Onboarding is a very important part of the hiring process. Below are six ways to improve your onboarding process in order to increase your employee satisfaction and retention:
- Provide new employees with a mentor or buddy during onboarding (the first 90 days). This can help the new employee gain a better understanding of the culture of your company and allow them to have a resource to learn how things work around the office.
- Make the process paperless. Instead of handling all new hire paperwork in person, send it to the employee prior to their first day. This allows for more important topics to be covered during their first day/week rather then spending a ton of time going over required paperwork.
- Make sure the training employees receive is customized to their job. This may seem obvious, but it is crucial to make sure that the training you are giving is relevant to that person’s job duties. If it is not relevant, not only are you wasting your time and money on training, but you are also disengaging that employee from their work.
- Train employees the first week. Many people prefer on the job training so that they can get a real sense of what the job is like. According to Charles Schappel, part of the HR Morning staff , 76% of employees stated that they want on the job training within the first seven days of being hired.
- Get the boss to support the onboarding efforts. Support from upper management can make a huge difference in employee satisfaction, development, and production. Just a few words of encouragement from a manager to the new hire can make a huge difference.
- Review company policies. Going over company policies is important to onboarding because it allows the new employee to learn what your company is all about and what to expect from the beginning. Stating your expectations right off the bat will help the employee become productive faster.
