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No matter how much you automate your onboarding process, it’s never a simple task. You don’t have a lot of time to get the employee feeling comfortable; In fact, most employees have decided whether or not their new workplace is the right fit within the first three weeks. Rest assured, you’re already working in right direction by having an onboarding program. Organizations with a standard onboarding procedure retain 50% more employees than those without.
To give those new hires the extra boost they need, check out these 3 steps to help you tweak your onboarding process and get your new hire off on the right foot.
Step 1: Empower the Employee to Succeed Through Technology
Your new employee’s onboarding should not begin on their first day. Ideally, it should start right after the offer letter and continue into the first few weeks. After the initial hiring, they should receive access via email to some vital information about their new workplace: pictures and names of their managers and team members, for example. Trying to remember everyone’s name and face along with new job information on the first day is a tall order, so make it a little easier on your new hires. Getting to know the team is essential to successful onboarding: 70% of employees say having friends at work is the most crucial element to a happy work life.
70% of #employees say having friends at work is crucial to a happy work life. How to achieve this:
When your new hire arrives for their first day, have them fill out a quick employee survey. This provides a baseline for comparison in later performance reviews and meetings. The survey should find out the employee’s first impressions and expectations. When asked, 48% of senior managers reported employee surveys were highly valuable, so keep track of the surveys and follow up on them.
Step 2: Create a Great First Impression
Your new hire will hopefully attempt to familiarize themselves with the team beforehand, but your team still needs to get to know the new hire. When introducing them, tell your team the employee’s strengths and background. This shows the employee you want the team to get to know them and to succeed in collaborating.
Next, establish a mentor for the new hire. The mentor should be someone who does a similar job and will be working with the new employee on a regular basis. Statistics show mentoring can increase employee productivity by 88%. Both you and the mentor should check in with the employee frequently within their first few weeks—more frequently than you probably think is necessary.
Can mentoring in the workplace increase employee productivity? Take a look at this:
Finally, take the new hire out to lunch! It can be hard to find time on the first day, but make it a priority to do it within the first week. You should bring along a few team members who will be working closely with the new hire. Of employees who work 30 to 50 hours a week, 78% spend more time with their co-workers than with their families. Going to lunch allows the new hire to get to know the team on an informal basis.
Step 3: Integrate the Employee With the Company Culture
One of the reasons you hire a specific candidate is because they fit into your company culture, but how do you get them to buy into it? Although they seem cliche, group icebreaker activities really help. Take a few moments during the new hires first few weeks to really familiarize them with the team by hosting some of these activities. The more people that they are introduced to that represent your company culture, the better!
Did you know as many as 60% of workers are now asked to take workplace personality assessments? It’s partly because personality assessments are a great way to help a team bond. They give new hires an inside look into how their team members work, and help them easily identify people they can connect with. Knowing the company culture also helps new hires to understand how their team and company work as whole, and to know what’s expected of them as an employee.
It takes new hires 8 to 12 months to gain full proficiency in their jobs. By following these three steps, you can keep that number low and get your new hire proficient faster. If you need help automating other aspects of your onboarding process, ClearCompany has the solutions you need.
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