It is a sad truth that in spite of spending fortunes and effort on hiring new employees, many of the large organizations are losing their employees within the first year. A major concern for most organizations is that employee turnover is an expensive process which affects the viability of the business. Recognizing this issue, many well-known organizations have revamped their onboarding practices to improve employee retention. 82% more new hires are retained by companies with effective onboarding procedures, although 88% of those organisations struggle to do so.
Let’s take a look at some data and examples from industry leaders to understand why prioritizing onboarding is essential for a company’s success.
Onboarding best Practices:
1.Google: The internet giant realized that a structured onboarding program can significantly impact new hire performance and retention. They introduced a simple, yet effective, onboarding checklist for managers, resulting in a 25% increase in productivity among new hires within the first few months on the job. This change also positively affected employee satisfaction rates, contributing to Google’s position as one of the best places to work.
2.Microsoft: The tech leader observed a 50% increase in time-to-productivity for new hires who experienced their world-class onboarding program. Moreover, surveys revealed that employees who went through Microsoft’s onboarding had a 90% probability of staying with the company beyond the first year.
3.IBM: After shifting to a more comprehensive onboarding process that included not just job training but also acculturation and mentoring, IBM experienced an impressive 25% reduction in employee attrition rates.
4.Zappos: The online retailer takes a unique approach to onboarding by offering employees a one-month training program, during which they can opt-out anytime with a $2,000 offer. This strategy ensured that people who stayed genuinely wanted to work at Zappos. As a result, the company boasts a 97% employee retention rate during the first year.
Why Onboarding Matters:
Effective onboarding has been proven to lower turnover, with businesses reporting new hire retention increases of up to 50%. If this still isn’t enough to convince you, read what these business leaders have to say about prioritizing onboarding in their organizations.
“I truly believe that onboarding is an art. Each new employee brings with them a potential to achieve and succeed. To lose the energy of a new hire through poor onboarding is an opportunity lost.”- Sarah Wetzel, Director of Human Resources at engage:BDR
“Employee orientation centres around and exists to help the individual employee, but it is the company that ultimately reaps the benefits of this practice.”- Michael Watkins, Author of “The First 90 Days”
As someone who has managed multiple teams and facilitated the onboarding process countless times, I can’t stress enough the importance of a successful onboarding experience for new hires. After all, an employee’s first impression of your company sets the stage for their journey ahead, impacting their performance, engagement, and retention in the long run. Whether you’re onboarding remote or onsite employees, having a structured, personalized, and effective process will make all the difference. That’s why, in this blog, I’ll share my personal experience and insights on some key employee onboarding practices and present a comprehensive new hire checklist that you can customize based on your organization’s needs.
What is onboarding new employees?
Employee onboarding (also known as employee orientation) is the process of integrating new hires into a company and acquainting them with their job responsibilities, the culture of the organisation, other team members and team processes, and company policies.
An efficient onboarding procedure will rapidly help a new hire feel at home and prepared to settle in and start contributing to the company. As a manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure a seamless transition for your new hires.
What does the onboarding process involve?
Although there isn’t an ideal employee onboarding procedure, the employee onboarding you customise for your business is the first step in developing a relationship with a new hire. It’s an ongoing process of integrating that new person into the mission, values, culture, teams, systems, and procedures of your business. A fresh hire will:
Recognise their position and duties
settle in their new environment with ease.
Meet their coworkers and supervisors
Learn about the company’s policies, procedures, systems and protocols.
The New Hire Onboarding Checklist:
To help you streamline your onboarding process, I’ve put together a comprehensive step-by-step checklist for managers:
1.Pre-boarding
•Keeping in touch before the first day
•Connect with the new hire prior to their start date to convey excitement, share relevant information, and answer any questions they may have. This simple step demonstrates your commitment and sets the stage for a positive experience.
•Send a welcome email with relevant information and a warm introduction.
•Provide access to necessary tools, systems, and resources.
•The manner in which an employee is received depends greatly on the tone of the communication materials.
•Provide new hires with all the information you believe will inspire and energize them.
•Schedule a virtual meeting to discuss expectations and answer questions.
2.First day essentials
•Greet the new hire personally and introduce them to the team.
•Provide a tour of the virtual workplace and explain key communication channels.
•Share an overview of the company’s mission, vision, and values.
3.Training and development
•Assign a mentor or buddy to support the new hire’s learning.
•Create a training schedule with a mix of on-the-job training, shadowing opportunities, and online courses.
•Set clear milestones and provide/collect feedback to track progress.
•Set Clear Job Expectations
•Set their desk up
•Set their email up, ready and waiting
•Organise some introductory meetings with important members of the team
•Provide an org chart – and an employee directory/Handbook
•Share where to get the best food and drink
•Organise a team lunch
4.Integration and team building
•Organize virtual/onsite team-building activities to foster relationships and a sense of belonging.
•Encourage the new hire to collaborate on projects and engage with colleagues.
•Schedule regular check-ins to address any concerns and ensure they feel supported.
Employee onboarding checklist : the first quarter
Forging connections
Being mentored
Setting a development plan and career path
Onboarding new employees will be a continuous process that evolves with your business. A significant component of this process is getting feedback on what is and isn’t working with your onboarding procedure and every new employee’s experience. When done right, onboarding sets the stage for long-term success, reduces turnover, and boosts team morale.
Remote onboarding best practices
Adapting your onboarding process to the virtual world is critical in the age of remote work. Here are some tried-and-true methods that have worked for me:
1.Plan ahead of time: Send a welcome package with important information, such as a personalized onboarding plan, business values, and any necessary equipment or software, prior to their start date.
2.Schedule a virtual meet-and-greet with important team members to introduce the new recruit and encourage open communication. To establish connections, consider organizing virtual coffee breaks or team-building events. Arrange video meetings or virtual team-building activities to help your new hire connect with their colleagues and foster a sense of belonging.
3.Offer extensive resources: Create an online repository of training materials, digital tools and technologies, tutorials, and corporate policies. Encourage the new recruit to examine these resources at their own pace, ensuring they have all the necessary information.
4.Regular check-ins and feedback: Establish a schedule of regular check-ins to address any questions or concerns your new hire may have and provide/collect constructive feedback
New Hire Checklist Template
Based on our discussion above, here’s a thorough new hire checklist for managers:
-Personalized welcome (email or in-person)
-Structured onboarding plan (goals, milestones, timeline)
- Assign a buddy or mentor
- Prepare a welcome packet (policies, org chart, etc.)
- Set up hardware and software (remote employees)
- Clearly communicate job expectations and performance measurement
- Identify and offer necessary training (workshops, webinars, online)
- Schedule regular check-ins
- Arrange team-building activities (virtual or in-person)
- Provide and collect feedback
The Power of Personalized Onboarding:
A one-size-fits-all approach to onboarding rarely yields the desired results. Instead, strive to create a personalized onboarding experience that caters to the individual needs and aspirations of your new hire.
The power of storytelling:
During orientation, I discovered that sharing success stories of current employees and how they achieved their goals within the company inspired new hires and gave them a sense of what’s possible.
Encouraging cross-departmental interactions:
By facilitating interactions between new hires and employees from different departments, I noticed that it fostered collaboration, cross-pollination of ideas, and a deeper understanding of the organization as a whole.
You now have a thorough new hire checklist that incorporates the latest trends as well as personal perspectives. Incorporating these best practices into your onboarding process will lead to happier, more engaged employees, boosting productivity and reducing turnover. Onboarding is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process that evolves over time. Your personalized touch and attention to detail will show your new hires that they’re valued members of the team, which could be the golden ticket to retaining top talent in 2023 and beyond. Here’s to your success!