Simply hiring employees doesn’t get the job done anymore. Too many companies experience high turnover rates because they just hire new employees and then let them figure things out on their own. Companies have begun altering their hiring processes to include onboarding that is effective and informative for the new hires.
Here we will discuss how properly onboard a new hire completely so he or she does not struggle from the outset.

Infrastructure Needs to be Built Prior to Hire

The onboarding infrastructure needs to be built prior to hiring the employees. Don’t let your new hire spend hours completing mind-numbing human resource paperwork on their first day. Don’t let them sit in an office or cubicle that has no working phone or no computer. A new hire should be brought in, oriented to the company and put to work as quickly as possible. Sitting around for three days waiting for something to do can lead the employee to look for something else.

“Day in the Life”

All new hires should be given a “day in the life” experience of the company’s customers. This can coincide with their job training and it will provide them context with which to operate when they begin their normal job duties. They will know what it is they are working for and trying to attain as a member of the organization when they know what the customer is like.

Train Employees in Small Modules

Do your best to train new hires in small modules. New hires don’t want to be overwhelmed with information the minute they start. It can take weeks, sometimes even months, before a new hire is completely assimilated to the job or comfortable with the company. If you have a lot of information that must be presented to a new hire on their first day, break it into segments. Do not force the employee to sit around for three hours. Break the training into 30, 60 or 90-minute segments with breaks in between.

Ask for Feedback

One of the best ways to completely onboard new hires is to ask recent hires for feedback of your onboarding process. Tell them to be as honest as possible and let them know that it will only help the company moving forward. Don’t wait months to speak with a new hire about the onboarding process. Find out their thoughts no later than 90 days after being hired.

About Staffing Resources

Staffing Resources, established in 1985, is a privately held Atlanta-based staffing firm and a certified Female Business Enterprise. We provide a wide range of full- and part-time employees to businesses, associations, government and non-profit organizations in the metro Atlanta area.