An onboarding process that's efficient, effective and relevant to your newly hired team members is key to realizing a return on your recruiting and staffing investment.
Here's a look at some of the most impactful ways you can tweak your onboarding to transform new hires into productive team members as quickly as possible.
Will your new hire pass or fail in the first 6 months?
Find out here.
1. Focus on the human element. Failure to establish key connections and build strong interpersonal relationships within the company is a primary reason newly hired employees fail to perform quickly, and ultimately, leave a new employer, according to experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Saratoga Human Resources Solutions.
Onboarding processes should include introduction/assignment to a mentor outside of the immediate team, weekly "one on ones" with the manager, and pairing the employee with at least one "buddy" on the team who will be a resource for questions and concerns.
2. Connect their dots. You hired the new employee because she successfully demonstrated how her professional experiences complemented your vacant role.
Now it's your job to guide her in applying those skills. "Competent new hires can largely deal with the present—what they struggle with is the future," explains James Berkeley, managing director of Ellice Consulting.
"Stay highly engaged with new hires. Help them understand how their own actions contribute to the speed and accomplishment of the firm's strategic goals—not just the next month's sales figures."
3. Give them real tasks, and real feedback. More than 40% of respondents to Bamboo HR's survey said on-the-job training is most lacking in today's onboarding processes, and that "review and feedback of early contributions" is one of the most important aspects employees need to feel equipped to contribute.
Give new hires performance-related tasks that facilitate hands-on experience from which they can learn, as early as their second or third day on the job.
Did you know: Most employers devote less time to planning their onboarding procedures than they do their holiday party. That management mistake will cost you greatly in your bottom line and reputation. Learn the step-by-step practical onboarding plan for new employees' first 6 months.
4. Establish metrics for your current process. The Centre for Economics and Business Research index reveals that a business hiring just one employee might invest more than $55,000 into corresponding nonwage functions like administrative, facility and technology needs, benefits, payroll and taxes, while companies that hire 20 or more employees pay about $15,000 less for those same expenses, thanks to economies of scale.
The same is true for your onboarding processes. Given that PwC estimates the average voluntary turnover cost of an exempt employee is $106,000 a year, you can't afford not to know what's driving newly hired employees to stay or go.
As you collect more feedback, you'll establish a benchmark for what's working in your onboarding, and what requires immediate attention.
5. Don't assume they're ready to fly. Respondents to a Bamboo HR survey who left a new job within the first six months said that having an onboarding process that extended beyond the first week was one of the most important aspects of onboarding; 33% said that a boss's involvement in onboarding is key to its success.
Ask the Right Questions
Experts at PwC and Saratoga recommend presenting the following questions to every newly hired employee to gauge onboarding efficacy:
• Were you provided the tools to do your job effectively? If so, how many days did it take from Day One?
• Can you count on receiving help and support when needed? Whose support was most beneficial?
• Do your managers take the time to coach you? Is the time they spend with you optimal based on your needs? Why or why not?
• Did you receive enough detail to complete new-hire tasks? What kind of detail was most beneficial?
• Did you feel welcome on your first day?
• Is your job as it was described to you during the hiring process? Why or why not?
New Hire Webinar: December 14
What do you want from your direct reports? Better performance, improved engagement, stronger retention? Then make sure you bring your new hires into the fold, the right way.
This engaging new webinar will teach you a step-by-step practical onboarding plan for new employees' first six months. Specifically, you'll learn: - The 6 critical steps of onboarding and how to implement them
- Key onboarding actions for the first day,
first week, first 90 days and first year - How to shift your onboarding focus for employees of different generations
- The 10 most common mistakes of orientation programs, and how to avoid them
- Best orientation practices from the best companies (IBM, PepsiCo, etc.)
- Onboarding steps to take before Day One.
What impact do your actions have on productivity and retention? Isn't it time you found out? Register now!
No comments:
Post a Comment