Effective onboarding is beneficial for new employees and for employers. After all, the faster hires adjust to their job, the more quickly they become productive members of the team.
How can you make sure your onboarding program works? Begin with these five questions.
- What percentage of your new employees quit within the first six months?
According to TLNT, 33% of hires leave their jobs after about six months. As this is an average statistic, pay attention to where your company stands on this scale. Inevitably, you will have employees who don’t work out. However, if your new hire turnover rate is 25% or higher, you may need to reconsider your hiring and/or onboarding strategies.
- Do you have established onboarding procedures?
If your answer is, “Sort-of. We walk new employees around on the first day and introduce them to people,” your organization probably needs a makeover. Many companies confuse onboarding with orientation. Orientation involves paperwork and other first day tasks. Onboarding should be a strategic process allowing new hires to adjust to company policies, workflow and culture.
- How long does your onboarding program last?
Depending on the position, new employees may need anywhere from 8 to 12 months to become as proficient as their veteran colleagues. (HR.com, 2015) Onboarding needs to be longer than a day or two to support hires through this transition. Schedule regular check-ins at one month, three months, six months and/or even twelve months. Use this time to talk to your newest team members. Find out if they are engaged and let them know how they are doing.
- Who is the focus during onboarding? Your company or the new hire?
Many businesses approach onboarding as a business first. “Here’s the way we do things around here.” Studies show flipping this model and putting the employee first can create amazing results. When Wipro BPO, an India-based company, encouraged authentic self-expression during onboarding, six-month retention rates increased by 33%. (Harvard Business Review, 2015) Instead of telling new hires how they can contribute, ask “What are your unique strengths and perspectives? And, how can your skills benefit our organization?”
- What do your employees say about your onboarding program?
Sometimes the best way to find out if your strategies work is to see what your team thinks. Of course, receiving honest feedback may be a challenge. Recent hires may not be comfortable criticizing their new employer. Rather than putting people on the spot, considering sending out an annual anonymous survey to all workers. (Managers and current employees, especially those involved in onboarding, are just as likely to provide valuable insights as new hires.) Present thought-provoking questions such as, “What do you think our onboarding program does well?” and “What part of our program would you change?”
Is Your Business Looking to Onboard Talented New Employees?
At Connectology, we partner with top manufacturing companies throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota. Our expert recruiters can help your organization discover the right candidates, coordinate hiring and support your new employees through placement and beyond. Learn more about the hiring solutions we offer today!