Onboarding

Employee research shows that onboarding contributes to how employees rate their job (contribution: 15%).

Onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into an organization so they feel at home as quick as possible and start performing well.

Training your employees right at the start and knowing what drives them and where they excel in leads to a high engagement already at their first day at work. This will lead to a better performance and eventually also loyalty to your organization.

An effective onboarding process has a lot of benefits:

• Engaged employees are 40% more productive than employees who did not go through an effective onboarding process
• You decrease the chance of new employees leaving by 50%
• Employees become ambassadors of your organization

A few tips to create an effective onboarding process:

1. Make sure you are communicating a realistic view of the new job

60% of the employees are disappointed after starting their new job because they were expecting something different based on what you communicated with them. Make sure that new employees know what to expect the first few weeks of their new job to avoid disappointment.

2. A good impression

Instead of going through all sorts of procedural paperwork when someone is hired, provide a warm welcome for a new employee. Communicate only the things that are necessary and keep it short and simple the first few days.

3. Communicate about the company’s culture

Be aware of your organizational culture: its underlying beliefs, assumptions, values and ways of interacting that contribute to the unique environment of an organization. Communicate that to a new employee so they can integrate a lot faster as well.

4. Introduce new employees to their colleagues

It is crucial for new employees to know who does what. Who do I need to ask for help when it comes to achieving my tasks X, Y, and Z? Organize one-on-one chats between new employees and their colleagues so they get to know each other more.

5. Involve new employees

Involve new employees in decisions, goals and ambitions of the organization. Focus on a continuous improvement, not only of the organization and its products and services, but also its employees’ skills.