Onboarding can easily be overlooked, especially if your organization doesn’t have an HR department or training department to own the onboarding process.
But onboarding is such a critical part of the hiring and retention process. When new hires are onboarded correctly, they’ll feel a much stronger connection to the company and will be much less likely to leave within the first six months. They are also much more likely to succeed in their role and meet their numbers more quickly.
However, if their onboarding experience is disorganized and chaotic, they’ll be unhappy and more likely to leave because they feel like they have no tether to the company.
Therefore, you can seriously limit turnover by implementing a great onboarding process. After you go through the effort to find and hire someone, it is a no-brainer that you should invest in setting them up to succeed.
Watch our video on this topic or keep reading for our top three tips to maximize the onboarding experience for new hires and set them up for success.
Communicate Clear Expectations
Make sure you communicate clear expectations about the required activities and results for the role. Be clear about what the job entails and what the day-to-day responsibilities are throughout the selection process so that there are no surprises, and they know what to expect on day one.
Implement a Structured Orientation
A structured, organized orientation is key to setting up new hires for success. If you have a training and development department, it might make the most sense for them to lead this. If a hiring manager or supervisor will be responsible for orientation, be sure to set aside several time blocks for them to focus entirely on orientation.
It can also be helpful to assign a peer mentor or onboarding buddy to help lighten the load on the manager. A peer will also be easier for the new hire to approach with any questions. Just be mindful of everyone’s availability and be sure to reward them for their extra effort!
Orientation can be in the form of a spreadsheet, a step-by-step document, or something like a robust multi-channel video experience. The format doesn’t matter as long as the orientation is well-thought-out and executed consistently.
Plan a Detailed Ramp-Up Period
Of course, no one will hit their activity numbers on day two or three. It may take weeks or months for them to start hitting their numbers, so just be realistic.
Therefore, it is important to set up graduated tiers of performance instead of expecting them to be fully functioning right away. Create a detailed plan for their ramp-up period and set clear expectations for what they’re going to be able to accomplish and by when.
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These three simple things will make a huge difference in for onboarding and retention. It is worth dedicating the time and energy to it.
Follow the three practices above and you will create opportunities to form stronger relationships with the new hires, helping them feel secure, welcome, and confident in their job — all with or without a training department or HR department!
If you think these tips are something your team could use, please sign up for a free, no-obligation discovery call with us and our team would be happy to help you.
If you’d like to learn more, watch our Quick Tip videos on this topic on YouTube and subscribe to our channel to catch our weekly recruiting and retention tips. Happy hiring!
