Think of onboarding as being similar to a school orientation. Before you start school, you are usually given a class schedule that has all of your classes and your teachers’ names. You get a small tour of the school and a brief explanation of everything you need to know before your first day.
Onboarding is no different. This is the time for you to help your new hires understand their job and everything that will be expected of them before they start.
Failure to provide proper onboarding can cause your new hire to underperform or quit working for your company, which may lead to a high turnover rate.
Before you proceed with the hiring process, be sure to avoid these common onboarding mistakes:
Mistake #1: Beginning the onboarding process on their first day
Once you have made a decision to hire a job candidate, you will need to provide them with the proper information to look over, fill out, and return to you BEFORE their start date.
This will allow the new hire to ask you any questions he or she may have about the company policies, handbook, and paperwork you gave them.
Along with giving them time to look over everything, it is important to give them an overall rundown of your company before their start date.
Make sure they know where everything is, how to access any tools or equipment they may need, and who to contact for certain issues or matters, etc.
The onboarding process will not happen in just one day. New employees will need time to get adjusted to their new job, and this does not usually happen overnight.
The time for onboarding varies across companies. You can expect the process to last anywhere from 90 days or less, six months, or one year.
Mistake #2: Failure to give new hires their expectations
New employees will not be able to do their jobs if no one provides them with job expectations. Make sure new hires understand their job, and what you expect from them before they start working.
Help familiarize them with the company’s culture and traditions. You do not want new hires to behave or work in a way that violates company culture. Make sure they know what your company stands for so they can meet these expectations.
Mistake #3: Failure to have an onboarding program or plan in place
Successfully onboarding new hires starts with a solid onboarding program or plan:
· How do you want to introduce new hires to your company?
· What do you want new employees to know before they start working for you?
· Do you want to give new hires a tour of the building?
· Do you want to give them an orientation where they can meet people and see other people doing the job they will also be doing?
These are questions to keep in mind, as these questions will provide the foundation of what your onboarding program or plan will consist of.
Mistake #4: Not providing employee follow-up and feedback
Let your new employees know how well they are doing as much as possible. Give them feedback about their job performance, and help them understand things they need to do.
This will help new hires to know their progress and what they may need to work on. See if everything is going well or if they need help with anything.
Their feedback about the job is just as important as the feedback you give to them. It will also give you an idea of what changes you may need to make to your onboarding process for future hires.
Mistake #5: Neglecting to introduce new hires to co-workers
Introduce new hires to their co-workers. If your new employees have the opportunity to meet people they will be working with, it will give them friendly faces to remember on their first day.
Already seeing familiar faces can make their first day a little more comfortable. It is not always easy starting a new job and not knowing anyone.
Be sure new employees have met additional people they will need to know in case they have an issue that needs to be addressed. This way they know whom to contact for a particular matter.
At The Orsus Group, we know how important it is for you to not only hire the right employees, but to also properly introduce them to your company.
We know avoiding these onboarding mistakes will help your new hires to make a smooth transition into your company.