Why Onboarding Matters
Employee retention and engagement directly contributes to client retention and profitability, so it’s of some concern that nearly a third of new hires leave a company before completing their first year of employment. Employee retention begins with the onboarding process; there is no other time more suited to creating an engaged team member out of a new hire.
These days, it’s not just a new hire that needs to worry about making a first good impression. The company should also be putting forth its best effort to make the first days for any new employee a positive experience. Valve uses humor to help new hires adjust to the culture with their employee handbook; Medallia has a weeklong onboarding process designed to enculturate the new hire into their approach to decision making.
Creating loyal team members starts from day one, and the companies who get it right prosper in the process. Consider the onboarding process at Netflix, which begins before the person even applies for a job, with a well-designed hiring website that focuses on introducing the company’s culture:
- An offer letter that is clear, spelling out the exact elements of the role, compensation and benefits.
- Technology set up in advance. When you walk in on your first day, you are up and running – imagine that!
- A mentor to help you with your first few weeks – maneuvering the trickier parts of the company or even the easier parts.
- Having the management team actively participate in welcoming, orientation efforts and ensuring traction quickly of newly hired employees.
- Providing meaningful work and the ability to make decisions that impact the company from the start (think Dan Pink’s Drive).
Making a new hire’s first day meaningful and memorable is a crucial step in creating a valuable and valued team member. How does onboarding work at your organization?
As the CEO & Founder of East Tenth Group, Michelle leverages 25 years of business and experience as a strategic advisor and executive coach to help drive actionable people solutions and provide practical insights on business strategy to senior leaders. she and her team and are fiercely committed to the development and growth of people and companies because we believe that when people thrive, business thrives.
