Engaging and retaining talent is one of the top goals our clients have shared with us
As a well-structured employee onboarding program has been shown to make 69% of employees more likely to stay for three years, let’s look at the top onboarding trends of 2020:
1. Preboarding
Competing job offers, counteroffers from current employers, nerves/anxiety, and concerned family members are common reasons new hires change their mind and fail to show up. A recent survey by Indeed found that 19% of respondents had accepted a verbal offer but then disappeared, and 22% had accepted an offer, signed the paperwork and then didn’t show up their first day of work.
One of the best ways to engage new employees before their first day is with preboarding activities. These include a mobile-first onboarding experience, company swag shipped to their home, texts, and more which drive affirmation of the ‘yes’ to the offer. Actively starting the onboarding process the moment new hires accept your employment offer demonstrates your commitment to them and helps keep them excited about working with you.
A great example of this is how one of our clients sends company-branded gift boxes to their new employees. The box contains a welcome-to-the-team note, some company swag, and the company values. They also email a link to their new hires at the same time to kick off the onboarding process. Their new hires simply click the link and complete the onboarding paperwork from their phone, tablet, or laptop. This is a wonderful way to make new hires feel valued and connected with the company before they even start.
2. Personalization
A personalized onboarding experience helps calm new job jitters and accelerate new hire productivity. We recommend developing onboarding workflows based on role, seniority, and location to engage your new hires with an onboarding program that provides all the information they need to be successful sooner.
Best practices include embedding the following in their onboarding materials:
- A day in the life video
- On-demand learning opportunities
- A who’s who guide of their team
- Role and company policies, procedures, and guides
- Communication guidelines
3. Socialization
A positive social network at work is one of the strongest indicators of employee happiness, engagement, and likelihood of staying with the company. Statistics show that 70% of employees have reported that having friends at work is one of the most important parts of being happy at work.
Our clients have had success embedding new employee socialization in their onboarding process. Common new hire activities include team lunches, work buddies, and mentors. We recommend developing this part of the onboarding process in a mindful way that feels genuine and true to your company’s culture and values.
If you would like to learn more about enhancing or automating your onboarding program, we’d love to chat.
Our platform simplifies onboarding with the mobile-first experience your candidates expect. At Click Boarding, we work together to set up personalized workflows configured to your needs, so you can delight your new employees with a personalized onboarding experience.
