You’ve found the best candidate and they’ve accepted your job offer. It’s a good match, so that means your recruitment process is complete, right? Wrong!
The next step is employee onboarding process, and it can play a crucial role in ensuring your new starter sticks around. According to Brandon Hall Group, a positive employee onboarding experience can improve staff retention by 82%, however research by Gallup suggest only 12% of employees feel that their organisation has a good onboarding process.
It’s vital to engage and retain employees from the beginning. A positive employee onboarding experience can help you accomplish that. Your recruitment process terminates only when your new hire passes probation.
All onboard!
Employee onboarding refers to the processes in which new hires are integrated into your organisation. It includes activities that allow them to complete an initial new-hire orientation process, as well as learn about:
- the organisation and its structure
- company culture,
- vision, mission, and values
Onboarding isn’t just for permanent employees, including temps and contractors in your induction process will help them settle in and feel welcome.
As a minimum, they should be told:
- where the loo is
- where they can store their personal items
- where they can make a cuppa on their break
- about health and safety and fire regulations
An effective onboarding process for all types of workers can help your company stand out and build upon your brand’s reputation. You’ll be known as a good place to work, and therefore more attractive to top talent!
Onboarding remote workers
Onboarding remote members of staff takes a slightly different tact to the traditional in-person inductions. To make them feel valued from the outset:
- arrange a virtual coffee so they can meet their new team members
- sending important documents such as the employee handbook before their start date
- define the touchpoints of contact
- post an onboarding pack – it’ll help build that important connection between employee and your organisation.
Beyond employee onboarding and probation periods
Your new hire has integrated well and is an established member of staff, so how can you keep them engaged and connected after they’ve passed probation? Yearly appraisals aren’t very effective or efficient to find out how your staff are doing. Ideally, fortnightly, or monthly 121s are good way to bridge the gap between the annual review.
It gives the employee a platform to share how they are doing, what their focus is and what you can do to support them. It’s also a way to check in to see how their wellbeing is and you can signpost them to other help if needed.
The next peer mentoring session is on Wednesday 24th May 2023 and the topic is ‘Supporting staff on long-term sick leave’.
If you’d like to join Wote Street People’s online peer group bimonthly (every two months), give Maxine a call on 01256 236997 or email maxine@wotestreetpeople.co.uk to receive the Zoom invitation.
All peer group mentoring sessions are confidential and free to attend. It’s a safe space to ask those questions that you may feel awkward asking a colleague. Chatam House Rule applies.
