One of the main reasons new employees leave in those first 90 days is because they are neither emotionally connected to the company and their new team, nor are they being trained correctly or set up for success. Their hearts and minds are so damaged in the first 90 days that, regardless of their talent and potential, they have no other choice but to leave. If they do stay, they often fail to engage with or contribute meaningfully to the company.
I’ve seen this issue of high new-hire turnover happen time and time again with many of my clients, and it almost always leads back to a lack of proper onboarding. To avoid this from happening with your team, here are four rules on how you can onboard your new employees successfully.
1. Establish the right priorities on the first day. Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to open hotels with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company under Horst Schulze. He would remind us every day that an employee's first day of their new job was the most important. He argued that there are few times in a person's life when they are truly open to change; however, one of those times is usually during the start of a new job.
On the first day, an employee is looking to understand the priorities of the organization, yet all too often, companies send the wrong message. When the first day is all about rules, the new employee learns to follow the rules. When the first day is all about filling out paperwork, the new employee knows to get the paperwork done. When on the first day an employee is thrown into working in their position, they know the priority is just to get stuff done.
But what about the real priorities of the company, such as the customers, their brand promise, the products or services to be delivered and the company's mission and values? It's important to ensure that a new employee's first day speaks to the true priorities of the company and connects with them emotionally so they can be excited about the brand. This can be done through an interactive and engaging orientation that highlights the company’s mission, vision and values. Discuss how things are done in the company and what is expected of the new employees in their roles. Spend the first day delivering an experience to your new employees, and then spend the next 30 to 60 days training them on how to deliver an experience to their customers and peers.
2. Make your new employees feel welcomed from the start. A new employee's first day can be daunting, especially when they do not know anybody currently working there. Help connect new employees to the brand and their new workplace by ensuring they feel welcomed. Part of welcoming them means being ready for them when they arrive, which includes preparing their technology, tools and work area. You should also provide some type of welcome gift or messaging, and support socialization by pairing them with someone who will show them around, eat lunch with them for the first week or so and get them settled.
3. Create an organized and effective training program. A professional and well-organized program must be in place to set up a new employee for success. It's a good idea to develop a training schedule that is interactive and detailed and provides new hires the best chance to feel comfortable and confident with their new role.
The program should indicate what is being trained, where the new person is being trained (preferably in a place that won't hurt customers or the operation), when the new person is being trained (with a clearly defined schedule of dates and times) and, finally, who is doing the training. Ensure there is ownership on who sees through the new hire training program. There is nothing worse for a new employee than being passed around for training and getting unprepared trainers and inconsistent information. Everyone must be committed to ensuring the training is completed as intended and avoid rushing through steps.
4. Test the new hire for comprehension and ability between 30 and 60 days. Even when you select the right people and onboard them correctly, there is still a chance that they will not be successful in their new roles. My rule of thumb for all managers is that they must establish a series of check-in tests after 30 days to assess the onboarding and initial training. The right people will quickly ace the tests. The right people who struggle a little may need more time. But the right people should never fail to grasp the most fundamental aspects of the role.
I often recommend implementing a certification program whereby all new hires must be certified in their role through completing tests and demonstrating different tasks during the first 90 days. This helps ensure that their knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors are in line with what is expected in the position.
Without an onboarding program that correctly onboards new employees, the chances of them leaving you increases tremendously, which would be a terrible waste of talent, time and money. So take the time to create a well-thought-out onboarding program that will benefit the new employee, the team, the customers and your organization.
