Last week, we looked at the basics around how great onboarding increases employee retention. We learned why it is one of the hottest buzzwords in our work world today. This week, we’ll talk about the 5 tips to create effective onboarding programs to increase employee retention for YOUR company.
First, it’s important to consider effective onboarding starts BEFORE day 1 and lasts through the first year. The first step is to create a checklist of information to share with all new hires before they start, to help them get acclimated and reduce anxiety. Continue with scheduled interactions and trainings throughout the first year to keep them motivated and productive.
As you think about your onboarding, here are five keys to developing an effective program:
- A great onboarding program is checklist driven – A comprehensive onboarding checklist is the first step to delivering consistency to all new employees. And, it helps ensure all supervisors effectively deliver the right information and training. Include details for each day or week.
- Who do they need to meet with and what do they need to discuss?
- What training courses do they need to complete and how do they prove competency?
- What job aids are available for them to use as a reference?
- A great onboarding program has an “owner” AND it involves the department managers – Department Managers need to be involved. This reinforces their commitment to the organization and the success of new employees. Finally, more than 58% of new hires cite their manager as the most important source of information during their onboarding process!
- A great onboarding program ANTICIPATES the basics – On day 1, having everything prepared and ready to go shows the new employees “we’re glad you’re here and we’ve been expecting you!” Your Day 1 list should include items like having their workspace ready and set-up, a clean uniform (if appropriate), and their name tag or office name plate.
- A great onboarding program CLARIFIES – Communicate company culture, their job expectations, payroll and benefits information, etc. Providing the answers to frequently asked questions shows you value the new team member’s time.
- A great onboarding program INTEGRATES with other job duties – Help your new hire be productive ASAP (like, on day 1) and at the same time provide some assistance/support for existing employees by giving them some help with tasks the new team member can successfully accomplish.
Great onboarding increases employee retention when done right. Remember, it’s a checklist driven process that:
- Starts before day one and goes through the first year
- Is planned and purposeful in its format and content
- Drives increased employee engagement
- Focuses on helping new employees be productive on day one
- Drives company profits through lower employee turnover and reduced sourcing and selection costs.
What’s not to love? If you want to improve YOUR onboarding experience, give me a call and let’s talk!
Author: Jim Hartigan, Managing Partner – Orgwide Custom Learning Solutions