03 Nov Better Onboarding: The Secret to Retaining New Hires

Retaining new employees is one of the challenges that keeps CEOs up at night. In order to build loyalty and engagement early in their career in the organisation, companies invest in creating onboarding programmes for new employees. According to Ron Carucci, a top management consultant for Fortune 500 companies, organisations that are able to retain employees are usually those with well-developed onboarding programmes for new hires which often lasts until the end of their first year – the most vulnerable period of their employment. 

During this onboarding period, organisations should focus on 3 key dimensions in their new hire onboarding programme: organisational onboarding, technical onboarding and social onboarding.

Organisational Onboarding

Help them learn how things work in the company

The initial and most common part of the onboarding process, this is where you usually give the new employees all the information they need to function well on the job. This may include discussions around employee benefits, regulations and policies, and other human resources and operational information. Letting them know about any company specific  terminology is also a part of this stage.

Help them to adjust and assimilate

Helping a new hire adapt to the organisational values and norms is very important. Hiring managers should formally communicate the organisation’s brand, history, culture, reward system, and growth opportunities. 

Technical Onboarding

Explain their job specifications precisely

New hires need to know and understand their specific role and value to the organisation right from the start. A clear job description which includes their accountabilities, boundaries, as well as where their authority and autonomy starts and ends, must be provided on day one. Weekly coaching sessions and creating more opportunities to make their contributions meaningful are just some of the important things  in this facet of the onboarding process.

Arrange long term goals

Developing a clear set of goals with your new employees will help set realistic expectations in their first few months on the job. You can start this by setting up targets that you are confident your new employees can meet. Gradually increase the expectations as you progress, especially if the goals are being met and exceeded. Through this, they can feel more grounded in their contribution to the organisation and develop organisational  loyalty faster. 

Social Onboarding

Establish a sense of community

Feeling left out or isolated is one reason new hires leave a company early. Through building relationships in their first year, and not just with their teammates but also with management and other departments, they develop a stronger connection with the organisation. New hires are less likely to leave a company if they feel accepted, valued, and welcomed.

The main key to successfully retain your new employees is to provide them with ample attention and time especially during their first year. Making their work-life positive, productive, and rewarding on their first moments with the company can play a significant role in earning their trust, diligence, and loyalty.

Organise mentoring and buddy systems

Setting up mentorship and onboarding buddy systems indicates that your organisation cares about the learning and growth of your new hires. Also, this is considered as an effective way to help new employees quickly learn more about your company’s culture, its social norms and nuances that only come with experience and insider knowledge. 

Mentors and buddies may be either volunteers or selected by your HR department. Generally, their roles are to offer help and guidance to new employees such as mundane tasks in the day-to-day operations at work. They can be teamed up for a week, month, or even a year depending on either the length of the onboarding programme or during their informal arrangements between them.

Employee onboarding is one of the crucial steps your company can take to welcome your new employees and set them up early for success in your organisation. Meanwhile, having an effective onboarding programme can increase your new hires’ productivity, retention, and ultimately, improve employee experience in their first year in your organisation. 

Learn more about creating effective onboarding programmes to retain your new employees in Talegent’s Resources section or talk to us here.