Effective onboarding is proven to significantly increase employee satisfaction, retention and productivity; however, Gallup reports that only 12% of U.S. employees say their company does a great job with it. With a staggering 88% wanting more, we’re kicking off 2023 by sharing three must-haves for an effective onboarding program:
- Purpose– SHRM reports that only 29% of new hires feel prepared and supported to excel, which is not surprising given that 58% of organizations focus their onboarding efforts primarily on processes and paperwork. For greater success, we suggest creating goals that encapsulate the four C’s (compliance, clarification, culture, and connection) with the strongest emphasis on culture and connection.
- Structure– Roughly 20% of all employee turnover happens in the first 90 days, but a well-structured onboarding program can reduce resignations by minimizing early uncertainty and overwhelm. As Forbesexplains, “onboarding can be a firehose of new information, and the goal is to turn it into a controlled, directional stream”.
- Mentorship– According to HR Cloud, assigning a mentor improves new hire productivity in 87% of companies. Not only can mentors offer invaluable guidance and support, but they also provide a welcome human connection in an increasingly virtual world.
In summary, if your 2023 corporate goals include talent retention, productivity, and/or profitability, then effective onboarding should be a top priority. As Gallup so boldly states, “to get exceptional employee outcomes, you need exceptional onboarding.”
