How To Effectively Onboard New Employees
Here's a crazy fact for you: 22% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment (OfficeVibe.com). This makes sense, as there is no attachment to a large project or your team. Also, employers may expect new hires to get the hang of things quickly, sometimes without anticipating the need for further training. If an employer doesn't provide a substantial first couple of a weeks in a job, it'll be easy for new hires to bolt. Thus, effective on-boarding is one of the most important elements in preventing employee turnover. Here's how to onboard new employees to encourage quality retention:
Tell A Great Company Story
Have a standard new employee training plan that you have for each employee. This of course includes the company's mission, goals, and handbook. Does your company have a long-standing history of success? Has it been newly revamped to fit the modern tech area? Include these things. Why? Because it shows that your company is progressive, great place to growth – as opposed to a company where employees stay stuck in a rut.
Make Sure Everyone Gets Equal Training
No matter what industry you're in, training is important, and should be done right away with new hires. The more you put off your training with a new employee, the more they'll get the impression that your company is unproductive and in-cohesive. Make sure everyone gets an equal amount of training, and always check-in to evaluate how well they're catching on.
Let Them Jump Right In
Every new hire is going to be nervous. The best way to test out their culture fit is just to throw them right into work. Have them attend a meeting or get started on a new project. Make this part of your hands-on training. Your staff will be supportive, plus the new hire will get to know the office dynamics right away. Many new employees feel unsure about their new positions due to lack of activity, engagement, and responsibility. They're fresh, new, and ready to work! Take advantage of their energy!
Give Them An Employee To Shadow
If they're primarily going to be working with a team a co-workers on a project, as opposed to working closely with a supervisor, shadowing is a great idea. Choose an employee that is a great representation of the company, and have them show your new hire the ropes. Not only will it be a great way to acclimate the new hire to the team, it will also be a good way to evaluate their culture fit. Plus, your current employee will enjoy the leadership experience.
Check-In and Get Feedback
It'll be beneficial to have one-on-one feedback meetings with the new hire as they're starting out. This is a lot more helpful than just waiting until a team meeting for their feedback. Have a one-on-on check-in frequently in the beginning. For example, ask them how they're doing at the end of the day each during their first week. After the first week, check-in once a week. Afterwards, check-in monthly.
Incorporate Team Building Exercises
Do you usually hire a few new employees at once? Do you hire infrequently? Either way, with every new team member you should find a way to get them engaged. For example, have an icebreaker game at the beginning of their first staff meeting, have a potluck, have them go on a staff walk around the building.
10
MAY
Related Posts
