In a global candidate short market and with most firms working towards a Hybrid work model, now more than ever the importance for employers "retain” both their existing staff and new employees is greater than ever before. ONCE YOU GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE, MAKE SURE THEY NEVER WANT TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE! And hence when you search, attract and finally find a suitable candidate you want to offer, and then YAY they accept the role, make sure you nurture them to ensure that their employees are suitably on-boarded.
Here are a few simple tips to a healthy onboarding process:
First and foremost, communication is key. Keeping open lines of communications for employees and employers is essential. This can be doing through both verbal and written means. Things such as company emails, company newsletters, company townhall meetings, one on one discussions... the list goes on but the message is simple! Communicate, communicate, communicate!
Prior to a new employee commencing
1. Send an email (including a video link from the MD) to welcome the employee prior to their actual start date.
Make your employee feel that they are welcome to the organisation and make them feel comfortable with an overview of what the business does, highlight the company values & goals and who they can go to should they need any assistance prior to them starting and ensuring that they have all their details for where they need to go and what they need to do.
End the call with date for the next scheduled chat prior to commencement.
2. Prior to starting, make sure your contractual agreements and training timetable are in place.
All too often I see employees who are new to a firm, and already commenced, that have not returned their employment contracts. It's important to the employer to protect themselves by having the contractual agreements signed off on and in place prior to the employee's commencement date. Equally it's just as important that the employee has signed off on their understanding of their employment contract conditions prior to commencement.
Further-more, there is nothing more off putting to a new employee if during their first few weeks they can't log in or there is a delay in their computer access or people are not organised for a training schedule regardless of how experienced they are. Take the time to spend educating and training new employees from the get-go and you will be surprised on how much stronger their performance will be... not to mention how much more they will feel valued!
Ensure that you write a simple training schedule, so a new employee knows where they should be and when. It helps to get this schedule signed off upon completion.
3. It’s incredibly important that employers ensure their staff are suitably set up to work from home (if the business embraces this policy), in order to work successfully and safely in the comfort of their own home. However, these basics should also be adapted for a new employee working within your office. Are they equipped with the following?
- An understanding from the company WFH or Corporate policy?
- A suitable / ergonomic desk and chair?
- Do they have the right IT equipment?
- Reliable internet capability?
- Do they have all their log-on and passwords?
- Access to someone who can help them when they are stuck.
- Have they received enough training that they can do their job satisfactorily.?
- Have you agreed on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly time that you can check-in to support your employee as well as give them the opportunity to ask questions?
Upon starting within the organisation
4. Company Culture is key to each individual organisational success. This success may look different based on each organisations goals, however it's important that new employees get a positive sense of the company culture to ensure it's a win/win for them to.
Do things to make the new employee feel included such as:
- Have they met their team?
- Schedule a welcome morning tea / lunch or drinks for each new member to join the team.
- Buddy the new employee with an experienced team member.
- As an employer you need to ensure that you have regular Video or face to face (if available) catch up’s to check in with how they are adjusting to the new role and what their needs are. Check in with the employee on the 1st day, at the end of the 1st week and as agreed on a regular basis from there.
- Ensure that new employees have access to ongoing training and development. This helps keep the employee up to date on the company requirements along with giving them the opportunity to keep themselves challenged whilst learning new tasks. A blended training approach is recommended. This includes, group sessions, one on one training sessions, conferences or external industry forums or on-line training programs.
Once employees are fully inducted and onboarded, it's important that companies continue to work towards employee engagement. Employee engagement is a strategy of its own however this can be done again through various communication tools, new and improved financial and non-financial rewards & recognition programs, career succession planning and ongoing learning and development to retain employees. Retention of staff is a huge win for both employees and employers.
