Make onboarding a positive experience
Have you ever had just a horrible onboarding experience? It does take a certain kind of finesse to master the art of onboarding new employees effectively, but something should also be said for the onboarding programs (or lack of) that ensure the onboarding experience chases all the best new employees away. If that’s what your company is trying to do, look no further for these onboarding mistakes: they’re 5 fool-proof ways to destroy onboarding for new hires!
1. Paperless onboarding? That’s way too easy.
For companies that love living in the past and resist technology, keeping your employee onboarding documents on paper, in bulky filing cabinets is totally the way to go. Trust me, your new employees are not even going to be able to move their fingers once you’re done with them!
- Save the paper already: There’s actually employee onboarding software that keeps all your employee documents online and guess what? No paper. For those companies that think they have control over whether or not they can retain new employees, this kind of employee onboarding software is perfect! Oh plus, you’ll never have to worry about whether or not you’re in compliance ever again!
2. Don’t waste time preparing. They’ll figure it out!
Have a new employee starting soon? Let them come to you. Managers shouldn’t waste time and manpower chasing new employees around making sure they show up to the right office. Furthermore, they can set up their own desk when they get it. After all, they’re the one that’s going to be using it for the next week until they quit.
- Some people just don’t learn: According to an Aberdeen survey, 83% of the highest performing organizations began onboarding prior to the new hire’s first day on the job. Companies that think onboarding is important do things like this:
- Initiate contact with new employees before they start, usually detailing the agenda for their first day of employment.
- Set up their desk and computer ahead of time so they have a place to call their own and retreat to once they begin.
- Distribute and collect onboarding documents so they are out of the way before day one.
3. No introductions. This isn’t a party, it’s work.
We’re all adults here, and we’re here to work so why waste time introducing new employees to the rest of the team? Let’s focus on productivity people, not popularity.
- Or you can try this instead: Some companies think there is value in nourishing work relationships. It might be because companies with happy employees outperform competition by 20%. And, close work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50%. Taking new employees around the office to introduce them to their team members and leadership is one way to encourage healthy team bonding and social interaction. It also helps new employees feel noticed and comfortable in their new environment. To keep the good feelings going, encourage monthly outings for the team, arrange parties for special occasions or treat the team to lunch every now and then.
4. Job duties? Don’t they already know them?
Managers can save time and money by not explaining the details of the job, which the employee should already know from their job search. There’s no need for redundancies!
- Unless you really care: According to a Gallup study, only half of employees know what is expected of them. That means companies that actually want to keep new employees around have to put in the effort of explaining and outlining the details of the job not just on the employee’s first day, but throughout the duration of their onboarding and training. Automate your goals!
5. Feedback…seems like a lot of work.
One sure-fire way to disengage new employees is to ignore their performance. Really, they know themselves better than I do, right? So, they’re going to be the best judge of their strengths and weaknesses.
- Can you believe this?: 78% of surveyed employees who report having a meaningful discussion with their manager about their strengths feel their work is making a difference and is appreciated, fueling engagement in their work. If this is what companies want, they should start having more frequent and constructive conversations about performance with their new employees.
Don’t destroy onboarding for your new hires. Do it the right way!
You may be at a crossroads as to whether your company should really care that much about onboarding new employees effectively. Let’s make it easy: if you still don’t care after reading this article, carry on! However, if you’ve had a change of heart, think strongly about investing in paperless onboarding software and seeking to remedy some of the mistakes discussed above.
Let Click Boarding help with our online paperless onboarding software. Find out how!
