6 Ways To Onboard Staff For Better Productivity
What Is Onboarding?
Onboarding is more than just orientation day.
It’s all about making your new employees feel safe and settled into their work environment.
It usually involves a number of meetings, presentations and resources, which help your new staff understand the business structure, aims, culture, and how they will contribute to your business’ success.
How Does Onboarding Improve Productivity?
Quite simply, a well-executed onboarding program almost always links to better staff productivity.
Effective onboarding not only orients your new worker to the workplace culture, but also gives them all the resources and knowledge they need to do their best work- to go above and beyond!
Research shows that companies with a great onboarding process benefit from 54% greater new hire productivity and 50% greater employee retention rate. So, we recommend outlining and setting out a detailed and effective onboarding strategy to get the best out of your new staff- keep them focused, on track, and motivated!
How Can You Implement A Successful Onboarding Program?
Onboarding is much more important than many staffing managers realise.
The first 90 days is especially crucial your new staff’s success. This is the amount of time it takes for them to settle into their new role, learn their responsibilities and their objectives.
In fact, the onboarding period also gives you a chance to put your business at the forefront and make a favourable first impression. A well-crafted onboarding program tells your new employees that your business and management values employees!
Caution: A poor or non-existent onboarding program can make your new workers think that the the business doesn’t value its employees and see them as an integral part of company success.
So with that in mind, to make achieving best-practice onboarding simpler for you, we’ve pulled together six steps to implementing a first-rate onboarding regimen.
Check it out below!
#1 Build a strong relationship before the start date
Don’t give your new employee the silent treatment between them accepting your offer and starting the job!
A quick phone call or email is more than enough to make them feel welcome at their new workplace. Show them you’re excited to have them on-board and give them some tips they’ll need for their first day. Don’t forget to tell them things like how to access the building, how formal the dress code is, and whether they’ll need to bring in anything in particular.
#2 Introduce them to the team
This one is as simple as- the fastest way to settle into a new team is to get to know the team.
Organise a welcome lunch, a team bonding activity after work, or even simply just a gathering at the start of their first day to get everyone introduced! This will not only help create rapport, but it will help your new staff feel like they are in sync with the workplace culture and less like the “newbie“.
#3 Prepare the right resources
Hack –> A great way to get your new employee settled into their new position is to set them up with an introductory pack with everything they’ll need to get started in their role.
This will make them feel ready to get down to business. Set their desk up with their computer and login, provide them with resources such as a little excerpt about your business history, brand ID, and any other essential information they may need to know about the business.
Want to do one better? Consider placing a welcoming gift on their desk to make them feel extra special on their first day.
#4 Give them a mentor
If possible, give your new staff member a mentor to guide them for their first week at the new workplace!
Having someone other than their manager to seek advice from will give them the confidence to ask questions, learn, and be confident in their new role without worrying too much about creating a great impression on their manager.
#5 Set clear expectations
Setting out clear expectations is critical to productivity.
Making your expectations clear ensures that the new worker knows exactly what they’re working towards. In fact, it also helps you evaluate their performance at the end and provide constructive feedback!
Set aside some time and sit with your new staff to go over what’s expected of them- set some targets and deadlines that they can work towards.
We recommend scheduling a weekly catch-up with your employee to track their progress or simply just to find out how they’re doing in their new role. It’s so important to give your staff, new and old, the opportunity to discuss any issues they’re facing and how best they can be resolved!
#6 Provide constant feedback
Instead of weekly catch-ups, you can also plan to have a check-in every two to four weeks for the first three months!
This will allow you to make sure that your new employee is comfortable, happy and settled-in with their role.
It’ll also give them the opportunity to discuss any concerns and struggles that they’re facing in their new role. It’s always a good idea to brainstorm a solution together with the employee so they’re an important part of the problem-solving process!
The onboarding process may be a time-consuming one, but it’s worthwhile for creating a productive team.
