5 Signs Your Onboarding Process Needs Work

Chris Goodwin, SHRM-SCP

Onboarding is the term used to describe the period during which a company instructs and prepares new employees to become a part of the company culture. During the onboarding period, training is provided and the new hire is equipped with the knowledge and skills to perform as a member of the team. More often than not companies miss the mark in the onboarding process, either over equipping and overwhelming the new hire or not allowing the process to unfold in a way that benefits all involved.

When your company practices sound onboarding processes everyone wins. New hires feel welcomed, respected, and appreciated from the beginning and there’s less confusion over their place on the team. These new team members take their job and the company more seriously and are much more likely to stick around.

Poor onboarding is the result of poor planning and even poorer follow-up. As the saying goes “failure to prepare means preparing to fail”. Not taking the time to check in with your new hire during the onboarding process is just as bad. The new team member may not understand what’s required of them or possibly they simply don’t get it. In any case, the onboarding process is something that many companies need to work on perfecting.

 

Determining If Your Onboarding Process Needs Work

Not sure if your onboarding process needs work? Here are 6 signs you may need to tweak, or even revamp entirely, the onboarding process at your company.

 

1.   Employees Leave Within the First 12 Months

One of the biggest red flags your onboarding process needs work is when your employee turnover is high, especially within the first year your new employee comes on board. Granted, leaving a job is a normal event, but if you notice a trend among new employees resigning on a regular basis you need to take a deeper look.

There may be several reasons employees quit their jobs. Roughly one-third of employees leave within the first three months, for many reasons other than poor hiring practices. Some find the job isn’t really the fit they’d hoped it would be or a better offer might come their way. But there are those who end up moving out the door due to stress and anxiety from feeling ill-equipped to do their job or not up to the task.

Many companies provide little more than a thick packet of information on everything from HR to job description and duties. The packets, along with a speedy rundown of what’s required of the new team member, accomplish little more than overwhelming and confusing the employee.

It’s essential to retain the employee that the company makes sure communication and understanding are thorough in the onboarding process, making it a smooth transition. By taking time to check in with your new hire during those crucial first weeks and making yourself available to them you can prevent them from walking out the door.

 

2.   Your Onboarding Program is Too Short

Some companies still believe in intense on-the-job learning. Simply show your new hire around the office, introduce them to a few people, hand them a tome of policies and procedures and turn them loose. That just doesn’t bode well for retaining your employee.

The onboarding process must be viewed as an investment in the employee, and therefore the company, for the long term. Many of the best programs are part of the employee's first 90 days and some continue after that. The best onboarding process encourages check-ins with the new hire throughout the first year.

Experts agree it takes an average of eight months for employees to become fully engaged and productive. And the more time invested in an employee from the beginning the more likely the new hire will become a valuable member of the team.

 

3.   Not Tailoring The Process to The Employee

There are several aspects of the onboarding process that are easily generalized. However, if the entire process is viewed as a one-size-fits-all undertaking you’re undermining the very reasons you hired the employee in the first place. Every member of the team brings a unique set of skills, talent, and perspective that, together with the rest of their team members, benefits the company helping it to grow.

By reverting to a standard format for onboarding everyone in the same manner, with the same introduction and training, you’re shortchanging the company and the employee. Prioritize what the individual needs to know as part of their job. Don’t make them sit through endless training and policies on customer service for a role that’s internal and not customer-facing. Go one step further and personalize the training to their interests and specific role in the company. This makes your latest team member feel welcomed for who they are.

 

4.   Lack of Communication

In every relationship, there must be communication to foster success. When you hire a new employee they need to feel as though they can communicate their needs and concerns with management and, more importantly, that they will be heard. If your employees don’t feel comfortable, encouraged or respected go through proper channels to communicate a concern, from the very first day, motivation wanes and dies.

For the onboarding process to be successful there must be clear channels for feedback. Employees need to feel comfortable with communicating openly and honestly from day one. Schedule one-on-one check-ins and feedback sessions on a regular basis for the first year, or until it’s obviously no longer necessary. Also your employee should be recognized for their efforts and encouraged in their endeavors to openly communicate.

 

5.   Team Members Aren’t Meshing With the New Hire

You can usually gauge how well the new hire is fitting in by their level of excitement. When everyone is moving forward and happy you know it’s a good fit. But if your newest team member seems discouraged, the reason could be they aren’t feeling as welcomed and as valued by the rest of the team as they should.

Of course, connections should happen naturally but that isn’t always the case. It’s difficult to join an established team and a new employee, especially one who isn’t very assertive, may be intimidated. Helping forge a well-integrated and cohesive team should be part of the onboarding process. A new employee could be missing out on valuable insight into the company culture and the understanding to be successful in their new position. Feeling excluded from the team can quickly lead the new hire to the door.

Your onboarding process should include social events and group activities that promote unity. This is an important step at the beginning of employment but it’s also a great way to continue interaction and communication among team members.

 

Make Your Onboarding Process Successful-Let Us Help

Recruitment, onboarding, training, and development are the foundation of great teams and great companies. Cornerstone Coaching and Consulting promises results. We’re here to help your company with all of your workplace needs. If you see the signs your onboarding process needs work contact Cornerstone Coaching and Consulting today and, together, let's move toward success.