How to onboard your new hires successfully

64% of employees were found to be likely to leave a job in the first year due to poor onboarding. A survey conducted by Glassdoor found that in employee opinion, 88% of organisations do not onboard their new staff well despite the fact that good onboarding can increase employee retention by up to 82%.

How to onboard successfully

Long term onboarding- up to a year

Most companies finish their onboarding process after just a week. This can leave your new hire feeling abandoned and lost. 7, 30 and 60 day check ins is the standard recommendation but you might consider every week for a month and then the months thereafter. You can use frequent catch ups to gauge how your employee is settling into the role as well as your company community. It is an opportunity for them to voice any concerns or thoughts or feedback regarding their time with you. As time goes on, these meetings can transition into learning what the employee is interested in learning, the skills they would like to further and how you support them with training and progression.

Have their physical and digital workspaces set up

Setting up their desk space, making sure it is clean and tidy and ensure their computer and all company accounts/email are set up. A welcome package is also a nice gesture which can include practical information such as an employee handbook, a guide to the area and good lunch spots and some stationary. Depending on the company, this can also often include some company merch such as a water bottle or coffee cup and a nice idea is a letter from the CEO or the employees new manager. Another helpful addition to put the candidate at ease is an office map- who is around them with faces and names and an employee directory with everyone’s contact details!

Orientation

Set aside some time on your employees first day for a comprehensive orientation which will include filling out any remaining starting paperwork, handing over staff IDs and access passes. Arrange for someone to show the new employee around. Take some time to explain what will happen for the rest of the day and the week. Knowing what’s ahead of them and having the opportunity to ask any questions they have will help the starter feel more at ease.

Training

One of the most common reasons why new employees report a negative onboarding experience is because of insufficient support and training. Time should be scheduled to train up the new hire in any software or systems used by the company.

Social Introduction

At some point in their first week, it’s nice to introduce new hires to the rest of the team in a more social capacity. Organise a happy hour after work or a meet and greet lunch! Make sure they know you are excited to have them join the team and you’re invested in getting to know them better.

Introductions can also be made with relevant teams and contacts across the company so the new hire gets a better feel for the bigger picture and who is who.

Remote hires

If we have learnt anything in the last year its that companies and employees can be extremely resourceful when it comes to fulfilling their normal day to day jobs even working from home. We can utilize all kinds of technology and online spaces to keep our employees connected. Remote workers who join a company working from home can feel quite lonely and isolated so you need to make sure that you create the online space for your remote and in office workers to interact. Poor communication across a company can stall your progress and productivity so it’s important to ensure that all your employees across the board are connected. You might want to consider the advantages of a workflow management software and manager tracking for your remote hires.

Feedback

Don’t be afraid to collect feedback form current employees and new staff regarding their onboarding experience and areas that could be improved on.

The onboarding process should be disciplined but also personal. It’s as much about building your employees relationship with the company and their colleagues as it is ensuring they can fulfill their role and job responsibilities.

All of these steps can be recorded on a onboarding checklist to ensure that nothing is missed and all new employees receive the best welcome possible.

At Red Door, we provide check ins with the client and the new starter for 3 months after the start date. We work with you to ensure that the onboarding process is successful and that both the client and candidate are happy with their start and progress within the role and the environment.