Onboarding refers to the processes by which new hires are assimilated into a company’s work environment, structure and overall ideology. Utilizing the expression “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” bringing new employees into the organization’s proverbial fold should be done with enthusiasm, and should demonstrate that this new person is an integral and well-received member of the team. Successful onboarding makes use of the critical period of time between accepting a position and orientating with the company and assessing the fundamentals of what their job will entail. Without proper absorption into the organization many newly-hired employees may not fully assimilate into their team, potentially leading to expensive turnover costs, and loss of productivity.
Proper onboarding should begin immediately upon hiring an individual. It’s not acceptable to wait until day 1 of orientation to begin communicating with new employees. Sending out congratulatory emails welcoming them to the team, inviting them to come tour the facilities where they’ll be working, and connecting them with pre-existing Facebook groups or other online communities are all examples of how successful onboarding can begin before the employee begins their first day on the job. The underlying message sent with these activities is that the new employee will feel like they’re valued before they even begin working, and by feeling valued they will be more anticipatory of joining the operation and more eager to give their performance all they’ve got.
Whilst post-hire, pre-orientation onboarding is integral to the overall assimilation process, it certainly doesn’t end after the first week on the job. A company that understands the importance of this onboarding stage will recognize that there are levels to the development, and sustenance of newly-hired employees. London, England-based catering company Lexington Catering was profiled for its successful onboarding practices in a recent piece done by hrmagazine.co.uk. Lex 123 is the program the company established to oversee the integration of newly-hired staff. During the first phase entitled Lex 1, new hires from various locations are gathered to meet and learn about the company’s core values and mission. Lex 2, three months later, reassembles these newly-hired employees to make sure that the things the company had promised at hiring time are being properly upheld. Within six months is the third stage, Lex 3, where customer service skills are discussed and these recently-acquired staff-members are able to discuss the experiences they’ve had, to-date. A 15 percent turnover rate for junior staff is touted by Lexington, compared to a 45 percent industry average.
When individuals are not properly onboarded to their new company a feeling of disconnect permeates their presence on the job. If a team-member feels like they are mis-aligned with other employees, out-of-the-loop with company communication, and undervalued as a newbie, these preoccupations override potential productivity. These initial few weeks and months on the job are critical to new employees and to the business, at-large; many people who don’t feel like they jive with their new company will leave during this probationary period, and while obvious turnover costs are faced, the true loss is in company productivity. The company is that many months away from finding another person to get them back to the same point they were at with the former new hire. As well, overall dissatisfaction can spread to existing, long-standing employees who may begin to see their workplace as one of constant chaos, staff loss and confusion.
Read more articles:
Employers should avoid making common mistakes during the hiring process
Exempt or nonexempt? Classifying employees for overtime eligibility is essential
