Onboarding is Not Orientation
October 10th, 2019
You’ve got the signed offer letter so that means your newest hire is a done deal, right? Not so fast! Managers and supervisors often fail to recognize that even after a candidate has accepted a job offer, they are still deciding whether they want to work for that company or not. Jobseekers have a myriad of options to choose from in today’s job market, especially given the low rate of unemployment, making it even more important that companies make new employees feel connected from the start.
A carefully constructed employee onboarding process can improve retention, satisfaction, productivity, and ultimately the bottom line. However, many companies are missing the mark on their employee onboarding processes and are experiencing high turnover and low employee engagement because of it.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM):
69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced great onboarding.
Organizations with a standard onboarding process experience 50% greater new-hire productivity.
54% of companies with onboarding programs reported higher employee engagement.
When it comes to onboarding, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. While each program is unique in length and format, two things are for certain:
1. Onboarding is a Process: Onboarding is often confused with orientation. While paperwork and administrative tasks do need to be completed, employee onboarding is a continuous, extensive process involving the company’s whole team.
2. Onboarding is About People: While it is important that the employee is taught their role and duties for the job, onboarding is about giving a new employee the opportunity to connect with the company’s purpose. Successful onboarding results in the new employee feeling like they belong from the very first day.
The main question is, how are you making your new hires feel from day one? Without employees who feel like they belong, your business will lack the energy and dedication needed for it to be what you have envisioned. If you are lacking a detailed employee onboarding process, contact The Hayes Approach for guidance.
Written by Audrey Kapp, Human Resources Administrator at The Hayes Approach
References
Hirsch, A. S. (2017, August 10). Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Good Onboarding. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
