Onboarding new employees

Do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up? Are you currently pursuing that career or doing something completely different? It is fairly normal for today’s generation to change what they want to do in life, but this is a trend that is becoming increasingly apparent for all ages across the job spectrum.

According to research, half of hourly workers leave their jobs within the first 120 days of employment. On top of that, managers begin new jobs every two to four years on average. And as a whole, 25% of the working population undergoes a career transition each year. As a result, it is fair to say to say there is no such thing as a ‘job for life’ anymore.

But why are so many people deciding to leave their posts so hastily? Certain employment is seen as mere experience or a stepping-stone to something better. Some people get bored with their chosen profession and feel like a career change or new challenge. However, a lot of the time it is because staff are not prepared enough or equipped with the right skills to enjoy and carry out their job effectively.

Therefore, employers need to do more to ensure new members of the workforce don’t leave before they got going. While some may look to implement a more rigorous and thorough recruitment process, another option is onboarding.

What is onboarding?

Onboarding refers to the process of helping new employees get up to speed with the social, cultural and performance aspects of their job and the company. This orientation will teach new hires about attitude and behaviour along with the skills and expertise required to succeed.

If members of staff feel welcome, confident and as comfortable as possible early on, then they have a better chance of hitting the ground running. The company’s objectives or mission can be achieved faster and more effectively.

It might not sound like an alien concept, as numerous organisations have introduction days or induction training, but it is the comprehensiveness of onboarding that can make all the difference.

Certain companies prefer to throw new employees in at the deep end and encourage them to use their own initiative, figure out what is required and learn on the job. Others have formal onboarding programs, which are structured and systematic in their approach to teaching. A lot will depend on the type of company or hierarchy, but disregarding the significance of onboarding could dramatically increase employee turnover.

Implementing onboarding

Regardless of your organisation’s size, shape or sector, there are several best practices for onboarding that everyone can adopt. Therefore, think about introducing some of the following when a new member of staff joins the business.

• Introduce onboarding before employment commences – This may sound a little radical, but it is something we have seen several times here at Wranx. Various clients like to give new hires access to Wranx before their first day to get them up to speed with a few things. Seeing as our solution is available on a number of devices such as smartphones and tablets, employees can learn in their own time while the employer assesses their skills before work commences. Our solution is hosted in the cloud too; meaning problems like accessing internal systems are easily overcome.
• Create an enjoyable and hassle-free first day - Overwhelming an employee on their first day is probably not the best idea. They will be nervous enough without having scores of handbooks and guidelines thrust upon them. So try and make it an agreeable and easy going experience, then gradually introduce more duties, requirements and responsibilities.
• Have a formal onboarding program – After a laid back introduction to the business and staff, think about carrying out a formal onboarding program. New hires will be familiar with their colleagues and surroundings by now, meaning they can get stuck in to the stuff that matters.
• Continually perform onboarding - If you present new members of staff with everything they need to know within the first week or even day, there is a good chance you’ll scare them away. What’s more, employees won’t learn or retain information that is given to them all in one go. Instead, consider onboarding a gradual process that should be continually performed over a prolonged period of time. The best way to teach and train newly recruited personnel is through speed retention, a learning technique that Wranx is passionate about.
• Make onboarding personal - A big part of employment and enjoying your job is down to the people you work with. After all, a happy worker is a productive worker. Therefore, it might be a good idea to introduce a mentorship program as part of onboarding. Rather than learning what to do from a handbook, have an experienced and affable member of staff teach the ropes instead. They’ll also be able to answer questions too and put the new hire at ease.
• Monitor progress - There is little to no point of onboarding if you don’t know whether employees are actually benefitting from it. Therefore, take some time to monitor your new worker’s progress over time and adjust their training accordingly. However, with our deep-dive reporting, seeing how employees are getting on is easier than ever before. With Wranx Action Report, you can see enrolment and activity metrics, cohort knowledge retention rates and predicted course completion dates.

Onboarding summary

Current figures and statistics relating to employee turnover rates can be a little disconcerting for business leaders. With so many new hires leaving their posts within a short period of time, fingers are usually pointed at the recruitment process.

However, onboarding is often overlooked, even though it can make a huge difference in keeping employees interested, engaged and focused on their jobs. Thankfully, implementing some sort of casual or formal orientation doesn’t have to be a difficult or troublesome process.

From giving new hires access to teaching material before their first day to introducing speed retention over time, Wranx possesses the tools to assist any onboarding program.