding reinforces why the employee decided to join the company in the first place and sets the tone for how their working experience will be.
Onboarding is not just a one-time event. The process includes a series of activities over a prolonged period that should help the new hire understand the company’s mission, culture, and goals. Explanation of company policies, tools, resources, and benefits should all be included in the onboarding process. It is important to understand that onboarding is not the same as training. Training is usually limited to job-specific knowledge, whereas onboarding goes beyond that to ensure the employee understands how they fit into the bigger picture, and how their values and goals align with the company’s values and strategy.
A successful onboarding program can greatly reduce employee turnover rate, considerably increase talent retention and impact employee satisfaction. A study conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management revealed that a solid onboarding program can improve a company’s retention of new employees by almost 70%. By comparison, an underwhelming onboarding experience can be detrimental to the employee experience, with additional research concluding that a poor onboarding experience often leads to employees seeking opportunities elsewhere.
To ensure your company’s onboarding program is a success, you can start by establishing clear objectives and building a plan to accomplish them effectively. Prioritizing aspects such as communication, consistent training, approachability, and well-being support are all important elements of this process.
Communication – Communication is the foundation of any onboarding experience. Frequent and informative communication throughout the process will help establish a sense of connection between employer and employee. A good way to do this is through regular check-ins with HR or a supervisor, or even offering an onboarding mentor for the new employee to communicate with.
Consistent Training – Along with job-specific training, a robust onboarding experience should also cover topics such as company norms, goals, and communication channels. In-person interactions, e-learning modules, workshops, and video tutorials can all be used to deliver such training materials.
Approachability – In an effort to reduce questions or concerns from new hires, HR and management should make themselves approachable and transparent during this period. Allowing for open communication channels between new employees and their trainers or managers can give new hires the confidence to ask more questions and gain a better understanding of different areas of the company.
Well-being Support – The well-being of employees should be a priority throughout their employment. Integrating wellness programs into the onboarding experience can set a precedent for employees so that they can feel supported by their company. Wellness programs can include anything from yoga classes to mental health resources for employees to access as needed.
These elements can all be customized to the specifics of each company, but it is important to note that in order to have a successful onboarding program, all four should be addressed in some form or another.
In conclusion, new hire onboarding is an essential aspect of employee life cycle management, and its impact on company culture and employee behavior is immense. Implementing a top-notch onboarding program will provide new employees with a good first impression of the company and set the tone for their productivity and satisfaction. A comprehensive onboarding process makes employees feel welcome, builds confidence, and puts them on a pathway to success at a new organization. Companies that invest in their new hire onboarding process will ultimately see a better employee retention rate and a more talented workforce overall.
Why new hire onboarding Should Be a Priority for Employers