You may have landed the new hire you were vying for – but now you have to keep them engaged and committed to staying with your company for the long term. In today’s competitive talent landscape, this starts with the right onboarding experience.
It goes way beyond showing a newbie their desk, handing them an employee manual, and walking them through a few days of canned PowerPoint presentations. If you start off on the right foot, you’ll reap the benefits in myriad ways, from increased productivity and getting your new team member up to speed more quickly to easier talent attraction and retention and a healthier company culture.
Start with pre-boarding.
Begin your onboarding process ahead of time so your new hire is ready to hit the ground running. Your pre-boarding training modules might include:
- A welcome message from their direct supervisor.
- A company and department directory.
- A step-by-step rundown of their workstation location, and where and when to report on their first day.
- A primer on workflow and/or a small portfolio outlining current projects and priorities.
- Any forms they can complete, as well as a list of paperwork and documents they’ll need to get started, such as certifications and proofs of address.
Activate the buddy system.
Partner your new hire with a successful, seasoned employee who can help them seamlessly acclimate. A buddy program may last for several months or even lead to a career-long mentor/mentee relationship.
Include the whole team in onboarding.
Make sure your hire’s team members are involved in getting to know and collaborate with their new colleague. An introductory email, staff meeting updates, and other communications go a long way. With members of your existing team already on board, everyone will be better poised to make your new hire feel welcome and prepared to succeed.
Connect new hires to the bigger picture.
It’s easy to get caught up in the details of a new employee’s specific role, duties and responsibilities. But unless they completely understand the part they will play in the success of your company, those things may seem less important or meaningful. Consider a training module that connects their workflow and department to the bigger picture of organizational goals, objectives, and values.
Make it a two-way street: Get their feedback.
You can continuously improve your onboarding process by asking for input on how it went and how you might do better. New employees are a fountain of wealth in this regard. Tactics include email surveys and using a rating scale, as well as comments, to paint the full picture and help new hires feel heard.
Would best-in-class sourcing talent help enhance your HR team, strategy and processes? Search Wizard can help you make it happen, as you grow the recruiting squad that in turn, adds ongoing value and contributes to growth and success throughout your organization. Reach out to us today to learn more.
