An exceptional employee onboarding experience is the key to standing out from the competition.
Is your onboarding program spot on or missing the mark? The first impression new hires get of your organization sets the stage for their entire employment experience. Take time to consider your current onboarding journey and identify the areas where you’re falling short, keeping your unique company culture and work environment in mind.
To help you get started, we’ll share some eye-opening research on the importance of employee onboarding along with four transformative trends to watch in 2023.
Does onboarding really matter?
The onboarding process affects many other factors in the employment life cycle, including the overall work experience, productivity, retention, and more. Consider these revealing statistics:
- 86% of new employees decide whether to stay with their new organization within the first few months, according to a 2021 study by Gallup.
- In a 2021 report published by Hayes Recruiting consultants, 22% of people surveyed said that receiving a proper induction and onboarding influenced their decision to look for another job.
- A study by the Wynhurst Group found that new employees were 58% more likely to stay with an organization for at least three years after completing a structured onboarding program.
To gain a competitive edge in today’s unsettled employment landscape, companies must prioritize the onboarding process. It’s the foundation of better employee retention, improved job satisfaction, and enhanced productivity.
Creating a sense of involvement and unification is vital for today’s digital workforce.
When America quickly transitioned to working remotely during the pandemic, virtual employee onboarding became the new norm. For most organizations, this was their first introduction to the remote work environment. Few were prepared for this large-scale change and there was little time to address the nuances. But now, three years later, the chinks in the armor have become apparent. Companies have come to the realization that their virtual onboarding experiences have largely fallen short in terms of communication, engagement, and connectedness. New information has been collected, including feedback from new hires, expert insights, and proven virtual onboarding techniques. It’s all coming together in the form of a re-tooled onboarding process that responds to today’s evolving workspaces.
These four employee onboarding trends are leading the way in 2023:
- Focus on building culture and nurturing connections remotely.
Welcome kits are fine but are they enough to promote your company’s values in a virtual landscape? To do that effectively, it requires peer-to-peer communication so current employees can share their experiences. Think internal blogs, existing employees offering practical advice, and leaders having one-on-one chats with new hires. Building those meaningful connections online is essential for retention. Onboarding, once a shared group experience, has become an isolating one. Put the social aspect back into it with virtual lunches, digital water-cooler chats, and other group activities that infuse personal connections into the new employee experience. - Don’t forget the reboarding process.
If you’re seeing a mass exodus from your organization, your reboarding experience may be to blame. The work world is not the same as it was before the pandemic and even tenured folks need to be re-familiarized with your company culture and team structure in this new setting. This can be accomplished with an altered onboarding program that’s designed for remote or hybrid schedules. These models are shaping the way we work, so it’s important to guide employees through new work schedules, communication tools, and necessary documentation. Be sure to consider cultural and behavioral aspects, too. Everyone responded to the pandemic differently and went through unique stressors. Take these factors into account and include plenty of one-on-one time in your reboarding program. - Embed inclusivity.
It’s critical that all new employees feel a sense of belonging, inclusion, and that they are valued. You have an opportunity to foster lifetime productivity during your onboarding program by incorporating inclusive touches. For example:
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- Provide resources to familiarize them with your company-specific vernacular
- Take new hires through a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) session
- Invite them to join internal forums devoted to pivotal DEI issues
- Share resources that demonstrate your company’s commitment to DEI
- Opt for personalized welcome emails rather than pre-written templates
You’ll also score points with Gen Z and younger millennials, who seek employers that support a diverse and inclusive workplace.
- Create a continuous onboarding development journey.
Most onboarding programs focus on how quickly they can get new hires up to speed. They can last a week or up to 90 days, but extending that time is the way to go. Research shows that onboarding over the long term pays off in the form of higher employee retention. In most jobs, people need proper guidance and reminding beyond week one, and it can often extend beyond the 90-day mark too. Instead of abruptly ending your onboarding after the first week or even the first three months, continue your efforts for at least a year. This demonstrates your company values and commitment to helping people succeed in their new roles.
Strong relationships aren’t built on poor foundations. Onboarding offers a chance to make a lasting positive impression on new hires. It’s also important that employee onboarding programs adapt to changing times in order to promote a healthy work environment and attract top talent.
Is it time to reimagine your employee onboarding experience? The HR Team is here with sound guidance and strategic solutions. Please reach out to our knowledgeable professionals to learn more.
About The HR Team: Founded in 1996, The HR Team is a Maryland-based human resources outsourcing firm committed to developing strategic, customized solutions that respond to the unique needs and cultures of organizations of all types and sizes. Available as a one-source alternative to an in-house HR department or on an à la carte project basis, the company’s flexible service models address the full spectrum of HR needs that many organizations struggle to address. The HR Team helps clients achieve their highest level of success by providing value-driven human resources services that leave them time to focus on what they do best: directing business growth and profitability. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, the firm serves all of Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia. To learn more about The HR Team, call 410.381.9700 or visit https://www.thehrteam.com/.
