First impressions matter. If organizations struggle to successfully onboard their new hires, then those employees are going to constantly feel like they’re trying to catch up or are always falling short. This leads to disengaged employees and eventually can tie directly to turnover. With such a strong focus on retention in 2023, it’s crucial that organizations have clear, personal onboarding strategies. Ready to get started?
1. Establish the “Why”: As a manager, understanding a new hire’s motives, passions, and hopes can help us to tailor our approach to their onboarding and allow us to create the best possible employee experience. Relationships have been shown to be a deciding factor when a new hire is determining if this role is the right fit, so putting the focus on building that initial trust and welcoming our newest team member is more important than ever.
2. Focus on Training: While a new employee may be highly experienced and have the skillsets needed to be successful in their new role, every organization operates differently, so managers can’t assume an employee can just jump in and get started. A comprehensive training program is critical to ensuring new employees understand organizational policies, procedures, and expectations. Training also helps the new employee to feel confident and engaged.
3. Spend Some Team Time: Take the time to introduce the new employee to the team. Schedule time for the new employee to meet with their new team members as well as representatives from teams across the organization. This will help the new team member understand how the organization operates and who does what. A high-level view of the organization is vital in making the new employee feel comfortable and part of the team. No one wants to work alone in a quiet cubicle or in their home office and not know how their work fits into the bigger picture.
4. Schedule multiple onboarding sessions: Finally, employee onboarding does not (and should not!) happen in one day or the first week. An effective onboarding strategy should last for several months and sometimes can last up to a year, depending on the complexity of the position and the company. It is easy to quickly get comfortable with a new team member, but it is important that managers remember that the employee is new and may not speak up if they are confused or feeling disengaged.
5. Evaluate Progress to Identify Gaps: When entering a new job role or business, the struggles are going to be real. It could be office dynamics, working with a difficult coworker, a new workload, or in today’s times, working at home and trying to balance work-life while staying connected. As a manager, it is important to let these new employees know that you are always a resource and available. Try to identify other team members that are available for guidance and support too.
Contact us today to learn more about our modern approach to performance management and development and how it solves for retention. Don’t just take our word for it, see what our Customers have to say.
