Successful Onboarding: Impressions in the First Year

Successful onboarding is more than just making sure a new employee has a desk and computer. Having a truly successful onboarding process can lower your turnover rate and make your employees more effective in their positions. A seamless transition into your company is the most desirable outcome, but to create that smooth onboarding process, it’s important to define what a success onboarding lookings like for a particular position. It’s not only important to track the work of a new hire, but also their assimilation into company culture, incorporation into the team, and making sure they see value in their role. Example Timeline for an Onboarding Program 1st Week of Hire: Introduction and welcome message. There should be a personal welcome letter issued by management to the new hire. A good digital onboarding program can help with this initial process. The goal is to welcome the personal and immediately begin introducing the person to the culture, values and the vision./span> 90 days: We are pleased to have you on our team. At this point, setting the tone for successful integration is important. Any milestones achieved should be celebrated. The employee should also be made to feel as if they are a part of something bigger, so soliciting contributions and input are also recommended at this stage. 180 days: Thank you for your contribution. This presents an opportunity for managers and supervisors to personally engage the employee and recognize their contributions. At this point, providing feedback from what may have been shared at the 90-day mark should occur at this stage. The employee should be asked how their role meshes with what was described during the initial interview process. The new employee should also be asked to share their own feedback on improvements and share who has been helpful during their transitional process. 270 days: You’re role in success. At this stage, opportunities should be provided to connect key leaders with new hires. Sharing with the employee the direction of the organization and showing appreciation for their contributions should be done at this stage. At this point, the employee has received substantial feedback on their performance. One-year anniversary – Congratulatory celebration. Reaching that one-year milestone is important because this is when people are most likely to leave their place of employment. This is a good opportunity to thank, motivate and congratulate the employee. A symbolic gift for their initial year of service is a nice touch. One-on-one meetings, communications, consistent feedback and constant engagement are the cornerstones of a successful onboarding program. Ensuring employees remain productive and seizing every opportunity to incorporate them into the corporate culture improves retention efforts.