Onboarding & Retention

Onboarding & Retention go hand-in-hand. A proper onboarding has the advantage of accelerating the new employee’s productivity, reducing turnover and improving client satisfaction. Many organizations still focus primarily or even exclusively on the completion of required paperwork during the onboarding phase.? Following are some fundamental line-items to consider implementing during the onboarding of a new employee:

·????? Provide a tour of the worksite, making key introductions along the way

·????? Complete all necessary paperwork

·????? Conduct an in-depth orientation of the company’s mission, vision, values and history

·????? Highlight how your company is a leader in its field and how candidates benefit from being your employees?

·????? Explain the long-term and short-term employee benefits

·????? Give details about your healthcare and retirement packages

·????? Have the workspace and computer available and ready for use

·????? Provide a corporate gift (try thinking beyond water-bottles)

·????? For those candidates that have relocated to the area, have a swag bag that includes maps of the area, area attractions, products made from the area and a card signed from the team that welcomes them to the team as well as to their new location

·????? For those candidates that have relocated, assign a local realtor to spend a few hours showing them the area and a few home locations they might be interested in

·????? Provide the new-hire with needed supplies such as badges, parking passes, office materials, etc.

·????? Assign a mentor for your new-hire

·????? Post a welcome announcement on the company intranet

A common misconception is that onboarding is the same as orientation.? Orientation is the first step to a successful onboarding. Orientation is the introduction to a transition into a new company.? During orientation the new hire might receive a cool corporate gift but during onboarding the new hire should be assigned an even greater gift, that of a mentor whom they can feel comfortable approaching with any questions they may have throughout the duration of their employment in their given role.?

The objective and length of onboarding will vary but a typical onboarding process will extend throughout the employee’s first year of employment.? A standard process will include reviews of expectations and priorities at 30, 60, 90, 180 days and the one-year mark.? Throughout the first year provide sufficient feedback and direction.? Assign a coach, mentor or buddy to help the new-hire to be successful.?

Laying the groundwork for a smooth flowing orientation, followed up by a comprehensive onboarding will result in a lower employee turnover rate.

Assigning a mentor is an excellent way to retain quality new hires. After you spent all that time, money and effort in hiring your new employee, assigning a mentor is like a form of insurance on your investment.? Some companies call the mentor a coach, leader, knowledge integrator or the department subject matter expert (SME).? No matter the title, assigning someone that the new employee will feel comfortable approaching is very important.? The company mentor is the main link between the new recruit’s manager and the rest of the company.? The new employee should be able to perform their duties as that is what they were hired for but there might be a system, a process or a piece of software that baffles the new employee, having a go-to resource can set an anxious new-hire at ease.?

Another good retention tactic is to invest in the cross-training of your employees.? Success is no longer strictly defined as that straight, linear path upwards. There is a growing interest in developing a horizontal career path.? Some companies encourage employees to visit all the departments during orientation.? Throughout their tenure they encourage employees to look around the company and search out the next place they’d like to work.? As a result the next place is usually your company and not the competition.? Horizontal growth is a great way to stretch an employee’s way of thinking and to explore new approaches to problem solving.??

Consider offering on-line classes where employees can sign up to learn new skills. Help develop your employee skills by sending them to conferences and trade association events.?

A shared frustration for many ambitious employees is that they feel they have to wait for someone to retire or vacate their job in order for them to even be considered for a desired role within the company.? An employee that has a chance to move sideways, learning new skills to prepare them for their desired goal, is more engaged and hopeful than one that must simply wait for the position to become available.? By creating new opportunities for those that aspire to move to a particular role you are retaining their skills as well as setting an example for others to follow.? Employees will take note that the company cares enough to invest in the career growth of their staff.?

Save your budget, save your staff and save much time and grief through investing properly with your new hire.?

**To learn more about staffing and hiring candidates, view Kelly's books on Amazon: Corporate Recruiter Reveals Hiring Strategies That Work