Conducting a successful on-boarding program is key to improving employee productivity, enhancing new hire retention rates and building organizational culture. Here are some great ways you can transform the experience for your new hires.
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Studies show that employee on-boarding programs have the power to impact productivity, retention and satisfaction levels of new hires. The first 90 days is a daunting time for a new employee. Organizations can reap many long-term benefits by ensuring that their fresh hires undergo a well-structured induction process.
These benefits, as revealed by a Brandon Hall Group survey, include:
- Improving new employee productivity by up to 70%
- Boosting retention of new hires by almost 82%
- Enhancing the possibility of retaining them for >3 years by 58%
Therefore, organizations will not go wrong by investing in a strong, well-constructed and efficient on-boarding experience for the newest additions to their staff.
Here are some ways organizations can transform their induction experience into a seamless and memorable one for all:
1) Don't try to cover it all in one day
Don't chain your new hires to a conference room on their very first day and expect them to sit through presentations after presentations. Information overload will set in after the first 45 minutes and their energy and interest levels will decline as time passes by. Instead spread their induction process over a few days.
If they are required to sign documents for complete their on-boarding / hire then it's a good idea to send copies a few days earlier. This will allow them to peruse the documents at leisure and save time on the induction day.
2) Make them feel welcome
In your pursuit of conducting an efficient on-boarding, don't forget the human aspect. It's essential to make your new hires feel welcome. You can send out an organization-wide email, or leave a thoughtful welcome gift on their desks.
Get the respective departments / teams involved. Encourage them to sign a welcome card, decorate the new employee's desk or schedule a casual lunch / dinner.
3) Create an induction booklet
I recommend creating a document that covers basics such as IT set-up, safety procedures, access to employee portal, office layout, training sessions, organizational structure, etc. This should be shared with every employee on their day of joining. It'll also save your HR / IT / Admin professionals from the trouble of explaining these basics to every employee.
4) Get the direct manager / supervisor involved
Advise the respective managers / supervisors of the new hires to interact with them on the first day. This will add a personalized touch to the induction program.
Encourage managers to reach out to the new hires in their team / department on Day 1
Managers / Supervisors can take this time to convey role expectations and communicate organization values and vision to the new recruits. It will also allow the new employees to clarify any doubts and get their questions answered.
5) Assign a buddy
Assign a buddy to each new employee. This buddy should be tasked with helping the new recruit settle down in his/her new job, complete joining formalities and introduce him/her to other members of the team / department.
6) Ask for feedback
At the end of on-boarding, new employees should be asked about their induction experience. Elicit feedback on how the entire process was conducted and welcome suggestions from them on how to improve it for future hires. Continuously improving the process will be beneficial for the organization and its employees.
7) Follow-up with the employee
Do not make the mistake of neglecting the employee after the formal induction process is over. After a few weeks, the direct manager / supervisor as well as one member from the HR department should get in touch with the employee. Schedule a face-to-face to find out how they've managed to settle into their jobs, any difficulties they faced, etc.
