The way you onboard employees gives them the first real impression of your company experience. During onboarding, employees develop an understanding of how you do things and what will be expected of them. It should come as no surprise to learn that onboarding is one of the critical deciding factors in both early and long-term employee retention.
Of course, excellent onboarding experiences don’t happen by accident. Businesses that invest in welcoming and well-structured onboarding reap the reward in retention, dedication, and productivity from new hires who may become long-term members of high-performing teams.
The Impact of Onboarding on Retention
Onboarding and retention have always been closely linked. Good onboarding can lead to a significant boost in retention while poor onboarding can have employees job hunting before their first productive day on the job.
A Harvard Business School study revealed that 1 out of 3 employees are job-hunting within the first six months and 1 out of 5 employees quit within the first 45 days, typically in response to a poor onboarding experience.
In contrast, 7 out of 10 of employees who have an exceptional onboarding experience stay for 3 years or longer, and a positive onboarding can increase overall retention and productivity by 54% and 60% respectively according to SHRM.
While bad onboarding can result in early turnover, a well-designed onboarding process can result in a culture of higher employee retention, longer tenures, and more profitable work from the outset. Making a strong first impression and equipping your new employees with the tools they need to succeed makes all the difference.
Onboarding shapes each employee’s view of the company, preparing them to expect either success or failure within the first few days.
Common Pitfalls in Onboarding
Every job and company is different, but onboarding best practices – and common mistakes – remain the same. If you look through a few dozen or several thousand failed onboarding stories, the common threads are clearly apparent.
- Being Unprepared
- When an employee sees a scramble to put together the resources, pull a trainer, and make space for their onboarding, they get a clear impression that the company is disorganized and, worse, unprepared for their arrival. It is an unwelcoming sensation that creates a sense of foreboding about the role ahead.
- Slow and Dragging
- No one likes a tediously slow work process. While onboarding involves a lot of paperwork and covering the basics of company life, employees get the wrong impression when it goes too slow or drags on too long.
- Disjointed Process
- A frenetic or disjointed onboarding experience can be equally challenging. Jumping from one task to the next with no sense of continuity can leave employees feeling disoriented and unsure how to apply the information they are being given.
- Isolated and Unimmersive
- Isolated onboarding is only useful during the initial paperwork phase. Employees dislike being locked in a training room and would rather begin their experience of the company in an immersive and welcoming way.
- Unclear Goals
- Employees should understand their role and objectives early in the process. Too much preamble or unclear goals can leave them uncertain about the path ahead or how to adapt when official onboarding is complete.
Fortunately, these mistakes can be avoided through awareness and planning. It’s important to continually streamline and modernize onboarding practices to help employees feel quickly ushered into the workforce as valued members with an objective they will soon be ready to fulfill.
Key Elements of a Successful Onboarding Program
For any company looking to design a fluid onboarding program that enhances employee retention, start with your objectives and build an experience that achieves them. On the technical side, you need to guide new employees through the necessary paperwork and policies. In terms of addng to your workforce, you also want to help employees feel welcome in the company culture, fully understand their role, and quickly move from signing paperwork to feeling like an empowered member of the team with a bright future ahead.
To achieve your onboarding goals, focus on these key elements:
1. Clear Communication
Ensure your new employee fully understands their role and all relevant company policies. It’s important to clearly define their job duties, available resources, their team, and their tasks or projects. You must also be prepared to answer questions that help employees frame the information in their own way of thinking.
2. Automated Routine
The technical side of onboarding can and should be automated. Most of your employees have been through the document signing process a few times already, and it’s nothing new. They understand the need to set up their employee records, pay routes, and so on. They also appreciate the ability to move through this phase quickly, only taking time to focus on key policies that are vital or unique to the company.
3. Seamless Introductory Process
Onboarding should flow smoothly from the first handshake on arrival to joining the team. Each phase should be planned and ready for the new hire so that they can complete all onboarding tasks and training in an enjoyably streamlined fashion. This not only helps to complete onboarding efficiently, it also instills a sense of confidence that the company knows what it’s doing and will be a well-organized place to work.
4. Convenient Technology
Make use of the latest technology such as digital forms and electronic signatures. These elements can help you streamline the process and enhance the onboarding experience. Digital documents give employees the opportunity to flip through the text on their own time and avoid the tedium of physical paperwork, while electronic signatures speed up the process. Both also open the door to remote onboarding steps, getting the paperwork out of the way before day one.
5. Team Introductions
Onboarding is also a chance to ensure new hires feel like part of the team. While initial steps may be isolated, team introductions and immersion during training are essential to ensure that employees feel like they belong as they step into the new role. Team inclusion and integration into the shared workflow are essential for cohesion and retention.
6. Role-Ready Training
Lastly, make sure that onboarding provides the training, resources, and direction to step into their role with confidence. Organizations with a standardized and well-structured onboarding process see 50% greater productivity from new hires who are fully prepared to start their new roles when onboarding is complete.
Preparing New Hires for Success with Streamlined Onboarding
Great onboarding leads to great employee experiences. When onboarding is streamlined, smooth, and fully prepares each employee for the role ahead they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and dedicated to the company. First impressions make a big difference. From enhancing productivity to long-term job satisfaction and retention: It all starts with onboarding.
Companies must invest in modern and efficient onboarding to ensure employees feel welcomed and ready to make an impact from day one. Review and improve your onboarding process to retain top talent. You can learn more about isolved’s Onboard + Develop module, offered by Platinum Group to enhance your onboarding procedure and enhance the experience with every new hire.