Finding it hard to keep good talent within your organization? Try starting at the beginning, with our guides you can provide them with the tools they need to succeed in the onboarding process.
Throughout this article, we are going to cover some of the reasons employee onboarding is so important and what you should be doing to improve this important workflow in your organization. If you are interested in learning more, you can download the complete guide at the end of this article.
The first year on the job is a vulnerable period for a new hire. It’s riddled with unknowns—from grasping historical company knowledge that impacts decision-making to figuring out where one fits into the office’s social landscape.
According to a recent study by SHRM, the trajectory of a new hire’s success with an organization during this critical time is directly impacted by their onboarding experience. Since onboarding is an employee’s first true immersion into an organization, it helps set the tone for future work with teams and clients. It’s a crucial moment where a new hire can choose to engage—or worse, disengage—with your organization.
Yet, 35% of companies report that they don’t have a formal onboarding program in place. That’s even more troubling when you consider that 20% of turnover occurs within the first 45 days of employment, most often due to a lack of direction and progression. And, as most businesses know all too well, the cost of turnover is high. Apart from the tangible cost of advertising and time spent interviewing or training, employers can suffer from a loss of productivity and engagement when an employee chooses to leave.
Having a structured onboarding program in place is a surefire way to affirm an employee’s choice to join your organization. A clearly defined process helps new hires understand how they fit into the bigger picture, adopt knowledge faster, and feel a greater sense of purpose. Without a comprehensive solution, you risk your new hire feeling left behind and disengaged.
Many employers think they’re great at onboarding simply because they have the paperwork down—in fact, over 50% of employers said that their employee intake focuses solely on these administrative processes. But, for an employee, being a contributing member of an organization goes far beyond just signing on the dotted line. In today’s modern workplace, employees want to know that they’re part of something bigger than themselves.
Studies show that an employee’s workplace engagement is determined by the treatment and orientation they receive in their first days of employment. Automating the administrative and technical portions of onboarding streamlines an employee’s intake, shifting the focus instead to making new hires feel welcome in their new environment.
Additionally, many organizations already have initiatives to implement modern workplace practices. Most don’t consider employee onboarding, despite the fact that this is the very first opportunity your organization has to introduce a new employee to their modern workplace. Focusing on this infrastructure is especially important if your organization is experiencing a period of growth and expansion. Creating consistency between a new hire’s onboarding experience and day-to-day workstyle helps align them with your company’s vision and processes from the start.
There are over fifty basic administrative tasks and forms that a new hire and a Human Resources employee will have to complete during the initial onboarding process. The entire system can understandably feel overwhelming and tedious.
Automating the onboarding process helps employers focus on connecting new hires with culture, taking down red tape that often bars a new employee from immediately integrating with their team. But, where does one get started? There are a few basic tools that an employer can implement without much effort:
These essential tasks just scratch the surface of how an employer can simplify the onboarding process for new hires. Getting started with these basics can help companies refocus energy where it really matters: building important foundational relationships with a new employee.
Many employers have an informal onboarding process that lasts over the course of a single week. If they are doing a good job, they might even have a system set up over the course of ninety days. But, if a company really wants to make their employee experience something special, it’s becoming increasingly important to extend the onboarding process throughout the course of a new hire’s first year.
This strategy helps employers create stronger and more meaningful relationships with their employees and ultimately, improve retention. A holistic program can take the process from good to great with a few key elements:
In summary, by moving beyond the basics of onboarding a new employee, employers can more thoughtfully and efficiently manage the transition from new employee to an integral part of the team.
Building a comprehensive onboarding program might seem like a lot of additional work or is intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. Through modern technology, you can automate and systematize the tedious and difficult portions to allow your team to focus on the personal aspects of an employee’s onboarding.
If you are already using Office 365 in your Modern Workplace, there are a number of tools that can help you get started:
We couldn’t fit all the great content we have about this topic in this article, so we created a downloadable package with even more content!