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Midwest Headhunters,
Inc.
Phone: 800.799.4520
A monthly online
publication designed to help employers recruit, recognize, reward and
retain their workforce.
Creating a Successful Onboarding
Program
(By Jim
Hipskind)
In
last month’s issue, we discussed the concept of onboarding and why it
represents a solid investment both in terms of reducing your turnover
ratio and increasing your overall productivity. But what does a
comprehensive onboarding program include? And when and how should
you implement such a program? These are two of the questions we’re
going to tackle in this month’s
issue.
The
type of onboarding program each company creates and implements ultimately
depends upon how much time and energy the company is willing to
spend. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to analyze a
fully comprehensive program, focusing on how it should be implemented and
when you should do
so.
Create Your Program
At its essence, an
onboarding program has three main components—the people involved, the
content involved, and the timeframe
involved.
People
It’s important to identify who’s
going to be part of the process, since they will also be part of the
planning the creation of the onboarding program. Typically, it
should include the new hire, an HR professional, and the manager or person
to whom the new hire will report. That’s in a literal sense.
In a general sense, the entire organization should have a working
knowledge of the company’s onboarding philosophy so that every member can
deliver a strong and consistent message to every new hire, reinforcing the
program and enhancing its
effectiveness.
Content
This can be broken down into
three areas: the administrative details, the job duties
and specifications, and the company culture. The administrative
details are the easiest to tackle, and they should be completed as soon as
possible, so that you can focus on the other two areas, which are more
important in terms of success and productivity. The new employee
should not have to worry about voice mail, email, or even gaining access
to the building, not to mention all the necessary paperwork that must be
in place prior to the first day on the job. Be pro-active about
these administrative details so they don’t evolve into distractions later
on. I heard a horror story regarding a computer programmer who quit
his new job after only two weeks because the company had not provided a
computer for him to work
on!
Make
certain your new hire feels welcome from Day One. Below are a few
basic ideas:
Order business cards in advance so you can provide them on the
first
day.
Have the workstation and (working) computer ready with a working
email
address.
Schedule someone to take the new hire to lunch on their first
day.
Job duties and specifications are just that—the
job description for the new hire, the things they’ll be expected to
accomplish. Prior to the employee’s first day, they should talk with
their immediate supervisor and discuss those duties and expectations,
including project deadlines and timetables. The two should also
discuss the employee’s initial orientation and training schedule, which
should take no more than a week. The key is effective communication
and exchange of knowledge beforehand, which will help to speed up the
process once employment begins. There should be milestones for the
first few months and you should schedule meetings to assess progress and
discuss
obstacles.
Company culture is sometimes overlooked, but is
extremely crucial. The new hire should know as much as they can
about the culture before they start. (Keep in mind that culture
embodies many criteria, including language, methodologies, mission
statement, ways of interacting, traditions, etc.) A good idea would
be for the hire to meet informally with a few members of the current team
and talk about how things worked at the hire’s previous company and the
way in which they operate at their soon-to-be present place of
employment.
Timeframe
The beginning of the
onboarding process is easy to identify—it’s the moment that the candidate
accepts your offer. Between then and the first day of the new hire’s
employment, the steps we’ve discussed to this point should be completed,
especially the administrative matters. However, the onboarding
process doesn’t stop there. Once the hire begins work, their
progress should be tracked and there should be almost constant
communication between the employee and their supervisor. The more
quickly potential problems can be identified, the faster they can be
solved—or avoided altogether. And remember, the first 30 days are
vitally important because it’s during this time that the new hire makes a
subconscious decision regarding whether or not joining your company was
the right move. After 90 days, it’s recommended that all parties
involved meet to discuss progress, solicit feedback, and plan for the
future.
Customize Your Program
As you can see,
onboarding is a multi-faceted endeavor. However, it’s one that can
pay huge dividends for your company and its employees. What’s
important to remember is that onboarding programs should be
individualized to the needs of the company creating and
implementing them. There isn’t just one model for everybody.
There’s a basic framework and formula, to be sure, but in order for the
program to be the most effective, you and your team must create and
implement a version that you can incorporate easily and seamlessly into
your company’s business
model.
If
you have any questions regarding the onboarding process—its creation,
customization, or implementation—feel free to contact
me.
(While onboarding is a tremendously effective way to increase
retention on your team, striking the proper work-life balance is another
method. In fact, that balance has become more and more important to
candidates and employees during the past few years. In next month’s
issue, we’ll take a look at the subject of work-life balance and discuss
ways in which you can increase retention through strategies revolving
around that growing concern.)
© Copyright
2007
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