14 effective onboarding tips
Ensuring new employees settle into your organisation and become productive in the shortest possible time is key to making recruitment decisions work.
Critically onboarding is an area where employer and candidate perspectives differ greatly. Less than half of candidates share their employer’s view that existing onboarding processes make them feel welcome and are bounded by clear and realistic expectations of new hires performance.
Multiple studies have shown that onboarding is most effective when conducted over a period of time rather than as a single event. Proper onboarding can increase job retention over three years by as much as 58%.
The following checklist outlines key components of an effective onboarding programme:
- New hires feel welcomed by colleagues into a fully-equipped workspace on their first day.
- New hires have a clear onboarding plan to help them settle in.
- Expectations are clear throughout.
- Orientation enables new hires to build knowledge of internal processes and performance expectations from day one.
- Orientation enables new hires to feel settled into their new work environment.
- Employees are aware of his/her performance relative to the position and expectations.
- Employees continue to develop, learn about the organisation and build relationships.
- Employees quickly become fully aware of his/her role and responsibilities.
- Minimise time required for new employees to begin to work independently and produce meaningful work.
- Employees gain momentum in producing deliverables and take the lead on some initiatives.
- Employees build relationships with peers as go-to partners.
- Employees feels confident and engaged in new role while continuing to learn.
- Employees are fully engaged in new role – applies skills and knowledge, makes sound decisions, contributes to team goals, understands how his/her assignments affect others in the organization, and develops effective working relationships.
- Employees gain a strong understanding of organisational mission and culture. han a one-off process.
Unlike most recruitment organisations, Melius believe that the placement is not the end of the process and work with our candidates and clients to ensure effective onboarding occurs during the first six months of the employment relationship resulting in higher performance and lower staff turnover.