Onboarding. Most\npeople have at least some intuitive understanding of what it is, but the\nstatistics are clear. It\u2019s something\nthat a staggering 88% of companies don\u2019t do very well, and yet, improvements in\nthe onboarding process can improve employee retention by 82%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we\u2019ll help take some of the mystery out of the process and put you on the fast track to getting better at onboarding, which will improve the morale, engagement<\/a> and retention rates of all your employees, and by extension, improve your bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Onboarding is \u201cthe act or process of orienting and training a new employee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a great many companies of all shapes and sizes, the\nonboarding process looks something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s it. That\u2019s\nthe process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Needless to say, that leaves more than a bit to be desired\nand can often leave the new employee floundering for a time as he or she\ngrapples with the particulars of their new position. Let\u2019s outline a better way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before your new hire even arrives for his first day, you\nshould start generating buzz. Let the\npeople in the department the new hire will be working at know a bit about the\nnew person they\u2019ll be spending time with in the near future, and also, take the\ntime to start exciting the new employee about coming to work for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Send him or her a hand-written note<\/a> and maybe a small employee gift<\/a> to formally welcome them aboard.\u00a0 Maybe a journal they can make notes in when they begin their training, or a fun drinking glass to keep at their desk, or a small container of candy.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t have to be anything extravagant, but even small tokens like these can set the stage and show a glimpse of your company\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, it\u2019s also a great way to put your company\u2019s brand\nin front of the new hire and anyone he happens to share it with. In short, it sets the stage for success!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another important component of pre-boarding is this: Send a formal welcome letter. Use a template if you need help getting\nstarted, but definitely take pains to personalize it. This is also a good time to send over some of\nthat paperwork so the new hire can start working on it from the comfort of\nhome. The more he or she can get done\nbefore the first day of work, the more time your new employee can spend getting\nto know his or her coworkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the lead up to the new hire\u2019s first day, gather the team\nthat the employee will be working with and plan a little\nget-together\/introduction. Again, this\ndoesn\u2019t have to be anything extravagant, but if your budget permits it,\nincluding cake or other snacks and treats is a nice touch that makes the new\nemployee feel more welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also pays to go ahead and set up the new hire\u2019s desk with\neverything he or she will need to hit the ground running. Here, you\u2019ll also want to designate someone from\nthe team to shepherd the new hire through the last of the paperwork, show them\naround and begin to acclimate them to their new job. If all of that is in place before the new\nhire even walks through the door, the entire process will be much smoother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there\u2019s a lot to be done on an employee\u2019s first\nday, but here\u2019s the important thing in mind: \nProperly training a new employee can take months, so don\u2019t try to do too\nmuch on the first day. The first day is\nall about setting the tone, introducing the new employee to his or her\ncoworkers, getting the necessary paperwork turned into the various departments\nso everything is official, and showcasing your company\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As long as those things get done on the first day, you can\ncall it a success. Yes, training is\nimportant, and odds are that your employee training will be a mix of online\nresources paired with hands on training delivered by a peer on the same team,\nor, if you use a more formalized approach, your Training Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here though, the training should be catered to the\nemployee\u2019s individual learning style and made as fun as possible. Think about your prior learning experiences\nand training? If the material is\npresented dryly, no matter how important it is, it\u2019s going to be relatively\nmore difficult to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Studies have shown that the best learning is done in a\nrelaxed environment that caters to the specific learning style of the employee\nin question. Some people learn better by\nreading about a process and trying it. \nOthers learn better by listening. \nStill others prefer a more hands-on approach that sees them simply\ndiving right in and trying their hand at whatever new skill they\u2019re attempting\nto master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most important of all though, is to engage the creative\ncenters of your new hire\u2019s brain and whenever possible, to gamify the process\nof learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again though, it\u2019s important to remember that training is a\nmarathon, not a sprint, so don\u2019t try to cram too many details in on any given\nday. Mix things up and keep it light and\nengaging. Be sure that throughout the\ntraining process, the new hire is given plenty of access to his or her\nteammates and gets constant exposure to your company\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do that, you\u2019ll set both yourself, and your new\nemployee up for success!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Onboarding. Most people have at least some intuitive understanding of what it is, but the statistics are clear. It\u2019s something that a staggering 88% of companies don\u2019t do very well, and yet, improvements in the onboarding process can improve employee retention by 82%. In this article, we\u2019ll help take some of the mystery out of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,8,645],"tags":[1019,796,935],"class_list":["post-4555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-employee-motivation-2","category-office-life","category-office-motivation","tag-1019","tag-796","tag-935"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is Onboarding?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Pre-Boarding an Employee<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Day Before a New Employee Starts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The New Employee’s First Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n