How do you onboard and retain your new hires in high volume hiring scenarios?

It can be difficult in a high volume environment to give a customized candidate experience. However, it’s important that you establish expectations as early as possible. You may be managing 15-20 new hires a week, which means you should create a protocol that works. Usually, I establish expectations during the screening and proceed with onboarding expectations after the offer stage.

Treat them as individual as much as you can, its important they don't feel lost in the crowd. Take an organic 10 minutes to get to know them and express an interest in them on a personal level. Its so easy for candidates who are part of a volume intake to feel lost and detached especially in the initial training period. Encourage honest feedback during the training/probation period to iron out any potential issues/ drop outs.

Don't neglect to mention mental health resources like your company's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and ensure you create and embody a psychologically safe culture that carries on past the onboarding phase. This is such an integral part of a well-rounded, healthy employee experience. Organizations that truly incorporate this philosophy into every part of their decision-making process, i.e., asking "How will this affect our employees?", will see increased retention and productivity due to a healthier and happier workforce.

Never sacrifice the candidate experience. Ensure you provide customized support to each candidate at all times by listening to their motivations and concerns during screenings. Then, provide materials or support as needed. This may include contact numbers in the case of technical issues, or onboarding directions. Refrain from standardized interactions that make candidates feel like a number.

In my experience, it is also helpful to give new hires contact information for people outside of their departments (not just HR but IT/payroll/safety etc.) and reference them in FAQs. We also currently have a 'New Hire Network' Teams chat for new hires (remote/hybrid/onsite) to introduce themselves and continue to ask any questions they may have!

I think the onboarding phase is very important for integrating and retaining new employees. Transmitting the company's values and culture in the first months of work is very important so that employees do not feel lost. In some cases, assigning a mentor, such as a senior employee, to closely monitor the employees' activities can be a very beneficial solution.

Engaging and motivating new hires to perform well and be loyal involves creating a positive and supportive work environment that fosters a sense of belonging and purpose. You can do this by: 1. Letting them know when their work is appreciated 2. Providing them constructive criticism that will allow them to perform better 3. Involve them in all company activities so that they can build meaningful relationships with their peers 4. Involve them in providing their feedback so that you can see what can be improved upon in their opinion, and if possible, action it to show them that you value their thoughts and feelings.

Proceeding through the hiring process can be a stressful and nerve wracking experience. We’ve all been there. Provide a human touch to your candidates by recognizing their prior and current achievements, directing them to communities or social groups, and genuinely supporting them throughout each stage of the hiring process.

Monitoring and measuring new hires' progress, performance, and satisfaction is crucial for successful onboarding. Advanced tools such as surveys, assessments, and analytics can be used to collect and analyze data on their onboarding experience, engagement level, and retention rate. Regular communication and feedback with new hires can foster inclusivity and support, resulting in an improved onboarding experience and long-term success within the organization.

As a recruiter, you should be constantly seeking new ways to improve hiring processes. Solicit feedback from candidates on what they liked and disliked most. Bring these repeat concerns to light with leadership to drive change throughout the recruitment and onboarding process.

In my experience, the best way to onboard and retain new hires is to provide them with genuine support, resources, engagement, motivation, and feedback. (This next one is the most important) Encourage their growth by offering CLEAR career development plans, constructive performance reviews, and opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Create a positive culture that values learning and teamwork, and remember that investing in your employees is an investment in the long-term success of your organization. I have always made to provide 6 week gameplans, breaking down what will be reviewed and expected. #GAMECHANGER - Feel free to reach out to me on here with any questions!

High volume recruitment can be stressful for all parties involved. Senior leaders seek rapid fulfillment of vacancies to drive productivity for stakeholders, hiring teams are expected to interview dozens of candidates per week, and recruiters are expected to quickly source, screen, and manage a higher than usual volume of candidates while providing a good candidate experience. Though it may be stressful, try your best to reflect on the positive value you bring to everyone around you as a recruiter.