The definition of on-boarding is “the action or process of integrating a new employee into an organization or familiarizing a new customer or client with one’s products or services˳”
If done right, new employee on-boarding can increase productivity and enhance retention˳ Done incorrectly or not at all, can lead to the opposite – frustrated, under-performing employees who look for other jobs˳
In a February 2014 survey by BambooHR, 23 percent of respondents who left a job within the first six months said “receiving clear guidelines to what my responsibilities were” would have helped them stay on the job˳ Twenty-one percent said they wanted “more effective training,” 17 percent said “a friendly smile or helpful co-worker would have made all the difference,” 12 percent said they wanted to be “recognized for [their] unique contributions,” and 9 percent said they wanted more attention from the “manager and co-workers˳”
Done right, a new employee on-boarding process can:
- Create a positive work culture to attract and retain top talent
- Foster employee engagement and productivity
- Build trust and communication
- Create connections between employees
It is actually quite easy to create an effective on-boarding process˳ To ensure your new hires stay-and succeed-here are some best practices:
Before Your New Employee Starts
- Contact them to let them know that you are excited that they will be joining you, offer to answer any questions, and send them information to read about your company˳ Include information on your dress code, directions, parking, and who to ask for when they arrive˳
- Sent them paperwork to complete before they arrive so that the first day is not spent just filling out paperwork (boring!)˳
- Schedule meetings with key staff˳
- Assign the new employee to a buddy˳
- Set up the new employee’s work station with office supplies, phone extension, email address, etc˳
- Send a company-wide email to introduce your new employee˳
The First Week
- Give the new employee a tour of the office including their work station, bathrooms, copier, etc˳
- Schedule a company-paid lunch with the new employee’s teammates˳
- Schedule a meeting between the new employee and his/her supervisor to discuss how to work together, company culture, performance expectations, the employee’s role and how it relates to the company’s big picture, etc˳
The First Three Months
- Schedule any required training˳
- Schedule regular meetings between the new employee and his/her supervisor to give and get feedback and answer questions˳
- Be patient˳ According to an article in Training Industry Quarterly, it can take a year or two before an employee is “fully productive˳”
- Ask new employees to complete an anonymous survey about their onboarding process˳ Use that data to make improvements˳
Effective employee onboarding programs increase employee performance and retention˳ What other best practices in new employee on-boarding have you experienced?
Source by https://ezinearticles˳com/?Why-and-How-to-On-Board-New-Employees&id=9642630
