What separates good companies from great companies comes down to how well they create a welcoming experience for new hires. When companies take a “sink or swim” approach to onboarding, the failure rate is extremely high, and the monetary price tag – up to three times the person’s salary – is only part of the cost.
Failed hires hurt morale, increase workloads, and create stress.
The good news is that you can dramatically improve your retention rate and avoid the huge cost of failed hires. Transform your onboarding process from mediocre to memorable by incorporating these elements:
One of the most important—and basic—things is to make the employee feel welcome. Have the supervisor greet the new employee personally to get the relationship off to a good start. Clean the workspace and treat the employee to a group lunch on the first day. These simple things alert new hires that the company is prepared and excited for their arrival.
Introduce the new hire to co-workers and key people. You will want to pair the new hire with a friendly, experienced department buddy to help with on-the-job training. Connecting the new hire to the right people will ensure he or she has the resources to be able to learn quickly and be more efficient.
Take time to go over job responsibilities and company expectations. A new hire who receives a well-rounded overview knows how his or her role is important to the success of the company. Over time, you can communicate opportunities for personal and professional advancement.
Provide a thorough explanation of the company’s history, mission, objectives, and competitors. These meetings can be interactive and include all new hires. This gives new hires a connection to others which can help boost feelings of belonging.
Pair a new hire with a mentor - someone in the organization outside their department who is well respected and can share the various social and cultural nuances.
Conduct an onboarding survey after 30, 60, or 90 days to evaluate the employee’s morale and experience.
Show new employees you value them and are happy they are there. This tool will serve as an important metric to measure the success of your program and help you identify ways to continually improve the onboarding process.
Companies need to understand that, besides the basics, new hires also want to know how they can contribute to the organization and how they belong. That is where a memorable onboarding experience becomes a powerful component to a successful retention strategy.
Need help with your onboarding process? MRA’s HR Hotline Advisors can help you!
