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Improve Your Onboarding Practices

Employee turnover is expensive and can have a big impact on your bottom line.   One way to positively impact employee retention is by enhancing your onboarding process. Onboarding is not limited to paperwork and new hire orientation that occurs on an employee’s first day. It includes training, performance coaching, and providing necessary job knowledge and skills. Below are some tips that can assist with your onboarding practices at various points in time.  If you need help developing a structured onboarding process, we have provided customizable templates at the bottom of this page.

PRIOR TO START DATE:

Don’t wait until a new employee arrives to provide them with new hire paperwork. Send paperwork with the offer and be sure to include benefits information, if offered. Take things one step further by using an electronic signing process. Don’t forget to provide them with start details (where/what time to arrive on their first day, etc.). Make an announcement to the rest of your workforce regarding their new team member. Finally, be prepared and get their equipment set up in advance. This will go a long way in the eyes of a new hire.

FIRST DAY:

The focus of the first day should be setting expectations & introducing objectives. Get your new employee acquainted with their coworkers and take them to lunch. Building relationships and getting assimilated into the company culture are critical but often overlooked.

FIRST FEW MONTHS:

Within the first month or two, you want to ensure that your employee is comfortable and engaged. Set them up with a mentor/buddy who can show them the ropes. But beware not to give too much information at once. Training and information sharing should be manageable.

FIRST 3-6 MONTHS:

Check in with your employee! A small percentage of employers continue onboarding after 6 months yet most employees decide whether they want to stay within those first 6 months.

1 YEAR:

Your employee made it to the 1-year mark! Now what? This is the perfect time for a performance appraisal. Provide feedback and develop a plan for their future development. Discuss potential compensation increases. Moving forward, you can transition onboarding into retention & employee satisfaction.

 

Here are some sample templates which can be customized to fit your organization’s individual needs: