We’ve shared lots of secrets on how to help kickstart your onboarding programs and completely overhaul your process, but how can you make it truly meaningful for your new employees? Onboarding programs have been shown to increase retention by 25% and even improve employee performance by up to 11% so it’s no surprise employers want to make their onboarding the best it can be. We have some actionable to-dos to make it happen in your organization:
No One Size Fits All
Shuffling new hires through the same old process is not only impersonal for the employee but mundane and boring for you as well. Take this time in the hiring process to get to know your new team member and use that information to adjust their onboarding accordingly. We’re not just talking about the ‘what’, we’re talking about the ‘how’, as well. Be sure to think about communication preferences and learning styles when compiling your plan for day one.
Try this: Before your new hire starts, send them a quick survey including some questions about their past experiences. Their answers will help the team get to know him/her better as well as learning style preferences, like whether they enjoy doing all their training at once, at their own pace, or somewhere in between. That way you won’t be boring your new hire to the point of leaving and you’ll be able to adjust some of the content to their interests and skill levels.
Identify What Success Looks Like
What will success look like for this individual as they progress with their tasks and projects in the team? Letting each employee know what you’re specifically looking for in their work will better equip them for the job they’re about to do. Nobody likes going into a new endeavor with a blind eye, so taking the time to relay the must-haves will give your new hire what they need for a win the first time around.
Try this: Sit down and jot out some notes of successes you saw from the last individual that held this position. How long did it take to see these from day one? Could you expect those same results again? Based on the new hire’s skill set and background experience, what kind of expectations should be set in what time frame?
Make New Hires a Priority
Getting side tracked with the latest project or gossip in the office is a huge no-no when you have a new hire on your hands. Of course, these things happen, but letting them happen while onboarding a new employee can cause them to think that they are less of a priority and more of an obligation.
Try this: Create a schedule that allots a certain amount of time to each member who is teaching, so other team members know to wait until that time is over before approaching with tasks. Treat onboarding as a meeting so interruptions are lowered. Also, let the current team member know it’s okay to turn tasks away while working with the new hire. Sticking to this rule for each person guiding the newbie will give them the ability to see the priority the team is making their onboarding process.
By treating onboarding as a team initiative and customizing it for a meaningful experience each new hire can enjoy, it will ultimately create a company culture focused on learning and growth. 30% of businesses who continually update their onboarding programs, are more likely to be positioned to respond to industry indicators and employee trends. What are you waiting for? Give your employees the onboarding they need today!
