Given the time and effort you invest in finding, hiring, and training new hires, you want your investment to pay off well into the future. Effective onboarding can help make that happen. Onboarding is so crucial that it can shape whether a new employee thrives or immediately regrets their decision to join.
Despite the initial optimism when a new employee arrives, it can be short-lived, as one-third of new hires quit within the first 90 days. However, with effective onboarding, you can not only retain new hires, but also improve their long-term engagement. One study found that employees who had a positive onboarding experience were 18 times more committed to their workplace.
Consider taking the following actions to deliver an onboarding experience that engages new hires and empowers them to give their best effort at work.
1. Introduce New Hires to Senior Leaders Early
C-suite leaders impact every role in the company and set the tone for culture and performance. Allowing new hires to meet them early on breaks down hierarchical barriers and helps employees feel more comfortable engaging with the company’s strategic decision-makers. It also demonstrates that the company—at all levels—has an interest in the success of their onboarding.
2. Facilitate Close Relationships with Coworkers
New hires naturally develop coworker relationships as they become more involved in their everyday work. But when they have the added support of a mentor or “buddy,” they’re likely to have a smoother onboarding. For example, an onboarding buddy can offer insights about team interactions and answer questions about the best point of contact for key projects.
One survey revealed that not having a clear point of contact for questions is a top frustration for employees during onboarding. Assigning an informal buddy eliminates that issue and prevents new hires from feeling alone.
3. Offer In-person Training to Remote Employees
While many parts of new hire onboarding can be conducted via introduction videos and virtual meetings, there’s nothing like a face-to-face introduction to the company and its culture. Gathering new hires together, including remote hires, for in-person onboarding helps them develop feelings of belonging while also giving them a more tangible introduction to your values and people. At Aspen HR, we recently brought new hires together for two days to meet our CEO, learn about our culture and goals, and get to know other employees in a relaxed environment.
4. Tailor Onboarding to Employee Needs
Some aspects of onboarding will be the same for every new hire—paperwork, team introductions, and internal system orientations—but there may be variations in other areas. For example, managers will need a slightly different introduction to your goal-setting and performance management process than non-managers. Other areas where you may need to tailor onboarding activities according to an employee’s role include:
- Technical and soft skills training
- Frequency of manager check-ins
- Customer introductions
5. Continue Onboarding, Training, and Relationship Building After Day 90
In many companies, the onboarding process is as brief as two weeks. Ideally, it should be much longer, lasting until employees are fully oriented in all aspects of the company, their team, and their role. Ninety days is a standard guideline, but even well-established employees could benefit from a refresher after that point. For instance, refreshers in technical skills and team culture can reinforce skills and help maintain employee morale. You could also overlap refresher training with new-hire training as a way of introducing new hires to their more tenured teammates.
Onboard Like a Pro
Onboarding impacts the long-term success of every new hire. To do it right, it’s essential to have a plan for each new hire that helps them build new relationships and integrate into your culture. Aspen HR provides PEO expertise, HR services and HR technology to help you onboard new talent and ensure they have the support and resources they need to excel. Speak with one of our PEO experts to learn more.
