Fortunately, onboarding is coming to the fore in many companies. It has already been said that if the new employee is not worked with sufficiently, the onboarding will most likely fail and you will have to start another expensive round of interviews and recruitment. It is therefore very difficult and expensive to underestimate this process
With quality onboarding, you reduce the risk of early departure and increase retention by up to 82%!
Therefore, avoid the following mistakes:
1. The first day is chaotic and disorganized
1 employee out of 10 states that he was completely forgotten on the 1st day. This is quite alarming! Some companies do not have an introductory welcome day at all. Even if you have a starting day, think about what could be improved. There's nothing worse than an already stressed-out new employee coming into the company and not knowing where to go or who to turn to.
TIP: The HR department should agree with the other departments and the manager how it will continue the program, what to say, where to seat the newcomers, what to prepare for the table, how to present the company, etc. Also prepare a presentation about the company where you explain e.g. the organizational structure, company values, benefits, etc. Leave space for questions and create such an atmosphere that people feel that they can really ask about everything.
2. There´s no time for a new comer!
Unfortunately, this is a very common phrase that you hear in the corridors of companies. Look at it from the other side, if you don't take the time to develop your employee and don't give him priority, you can't expect good results, regardless of how it makes the new employee feel.
Take this time as an investment in the development of your company and the new employee. If you are a really busy top manager, set up a so-called buddy system in your company. Assign someone from your team to the newbie who they can always turn to or watch/learn from their work.
TIP: Managers should meet with newcomers at least once a week, just briefly - ask how he is doing, what you can do to make him work efficiently or better. The HR department should meet with newcomers at least once, ideally 3 times during the first 3 months, in order to find out, among other things, what tools, training, or the new employee is missing.
3. Improper or missing onboarding process
Set up an onboarding process in your company. The ideal time for training is 3 months, for more complex systems/technologies this process is even longer. It also depends on the seniority of the newcomer. For this process to be effective, it needs to be set up (well) in the company. It is one thing to understand the company culture and feel good in the company, another thing is to focus on the most effective adaptation. If you underestimate training, there will be frustration on both sides rather than development.
TIP: Find internal trainers in the company who enjoy passing on information about your products, systems and technologies. You can also upload short videos or write instructions or checklists. You can also motivate internal trainers to train with the help of benefits (e.g. an extra day off, extra compensation for training, etc.).
And one more TIP: Consider the time spent with a newcomer as an investment that will pay off many times over.
If you need help with onboarding, don't hesitate to contact us. We will set up the right strategy and processes for you!