Early impressions of your company are often lasting impressions, as over 90 percent of new employees will decide if they will stay or leave within the first six months. Daniel Ross from Roubler shares four indicators that determine the efficacy of an organization’s onboarding process.
If your business is struggling to keep new employees happy – or even keep them at all – it might be time to rethink your onboarding process. Studies have shown that employees are much more likely to stay on board with your company for at least three years if you put them through a proper onboarding process.
When the proper processes are adhered to, new employees feel welcomed and taken seriously; there is a lot less room for confusion and despondency. If this kind of process isn’t in place, your employees are much less likely to take your company seriously or feel motivated to stick around for the long haul.
There are a few signs that your employee onboardingOpens a new window process leaves a lot to be desired. If any of these sound familiar, it is probably time for a rethink:
1. Employees often leave within their first year
If this keeps happening, it’s a pretty obvious sign that something isn’t right. Leaving a job is a relatively normal thinOpens a new window g, of course. But when new employees are leaving on a regular basis, there are glaring issues within the company.
So why are new employees leaving their roles? There could be several reasons, but a big one is lack of appropriate training from the offset. Employees don’t feel properly equipped to do their jobs well, which leads to stress, overwhelm or disengagement. A lot of companies tend to dump information onto new employees, via huge information packs or speedy (non-thorough) handovers.
Passing on information without ensuring it’s been properly understood is a big mistake. **Structured, thorough training when the role commences is a much more prudent way to get the best from new employees**. They’ll also feel more comfortable from the start. It’s also crucial to communicate over this training with two-way feedback until your employees have fully settled in their roles.
2. Employees roles aren’t matching their expectations
Although it may seem surprising, it’s entirely possible that miscommunications are happeningOpens a new window at interview stage with regards to job descriptions. This could be for any number of reasons: outdated documents, poorly briefed HR staff, poor communication at interview… whatever it is, it’s important to get to the bottom of it.
When a new employee comes on board, full of expectations and raring to go, it can be very disappointing – not to mention bewildering – to find that the role doesn’t match their original perceptions. The more different it is, the more confused or frustrated they are likely to become.
There’s a strong chance the role will be dissatisfying, or that it won’t be done properly. It’s not always something that employees feel comfortable addressing, so you may be totally unaware of the problem until a resignation letter is handed in.Â
3. Your employees are rarely communicating
If your employees are not communicating with their managers, there is probably a valid reason for this. Either they aren’t being encouraged to, or there are no official channels through which they can do it. It’s not easy for an employee to come to a manager with anything that might be perceived as a complaint or criticism.
The chances are that unless employees are fully encouraged to feedbackOpens a new window from the offset, they won’t do it. When new employees feel that their superiors value their perspectives, they will also feel like an integral part of the workforce. If their input is rarely required, they’ll feel like cogs in a machine; this is understandably demotivating.
**A good onboarding program means structuring and highlighting clear channels for feedback**. This includes scheduled chats and feedback sessions. When employees come onboard and are encouraged to speak openly and honestly from the start, the entire workforce benefits. Obviously, this communication works both ways, with employees being recognized openly for their efforts. This kind of freedom encourages people to stick with your company long-term.
4. New employees aren’t integrating with the team
Usually, when a new employee joins the company, they are very excited about making their mark on the company. This initial excitement should linger for a good while, especially as they should probably be seeing results within the first few months.
If you have despondent employees on your hands during their first few months with the company, something is definitely off. It could be that the employee hasn’t fully integrated with other team members. Although this often happens naturally, it doesn’t always, so the company should have processes in place to encourage it.
When a new employee isn’t connecting regularly with other employees, they could be missing out on valuable insights and understanding. They may also feel excluded from the fun aspects of the company culture. A well-established team can seem quite intimidating and impenetrable to less assertive employees. If they don’t feel like they’ve gelled with others, this is very demotivating and can lead to a quick exit. Â
**A good onboarding program should aim to integrate new employees Opens a new window throughOpens a new window group activitiesOpens a new window and social events – not just at the start of employment, but until employees are fully integrated and comfortable**.
Also Read:Â
10 Employee Onboarding Checklist Items You Can’t Afford to MissOpens a new window
Onboarding programs are not so difficult to devise…
Despite the fact that efficient onboarding programs are so important for a happy and productive workforce, they are often overlooked by Human Resources departments. This might be down to lack of budget or lack of awareness, for example, but to ignore the need for it may be damaging to the business.
An efficient onboarding program will consist of well-thought-out processes. These will be designed to ensure that openness and clear and consistent two-way communication is the norm. Similarly, proper training programs will be in place, with regular assessments on both sides.
Good onboarding processes will ensure that employees are encouraged to integrate with each other through group activities and social events. Roles will be clarified carefully from the start and any discrepancies addressed appropriately. When these measures are taken from the beginning, the workforce functions better as a whole, and high employee turnover is likely to be a thing of the past.