Why preboarding is crucial for a successful relocation

So you’ve found the perfect candidate for the position you’ve been looking to fill.

A young talented woman, multilingual, with a thirst for new challenges and a passion for the field your company operates in. An amazing skillset and a great personality. What’s not to like?

Now imagine this:

The candidate you’ve carefully chosen ends up never turning up. Instead, she walks away from the job even before her first day.

How frustrating does that sound? Unlikely, you may think. Well… Not so much.

Unfortunately, this scenario is more common than you might think.

According to CareerBuilder, approximately 67% of employers report that almost a quarter of new hires don’t show up after accepting a position. 

A quarter. That’s a lot.

And the numbers are likely to be a lot higher for international hires who also have to relocate for the job.

Of course, you’d want to avoid this scenario at all costs. But how?

Preboarding is the answer.

But… What is preboarding?

You’re probably already familiar with the word onboarding. Yep, the process of introducing a new employee to the workspace and teaching them how to do their job.

Preboarding is what happens before that. It’s the preparation phase.

Some argue that preboarding starts when the employee accepts the contract. But at Job Squad we believe it starts even before that. At the first touchpoint with your company.

Preboarding is about aligning expectations, preparing the candidate for what’s to come, and of course giving him or her a warm welcome from the team.

This practise is crucial for retaining your best employees, and yet it’s still widely overlooked in many companies and entire industries.

Why preboarding is so important

The reason new employees quit is because of two main reasons:

1. They don’t feel like they belong or fit into the company culture or the new city
2. The job didn’t match their expectations

A successful preboarding process addresses both of these concerns.

Preboarding is about building a relationship with the new employee before they even step inside the door. When done right, it also aligns the candidate's expectations before they arrive, and prepares them for some of the less shiny aspects of their new work situation.

By building a positive relationship, you can get your new employee excited about their new workplace and feel welcome right from the beginning. They will also be aware of the obstacles that may come and are well-prepared to deal with them as they arise.

When recruiting international candidates, preboarding is particularly important because culture shock is almost inevitable when relocating. 

If you’ve built a strong relationship with the new employee from the start, they will feel more confident in dealing with difficult situations instead of just quitting and returning home.

Because of this, preboarding will also make the onboarding process run more smoothly, and it increases your chances of converting your new team member to a loyal long-term employee.

Best practices for cross-national preboarding

So now that we’ve established why preboarding is so important, here are our top 3 tips for a successful and memorable preboarding if you’re hiring talent from abroad.

#1 Inform the candidate about all the processes in advance

It’s easy to take for granted what you already know. But remember that the candidate is not familiar with the hiring process at your company. Inform your new (potential) colleague thoroughly about everything there is to know about the hiring, preboarding and onboarding process, so they don’t end up feeling uncertain about what’s going to happen.

This way the candidate can plan their life around it, and it’s a great way to show them you care about them. This is important because they might have different job options to choose from, and if you can build a strong relationship with them from the start, they are more likely to choose you over the other job offers. The result? Changes that they’ll bail on you last minute will reduce significantly.

#2 Be clear on your WHY

How serious are you about your employer branding? Posting photos on Instagram from your awesome rooftop bar and the occasional paintball event on the weekend will not make the cut if you’re looking to attract and retain the best talent. 

Generation Y and Z are driven by purpose, and they expect your company to be too. It doesn’t matter how great a salary you offer, if you aren’t clear on your WHY your employees are not going to connect with your company on a deeper emotional level. Your company’s purpose should be more than just a statement. It has to shine through in everything you do, including the preboarding process.

#3 Meet your new colleague at the airport or train station

Is your new colleague flying in from abroad? Show them you care about them by greeting them at the airport or train station when they arrive – or have someone do it for you. Little gestures like these make a huge difference. 

As humans, we will always remember how an experience made us feel, not exactly what happened. By greeting your new colleague at the airport, they’ll instantly feel at home and in good company – instead of feeling lonely and slightly scared. This feeling will sit with them for the rest of their time working at your company.

Remember, they believed so much in you, that they were willing to change around their whole life to come and work with you. The least you can do is to show them the honour and make sure they’ve arrived well in their new home city.