But, often, onboarding is treated as a checklist rather than a chance to empower new starters.
Typically, the new year marks the busiest time of the year for job hunters, however given the current economic climate, many are staying put. Despite this, employers should use this quiet period to get their onboarding processes right, in preparation for the Spring when the market is due to pick up, particularly as it costs an average of £30,000 to attract, hire and onboard new employees.
Beyond traditional admin
In the past, onboarding has largely consisted of a series of administrative tasks in an employee’s first weeks, with very little in the way of learning how the business operates and what their role will entail. For some, this can leave them feeling disconnected from their colleagues and the wider aims of the organisation.
Thorough onboarding should offer an in-depth introduction to the company’s culture, operations and strategy, even from the earliest stages of a new starter’s time in the business. It should be driven by line managers and supported by HR, with introductions made from the offset and a buddy allocated to ensure a smooth first day, and week.
Effective onboarding can significantly boost productivity by up to 70%. After the first week, new hires should have access to a career coach, providing that guidance that will really help to shape their first 90 days in the role. This external perspective can really help with building confidence, and identifying areas for growth and development.
A comprehensive and multifaceted induction process helps new hires integrate quickly and feel valued, enabling them to get up to speed with relevant day-to-day examples of their workload, rather than sifting through background resources with limited context.
Shared responsibility for onboarding
The recently proposed Employment Rights Bill, which enables rights for workers from ‘day one’, has the potential to empower many to rejoin the workforce, particularly where they have caring responsibilities and are able to benefit from flexible working arrangements.
While HR may handle some administrative aspects, the onus is on line managers and the wider business to help new hires feel embedded in the business from day one. Undervalued or unseen new starters are far more likely to consider other roles within their probation period, so it’s crucial that employers map out their onboarding process in a way that will engage them and their skillsets from the earliest stages of their employment.
Allowing time to make an impact
Once in their new role, new hires need to be granted the space to observe the company culture and practices to help them to integrate smoothly, and avoid any costly mistakes born out of a lack of experience or understanding about how the individual company operates.
A well-planned onboarding process strikes the right balance between making new hires feel valued and part of key discussions, whilst allowing them time to adjust without throwing them in the deep end. The latter can be particularly common with more senior hires who are often expected to make big decisions early into their tenure, but this can cause confusion and ultimately resentment if wrong decisions are made and the new hire starts on the wrong foot as a result.
With this, employees and employers should have open conversations, as part of regular check-ins, around the training and upskilling that the employee is interested in. Though the business will have skills gaps, it is important to invest in where the employee is passionate, to enable growth.
Cultivating career activism
Beyond the initial onboarding phase, employers should always encourage new hires to take charge of their career development in the medium and long term. This can be done with the support of line managers, and career coaches. By guiding employees to identify growth opportunities and plan their future, businesses can foster an engaged and proactive workforce.
No matter the seniority level, career activism should be a shared responsibility between the employee and employer. While this requires effort and a fair amount of business resource to maintain across the organisation year after year, those that succeed in fostering proper career activism amongst their workforce tend to benefit from higher retention and an engaged, motivated group of individuals.
HR leaders can work with partners to support the delivery of onboarding, at LHH we offer a New Hire Success Programme, which is a comprehensive talent retainment programme, with career coaches, suitable for mid/senior level hires, designed to seamlessly compliment the traditional onboarding process offered by our client employers.
A thorough onboarding programme should set an employee up for success from day one, providing them with the right opportunities to grow and the support network to enable this. For some businesses, onboarding will be a much more structured process, alas all employees will have a check-in at the end of their probation period with their line manager to ensure that they are feeling content in their new role, any hiccups have been addressed, and to outline objectives for future their development.
