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Ineffective Employee Orientation

This is the last of five articles in our “Common Hiring Mistakes” series.  This series is the result of a brainstorming session that I attended with four other select recruiters from a variety of markets.  We decided to document our discussions and share them with you.

When was the last time your organization hired somebody who didn’t last to their first formal review?

The price for hiring new employees continues to rise every month.  Aside from the immediate costs and time spent in advertising, reviewing potential candidates, scheduling the interview process, reference checking, and putting together a solid offer, there are also costs connected with all of the work left undone as long as the position remains open. So, once the right candidate is found and signed on, it is understandable that this person needs to be moved as quickly as possible from “new employee” status to contributing team member.

Recognizing that changing jobs is one of the most stressful situations in a person’s life, you can see this person is in a vulnerable position.  What they really want is validation that they’ve made the correct decision.  How you make that happen as seamlessly as possible is what this article is about.

The process is known by different names: new employee orientation, employee onboarding, or even retention-before-the-fact.  Onboarding, as most people have come to know it, is the concept and process by which an employer orients a new employee into their organization so they become more productive more quickly and hopefully enjoy their experience so much that they’re likely to stay with the organization for a long time.  As with most processes that work well, it is to the benefit of both the new employee, as well as the organization.

Why does onboarding work?  Think back to a time when you had difficulty adjusting to a new job.  If the company had made you feel more welcome and clearly stated short-term expectations, if they had done simple things such as ensuring you had a desk and computer, given you a parking pass, or taken you to lunch with your future co-workers, would it have helped? Your onboarding process doesn’t have to be bulky or complicated.  However, a good, systematic approach will help in many ways, including the following:

• Reduce the likelihood that your future new employee will take a counteroffer
• Begin to build rapport with their new company and new colleagues early in the process
• Reduce misunderstandings
• Build an optimistic attitude toward your company
• Build motivation and job satisfaction
• Reduce new employee anxiety
• Decrease the learning curve, thereby increasing productivity and profitability
• Give employees a sense of purpose and make them feel as if they’re adding value more quickly

The process and benefits

While companies vary in their onboarding programs, there are generally three areas: administrative details, job duties and specifications, and company culture.  All three are crucial to ensuring greater success during your new employee’s transition.

Administrative details—These items are very important to a smooth transition.  They include the preliminary employment and tax paperwork, in addition to voice mail, email, gaining access to the building and/or parking lot, etc.  Providing this information to the new employee and a personal contact at the company to walk them through any questions they may have gives the new employee the feeling they are not alone and are already considered part of the group.

Job duties and specifications—These represent the “meat and potatoes” of their new job.  Their ability (or inability) to accomplish these tasks ultimately determines their future advancement.  While it might be premature to discuss specific projects, it would be wise to talk to your soon-to-be employee about deadlines, timetables, the chain of information, and anything else that comes to mind.  You will also want to discuss their on-site orientation and training schedule, which normally occurs during their first week of employment.  The key is effective communication and the exchange of knowledge beforehand, which will help speed up the new employee’s productivity once they begin their new job.

Company culture—This is where you can really cut down on employee transition time.  Without the help of an onboarding program, it would be virtually impossible for the new employee to know anything about the company culture of their new employer.  However, by gaining an understanding of that culture prior to employment and during the first few weeks, they will also gain a huge advantage in terms of a smooth transition.  Keep in mind that not all companies include this area in their onboarding program (although they should).  It is advisable to have the future new employee meet informally with a couple of employees and co-workers, perhaps at lunch, to learn as much as they can about the culture of the organization as early as possible.

The process begins before the offer

What’s important to remember is that onboarding as a process starts immediately, and by that I mean even before the offer is extended.  That may sound a bit extreme, but what it boils down to is the chance to make a great first impression—and a first impression that serves two practical yet crucial purposes.

First, the employee will subconsciously decide that they made the correct decision in accepting your offer.  When people first start a new job, they look for signs that they either made the right decision or the wrong one.  Knowing that there is an onboarding process will help assure them that joining your company was a smart move.  Second, armed with this positive affirmation, the employee will tackle their new position and responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm, further ensuring that they’re successful as soon as possible and that they stick around for a long time.

Onboarding should be thought of as an integral part of your overall retention program.  In fact, onboarding can help you to build a comprehensive retention program that decreases the turnover rate for your company, as well as moves your future new employee along the hiring process, both physically and in their own mind.

So, the questions to think about are these - what impressions are you giving your new employees, and could an onboarding program enhance those impressions?  The conclusion is obvious: onboarding IS worth the investment.

If you have any questions about this topic, please contact me at melinda@thepittmangroup.com