Employee onboarding is an important part of any company's success. It sets the tone for how employees will be treated and what will be expected of them in terms of performance. By having a well-planned onboarding process, companies can ensure that new hires are properly trained and integrated into the company’s culture. This helps create a positive work environment and increases employee engagement, productivity, and retention rates.
Onboarding programs serve as a learning curve, guiding new employees from the unknown to becoming valuable additions to an organization. So, as long as the learning process is in place and employees feel they are growing and being appreciated, they are most likely to stay in their current workplace. Statistics even show that businesses with comprehensive onboarding training are less likely to lose 60% of their personnel within four years.
If you're looking to fuel talent retention, implementing onboarding best practices is essential. Below we share how exactly a strong onboarding program can help you get there.
Preboarding Can Be Used to Drive Excitement and Engagement
You're not doing it right if you only use preboarding as a way to have new employees fill out the mandatory paperwork. Preboarding is a way to show your employees that they are making the right decision by joining your company. You want your new hires to be excited and motivated for the big day (i.e., their first day at work).
Preboarding activities can help you solidify the commitment of your recruits to your company. For instance, you can send new hires a care package to show them that they’re valued even before they step foot in the door.
Another idea is to share welcoming videos. No matter if you are in person or remotely, it’s a good idea to welcome new employees to your company by having their key managers and leaders introduce themselves with short videos. The new employees will be able to put names to faces and feel more at ease during their first meeting if they know more about their managers.
Better Skill Set and Knowledge
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Training platforms are becoming increasingly popular for businesses that need to provide training and development for their employees. They provide an effective way to create and deliver training quickly, easily, and cost-effectively.
For instance, if you are running a home care agency, investing in a caregiver onboarding training solution could be everything you need to make sure your new hires have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. These platforms enable your caregivers to complete training on their own schedule, making training material more accessible and effective. Moreover, they give you peace of mind that your employees are current on state-specific compliance regulations and training requirements.
Training platforms also allow businesses to track the progress of their new hires and measure the impact of their training programs. With a training platform, businesses can ensure that their staff have access to the latest information, skills, and resources they need to be successful in their roles.
An Emphasis on Building Relationships
Effective onboarding programs increase employee retention rates because they’re focused on smoothly integrating newly hired employees into the company's culture. To make new employees feel valued and supported, it’s important to build strong relationships.
As an employer, you should incorporate certain activities into your employee onboarding programs to help you build these relationships quicker. These activities can be:
New employee mentorship. Create a buddy program where new employees can be paired up with experienced employees to help them get acclimated to the company for their first few weeks.
Set up personal introductions. Formally introduce the new employee to their coworkers and other important stakeholders.
Encourage employees to participate in various company programs. These can range from informal exercise sessions on-site to formal employee advocacy programs.
Showing Appreciation
It's important to give new employees the feedback they need to ease them into their new roles. When it comes to showing appreciation, it’s essential to use a variety of approaches. The simplest way is to tell your employees that they did a great job.
The more detailed and personal the compliment, the better. It’s easy for new hires to be preoccupied with doing their tasks correctly and not think about how well they are doing them. Verbally acknowledging their good work will give them a confidence boost, which can encourage them to achieve more in their job.
Another way to show appreciation is by offering gifts. Giving new employees quality products from suppliers who share the same values as your company is an excellent way to make them feel part of the team.
Final Words
For organizations that want to increase their retention rate, building a good onboarding program is crucial. Retention is more important than ever in a world of record-breaking job turnover. A strong onboarding strategy, which includes learning assets and opportunities for practice, will help organizations achieve amazing results and retain their top talent.