Research by <a href="https://b2b-assets.glassdoor.com/the-true-cost-of-a-bad-hire.pdf">Glassdoor</a> found that companies with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.
Onboarding is an investment of your and your new employee's time. It can take weeks or even months (depending on the role and seniority) from the day the employee joins until the day they can contribute to the business.
A strong onboarding process can help protect this investment. Here are some tips to help you craft the best possible onboarding process.
Start onboarding before day one
Many companies will mistakenly wait until the new employee’s first day of work to start orientation and onboarding. In many cases, there will be a delay of days, or weeks, from receiving a job offer to when they’ll start.
This delay is a great opportunity for you to use this time before day one to build excitement, help them feel welcome. You can begin introductions and basic information they will need to get up to speed when they start. You must introduce them to your culture, vision, and values.
Provide training
Training shouldn't just be about what your business does. The best training is comprehensive. This means they not only focus on your offer but also on your customers, your company culture and even the regulatory regime you function under. Training also mustn't be a "one and done". Training should be an ongoing effort in your company.
Provide opportunities for growth
Ongoing training fits well with the next point: opportunities for growth. Some companies think that growth just means 'there are options for promotion'. But the truth is that growth means continued investment in training and upskilling along with that potential path to promotion.
Monitor their progress over time
Having regular check-ins will allow you to track the onboarding process. Monitoring is critical both during the onboarding process and after. The best onboarding tools provide their users with feedback and the management with metrics on usage. But more importantly, you’ll want to hear your new hires' feedback about your business, processes and the onboarding process as a whole.
Remote onboarding
Working from home has become the norm over the last few years. However, remote onboarding remains a challenge for many companies. Here are some things to think about when you are looking at remote onboarding. <ul><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Make time for one-to-one meetings. </b> It's easy to forget to schedule meetings. When everyone is in the office, these conversations happen by accident, around the water cooler or coffee machine. But when you are remote, you need to take the time to schedule these catch-ups. </li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create an online community. Community in a physical office is also something that just grows naturally. However, in remote working, you need to invest time in it. We can help design and build online communities for onboarding, from virtual coffee mornings to meet and greets etc as well as social 'spaces where people can ask questions and connect with peers. </li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Offer ongoing support. The best onboarding processes are the ones that are continuous and supportive throughout the entire employee journey. Regularly check in with your remote employee and consistently ensure their happiness and success from home.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Invest in digital experience-based training. Digital experiences can be leveraged to offer immersive training experiences for your new hires. They can help your new team members ‘walk in the shoes of your customers and buyers. At the same time, these digital tools are engaging and encourage employees to continue training and gaining new skills. </li></ul>
Our aim, at BAD, is to give you the best digital learning tools to help you successfully onboard new employees. <a href="https://bestatdigital.com/contact-us/">Contact us today</a> to learn how we can help.
