This ‘onboarding’ time might seem a trivial concern; however, it should be taken seriously, as this is how new employees learn what is expected of themA strong onboarding process means your new worker will be set to make a positive difference to the company and make their own contribution.
A positive first impression
A good onboarding process gives a strong first impression to the new employee; in addition, it is the perfect opportunity for the worker to address any concerns and for the company to tell them what is required. A smooth first few days forms the first impression your new employee will have of the company and helps them to gain confidence in their new position; conversely, a chaotic few days will create a negative impression and might dent their confidence, leading to lower performance levels and decreased satisfaction.
Onboarding boosts retention
After gaining a good first impression, an employee is more likely to stay with the company for a longer period. Studies have shown that extensive and positive onboarding processes can encourage retention and worker satisfaction. The first few weeks are also a good opportunity to have an informal training period, enabling the new member of staff to adjust to the job and learn any new skills they might need to perform well in the position.
Keep it consistent
To get a good onboarding process going at your company, you need to have a documented plan and keep it consistent.
This should give a framework for the onboarding of every new member of staff. It can be altered depending on the position and should modify over time to deal with new issues, but it should form a basic idea of the process and acts as a guideline for all staff members.
It is best to have a designated person in charge of onboarding to ensure that every new worker gets the same approach; in addition, your trained onboarder can learn to improve their performance over time.
Slow and steady
Onboarding should be a slow and steady process rather than a rushed job. Introduce one new thing at a time and let the new worker get to grips slowly with their new environment, including plenty of breaks. It is also important to introduce the new person to the existing workers to help build relationships.
The process should be tweaked as it develops and the onboarder should learn from the process and make positive changes as time goes on.
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