Effective employee onboarding requires good prior planning. As soon as a decision is made to hire an employee, the plan to onboard the new hire should be outlined. According to HR Daily Advisor, 91% of employees stay with a company for at least one year and 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for at least three years if they experienced efficient onboarding. The following tips can help onboard a new employee successfully.
- Prepare a comprehensive, written statement or list of the new hire’s responsibilities and objectives. Review this with the new hire and answer any questions so there is no confusion.
- Send out an employee announcement of the new addition to the team. A new hire can be unsettled if when he or she arrives to start work and no one seems to know who they are. A good best practice is to send this out no later than the new hire’s start date.
- Select an employee who represents the company well and is a good role model to assist with the orientation and acclimation process.
- Supervisors and managers need to play a significant role in the onboarding process. It is during the early stages that the future tone of the relationship can be established. As repeated studies have shown, the leading factor in employee dissatisfaction is a negative relationship with his or her immediate manager. Onboarding is an excellent time to convince new hires that they are respected, valued, and appreciated. As the onboarding process continues, managers should offer encouragement, review the employee’s progress, and provide feedback.
- Make lunch on the first day a group event with the entire department or office. This is a treat to the new hire. This is also a good way to socialize and allow the new employee to get to know their co-workers.
- When a new hire arrives for their first day on the job their office should be ready to go. Make sure the phone is working, the computer is functioning and the area is clean and organized.
- Get feedback from the new employee to help improve your onboarding process. Ask them how their first weeks or months could have been improved or what they wish managers had done differently during that time. Ask them about the things they enjoyed or liked during the first weeks or months. Their experience can help provide opportunities in the onboarding process to make it a success.
Onboarding is not a one-day, one-week, or one-month event. It is an ongoing process that starts with the decision to hire an employee and continues until the new hire is a productive member of the team. A successful onboarding process has great rewards!
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