Ultimately first impressions count.
The first few weeks of an employee joining your organisation can have a real impact on how they view their long-term future with you.
A Bamboo HR survey found that 30% of recruits leave their roles within the first six months of employment.
With the current scarcity of talent seen in many professions and the impact of the ‘Great Resignation’ still being felt, the cost implications of this can be crippling to an SME.
Successful onboarding is tough.
It can be an incredibly time-consuming task at a point when, as an employer, you and your team are most likely finding yourselves already stretched.
It is estimated that the productivity of new team members is around 25% during their first month of employment, rising to 50% by the end of their second month and taking up to a year to reach peak performance potential according to Gallup.
The more support a new employee is given the quicker their employer will reap the rewards.
With more employees working remotely, a successful onboarding strategy has an even greater significance.
No one wants to feel like a nuisance when they ask a question and remote working has made it harder to have all your questions answered, as and when they arise.
Most new starters want to start demonstrating their skills and feel supported whilst doing so. Establishing an onboarding process that harnesses that new joiner energy and makes the most of their enthusiasm will pay dividends.
Planning and implementing a successful onboarding process requires commitment.
Everyone involved fully must understand and buy into the benefit of it, giving it the attention, it deserves. An effective programme is a long-term investment in colleagues and will have a direct impact on their growth, development and output.
A 2020 study by McKinsey links inclusion with employee engagement. An employee who feels like they belong tends to perform better and remain with an organisation longer.
By highlighting your mission, vision and values, employees are quickly able to understand their impact within the organisation. This achieves a shared sense of belonging and focused engagement.
Setting SMART goals early in the onboarding process will aid with this. Having a clear development plan in place from the start can give new employees a sense of success and contribution.
Not everything in the onboarding process will go perfectly. Always seek feedback and pay attention to what has worked and what hasn’t. Make changes if needed, and tailor it to the employee.
A good onboarding process should form part of your recruitment and retention strategy.
