Employees looking for greener pastures are increasingly choosing to leave their jobs. While there has undeniably been a shift in Americans’ attitudes toward work, most of those who quit will move on to other jobs. But what will make those jobs and the relationship between the employee and the organization different from the ones that came before?
The Importance of Onboarding
Onboarding is where organizations can start building the groundwork for employee engagement, satisfaction and retention. Underperforming in this early stage of the employee journey can significantly affect an organization’s turnover rate. According to Harvard Business Review, approximately one-third of employees quit within 90 days of starting a new job. The reasons include:
- Their role didn’t meet the expectations that had been set for them (43%)
- A specific incident drove them away (34%)
- The company culture was not the right fit (32%)
Each of these reasons is a problem that could be solved by an organization’s careful review, update and the creation of an onboarding process that meets the changing needs of employers and organizations in 2024. Positive onboarding is beneficial to the company and new employees in the following ways:
- Teaching employees how to form collaborative relationships with their team members may have a long-term effect on their job satisfaction. This aspect is a part of helping them learn new skills and achieve autonomy.
- Employee retention increases when individuals feel welcomed and encouraged during onboarding.
- Proper training and assistance during onboarding make new hires feel more confident in their roles, resulting in increased productivity.
- Onboarding can assist new hires in grasping the company’s vision, values and goals, making them feel more engaged and invested in their jobs.
The Four C’s of Onboarding
Successful onboarding for in-person, remote and hybrid workplaces should include:
1. Compliance
Compliance refers to the required actions for all new workers. It is the administrative aspect of the onboarding process. This involves completing documentation, badging individuals and supplying new employees with laptops, phones and workspaces.
2. Clarification
This aspect relates to how well new workers comprehend their job responsibilities and performance objectives. Of course, organizations hire new employees to fill specific roles, so it is critical to specify what employees need to accomplish, how to do it and how the organization operates regarding laws and policies.
It is critical to develop strategies for assisting new workers in understanding what is expected of them while also making them feel equipped and supported in their decision to join your company.
3. Connection
Connection is the degree to which new employees feel accepted and respected. When new employees have a connection to their colleagues, they feel comfortable. Research repeatedly reveals that a sense of belonging leads to various beneficial individual and organizational outcomes.
When new employees feel connected and safe, they ask questions and try new things. They also interact more fully with their co-workers, roles and the organization, all with tremendous respect. Connection makes new employees feel like they’ve made the correct decision by joining the organization.
4. Culture
Culture relates to how well new employees comprehend their company’s conventions, beliefs, stories and symbols. One of the most important methods to build, maintain and modify corporate culture is through onboarding. Recognizing the stories of how the organization came to be while remaining mindful that its standards, missions and goals are continually evolving is a vital consideration.
Onboarding is an excellent opportunity to train employees about the crucial aspects of your company. It is also a fantastic approach to learn about how your business can improve and discover new employees’ potential contributions to your organization’s success.
In Person, Remote or Hybrid?
Organizations have more choices in 2024 regarding where, when and how onboarding occurs. While workers seem to have expressed a clear preference for organizations that have adopted a remote or hybrid workforce, there’s still a big benefit to conducting onboarding in person. Many employees, especially younger ones who are newer to the workforce, have pointed out that missing the cues you can only get from in-person communication has disadvantaged them or made those all-too-important first few weeks more difficult and awkward.
Of course, onboarding can be conducted effectively no matter where it occurs if organizations keep essential goals in mind and adapt their onboarding process to match them.
Remote Onboarding Best Practices
Create a Dedicated Virtual Onboarding Plan
If you already have an effective onboarding process, doing double duty and repurposing it for virtual onboarding is likely tempting. That’s possible, but don’t oversimplify. You must take a very close look to adapt an in-person process for virtual use.
Train Managers to Conduct Virtual Onboarding
New employees aren’t the only ones you must consider when crafting a virtual onboarding program. Managers must learn to adapt their in-person training and communication styles as well. Too many managers assume virtual onboarding is the same as in-person, only in front of a screen. Before allowing any manager to conduct virtual onboarding, ensure they’re well-equipped. After all, if a new employee’s onboarding experience is negative, there’s more chance for unintended turnover.
Schedule One-on-One Virtual Meet-and-Greets
New employees will mainly be communicating with their direct manager during virtual onboarding. However, employees need to meet the entire team of people they’ll be working with. Virtual employees won’t benefit from chance encounters and you both must make an intentional effort to forge connections.
How to Effectively Communicate Company Culture
A significant part of acclimating new employees is immersing them into the company culture. Whether onboarding is in-person, remote or hybrid, this is essential. Company culture can be described as the attitudes, behaviors and values of a company and its employees.
Often, the stated culture falls short of the reality. The real company culture is visible in how employees communicate and interact with each other, how they make decisions, and their leadership style. If there is a disconnect between these two things, it will spell problems for employee morale and longevity.
First of all, be honest. If your organization has a very top-down, hierarchical structure, be clear in the interview stages. If company leaders, managers or employees disagree about company culture, address it. Onboarding shouldn’t be the first place employees are introduced to company culture. Instead, it should be a reinforcement and a more detailed look at the culture along with examples of how the employee can live it and perform effectively within it.
Should You Get Creative With Onboarding?
Onboarding is more than a list of steps to be checked off. Yes, it is a process. However, some organizations are getting creative with that process. If there was ever a time to try something new with onboarding, now is the time. Here are a few examples of creative onboarding systems being tested:
- The buddy system isn’t just for kids at camp. Having an assigned onboarding buddy or a peer coach who helps them navigate their new environment can help new employees adapt easily and with less stress. This is true whether your organization has a remote, hybrid or in-person workforce.
- Some organizations are gamifying their onboarding process. Examples include virtual scavenger hunts, challenges and earning points or badges.
- Artificial intelligence can be used to streamline the onboarding process. For example, using smart forms can prevent employees from repeatedly entering the same identification or demographic information. Chatbots allow new employees to ask questions at any time without the fear of bothering someone that new employees often report.
- Personalized onboarding can increase the chances of successful integration of a new employee and increase employee satisfaction at the same time. For example, consider tailoring your onboarding experience according to learner preferences. Offer a choice between in-person or hybrid onboarding or incorporate multiple training modalities to ensure different learner preferences are met.
Is Investing in Reboarding Worth It?
“The Great Resignation” has triggered the need for employees at all levels of an organization to adapt and reorient themselves to their workplaces. Although onboarding is typically reserved for brand-new employees, its application could be much broader. Some organizations are experimenting with reboarding where existing employees complete an onboarding process to readapt them to their role, reinforce company culture and set them up for success in a work environment that’s undeniably changed.
Reboarding can work well in cases where an organization is bringing remote workers back to the office or permanently adopting a hybrid workforce. It’s a great opportunity to “start fresh,” reengage employees and level set about new and ongoing expectations.
“The Great Resignation” has changed the way employees and organizations relate to each other. However, much focus on “The Great Resignation” has centered on employees leaving their jobs. What’s often left unsaid is that many people are moving on to new jobs. Organizations must ensure that those new employees are onboarded successfully or they risk additional turnover.
Learn How to Implement Successful Onboarding With CLS
The Center For Leadership Studies has been helping leaders and organizations grow for over 50 years. Onboarding for Performance teaches leaders strategies for creating alignment and establishing clear expectations from day one of a new hire’s employee experience. Equip your leaders with the skills to make the most of their unique opportunity to shape the onboarding experience for new hires and build a foundation for long-term success. Contact us to learn more today!
