Employee onboarding is the process of integrating recruits into the company. It involves familiarizing the hires with the organization’s workings and how they can become productive members of the team they join.
Onboarding is sometimes confused with an orientation where the employee finishes the recruitment process, including all paperwork and meeting all admin compliances and getting a look at his colleagues and team members.
How does the employee onboarding program makes sense
Onboarding is the first introduction the new joined has to your organization, so it is imperative that one gets it right.
An effective employee onboarding program ensures the short and long-term success of the new hire and your company.
Onboarding goes much more in-depth than orientation and can sometimes take weeks. This process, of course, brings many benefits to both the company and its employees.
Employee onboarding is one scope of success in a company.
The benefits of a correct onboarding process are:
Retention
You start as you mean to finish. A great onboarding process sets the tone for the entire employee experience. The process should start with focusing on company culture, development opportunities, and feedback norms. This shows that a company cares about the employee journey in an organization.
About 31% of new employees leave their jobs within the first six months. This is a huge loss in terms of both human and capital resources.
A major contributor in this abandonment is a bad onboarding process. If an employee feels at a loss and cannot fit into the company, then it is a failure on the company’s part.
Glassdoor found that companies with a strong onboarding program increased their new hire retention by 82%.
Improved employee engagement
Onboarding is closely related to your new hire’s level of engagement. This means from day one; the new hires should be given the tools to perform at the best of their ability.
Investing in new employees’ development and success from the start shows that you are committed to them and value their contribution.
In return, the employees reward you with loyalty and commitment.
Another way to connect with the employees is to arrange for some unique interactions with the management. For example, a breakfast meet with the higher echelons can be a good way to introduce one to the company culture and its ethos.
Increased productivity
The better and more effective the onboarding, the sooner a new employee can start delivering results. The effect of a good onboarding program is huge; it can increase new employee productivity by over 70%, says research.
If the process is clear about job expectations and works towards building social connections and comfort levels, then a new recruit will be motivated enough to give his best.
Reduced stress
A comprehensive onboarding program removes uncertainty from the process and is geared towards providing all the necessary information and skills to do the job. Learning the company culture, rules, and policies makes it easier for new joinees to adapt to the new work environment. Once all the necessary information and tools are made available to the new hire, it helps to reduce all stress and anxiety levels.
Buddy programs can further ease the introduction.
Organizations should begin the process with a pre-boarding program the moment an acceptance letter is signed as 11 percent of candidates change their minds on an offer after signing.
Continue your onboarding process for at least 90 days to ensure new hires properly assimilate their new roles.