How is your employee onboarding program? Do you even have one? It’s a fair question because only 32% of companies do. That’s a problem, by not having an employee onboarding problem means a company could be setting themselves up for failure. However, a poorly managed program can do just as much harm.
Is this you?
If you do have an onboarding program, you might have noticed the following problems with it.
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The program has not helped new employees adapt to your culture. .
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After the heavy guidance of a program, they lack direction and initiative.
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Management still has no idea who the new employee is or what they bring to the company.
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Even after lengthy classes, they still seem lost with your policies and procedures.
Does this sound familiar? If it does, you’re not alone. Many employee onboarding programs don’t provide the proper experience.
This lack of experience is detrimental to your company beyond the new employees.
New Employees Are One Of Your Strongest Recruitment And Retention Tools, Treat Them Right
Have you ever observed a new employee on their first day? Generally, they are happy and excited. Why wouldn’t they be? They are beginning a new part of their life and career.
Their enthusiasm is the best tool you have for recruiting good candidates. If they are top talent (and of course they are, you wouldn’t hire anything else, right?), they can lure their peers to your company as well.
Additionally, experienced employees get a charge from the new employee. They appreciate their enthusiasm, and it can even re-ignite their interest in their jobs.
However, if your onboarding program isn’t producing employees who have a basic understanding of your company and their role in it, they will be confused and frustrated. Their attitude and quality of work may reflect their emotions. Before they are really off the ground, you have an unhappy employee.
A Cheap And Simple Solution
Assessing and adjusting your employee onboarding program doesn’t take much work. The first step is to question and assess people who are in the program or who recently left it. Ask them how they are doing, and what their suggestions are to make it more effective. Then ask their managers to assess the program, how are their staff members who recently left it? Nobody should expect a new team member to be perfect, but are they functionally competent?
The second step is to redesign your program with the suggestions in mind. Develop a plan that is focussed for each job and has defined and measurable steps. Determine what each employee must know when they transition to a more independent status.
Developing employee onboarding programs is one of the cornerstones of Equal Parts Consulting’s services. We have helped many companies in the San Diego area by creating onboarding programs that are efficient and effective.
