Onboarding: How To Ensure New Hires are Set-up For Success
Updated: Aug 7
Read more to learn key onboarding process for your new employees
Onboarding is critical to the success of any business, yet companies often overlook the process, or it is done poorly. A successful onboarding program will help new employees feel welcome, adjust to their new roles, adapt to the company’s culture, and be productive more quickly.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ONBOARDING
Onboarding is important because it will help new hires feel comfortable and prepared for their new role and it will also help them understand the company culture and set clear expectations.
“Did you know, 69% of employees who have a positive onboarding experience are more likely to remain with the employer for three years. Companies that focus on onboarding retain 50% more new employees than companies that don’t. Standardized onboarding also results in a 50% increase in productivity.”
9 ESSENTIAL STEPS TO ONBOARDING SUCCESS WITH YOUR NEW HIRES
1. DEFINE THE COMPANY CULTURE AND VALUES
This is step one and for a good reason. Defining your company culture and values is the foundation for everything else in the onboarding process. Without a clear understanding of the culture and values, it will be difficult to effectively communicate expectations to new employees. Components of Company Culture:
Vision and mission statement – Share a clear and mission and vision statement and explain what the company stands for.
Employee engagement – share company group chats, previous and ongoing employee activities, and announcement channels.
Communication – Share the importance of communication between employees and highlight your communication practices in the company eg., open door policy, one on one meetings, and so on.
Consistency – While you emphasize the company culture and values to new hires, it is important to lead by example and show that the current employees are the representatives of what the company stands for.
2. SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
Once the company culture and values are defined by the management, it is time to set clear expectations for the role. New employees should know what the expected results from them in terms of performance, attendance, and conduct.
3. CREATE A TIMELINE
To avoid information overload, it is important to create a timeline for the onboarding process. Now that you have established the company culture and set clear expectations, you must now create a timebound process as this will help new employees understand what they need to do and when they need to do it. This will allow you to track their performance and understand how they are adapting to the company’s system.
4. PROVIDE RESOURCES
New employees should have access to all the resources they need to be successful in their role. This includes things like job descriptions, manuals, contact lists, training materials, and anything else that will help them do their job efficiently.
5. EXPLAIN THE COMPANY POLICIES
No one likes surprises when it comes to company policy. Avoid potential conflict by explaining all the relevant policies to new employees upfront. This includes things like vacation days, dress code, social media use, etc.
6. INTRODUCE THE TEAM
A big part of feeling comfortable in a new role is feeling like you belong. Help new employees feel like part of the team by introducing them to their co-workers and helping them get to know everyone on a personal level. This where you can also highlight the importance of collaboration and teamwork as well as the role of each employee.
7. SCHEDULE CHECK-INS
Regular check-ins with new employees are essential to ensure that they are adjusting well and meeting expectations. These check-ins can be done individually or as part of a group orientation session.
8. ENCOURAGE FEEDBACK
New employees are bound to have questions and suggestions during their first few weeks on the job. Encourage them to share this feedback so that you can continue to improve the onboarding process.
9. CELEBRATE SUCCESS
Finally, do not forget to celebrate each milestone along the way! A little recognition can go a long way in making new employees feel valued and appreciated.
onboarding is an essential and tedious process every company must implement to retain new hires. The importance of the onboarding process should not be undervalued because it takes time for new hires to become productive members of the company.
Recognizing a streamlined and effective onboarding process is the key to ensuring new hires can contribute quickly and effectively. That is why getting an outsourcing company will help you lessen the hassle of going through these steps and allow you to focus on your core activities instead.
Is this helpful? Want to be worry-free of the onboarding process?
Book a free consultation with us today!
Reference:
Hirsch, Arlene S. “Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Good Onboarding.” SHRM, 30 July 2020, www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/dont-underestimate-the-importance-of-effective-onboarding.aspx.