The key of a successful onboarding is making a new employee feel at home – not always an easy task in a humming work environment. Statistics have shown that employees who attended a well-structured onboarding orientation program are 69% more likely to remain at a company for up to three years. Since this percentage is overwhelmingly high, it’s important to make the onboarding process a memorable and successful one.
As a new employee, asking questions can feel like a daunting task, even when they are expected and encouraged. As a leader, these questions may be anticipated and it may be frustrating when they aren’t addressed. This is why it’s incredibly important to be clear, informative and thorough during onboarding. The purpose of effective onboarding is to help make the learning process simple and consumable. With the right processes in place, you not only set up your new hire for early success in their role, but you gain an informed and engaged employee who understands the company culture.
At Hourigan, we’ve found that several elements contribute to a successful onboarding program:
1. Set a realistic timeline
Many companies expect new employees to catch on almost immediately. At Hourigan, we provide 30-90 days for new hires to settle into their role. This introductory period is filled with training, introductions and assistance.
2. Break out training
Trying to absorb large masses of information all at once can be taxing on anyone – How do you feel at the end of an all-day training session? By keeping training sessions to a maximum of four hours a day, we ensure that new hires don’t get drowned in new information. Scheduling training sessions in this way also allows time for necessary emails, conference calls and meetings.
3. Check-in early and often
One-on-ones are very important early in the onboarding process. Scheduling time between a new hire and their leader at least once week during the first month allows time for questions, clarification and feedback. After the first few weeks, meetings can be pushed out to every other week for a month or two – and then on an as-needed basis from there.
4. Create calendars
Having a thoroughly planned calendar is crucial to a successful process. The calendar should include events like key company or project dates, training sessions, meetings with leaders, etc. If possible, new hires should also attend regularly scheduled meetings and special events with leaders to better understand the flow of the company and projects.
5. Clarify culture
Culture is an important part of life at Hourigan. By presenting the company mission, vision and values early in the onboarding process, it’s easier to demonstrate how other Hourigan employees implement that culture in their day-to-day environment and live it every day. Also reiterating these elements throughout the training process reinforces their importance to new hires.
6. Ace the first day
Making a new employee comfortable on the first day is a huge part of setting them up for success. To ensure great first days, we make sure that some key essentials are met. Here are a few examples:
Again, the key to successful onboarding is making a new employee feel at home – and we strive to do just that. By following some basic strategies, we ensure that each new individual knows how valuable they are to the company and how happy we are to have them on the team. Because at the end of the day, whether a veteran employee or a new one, We Are Hourigan.
