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As recruitment processes go, onboarding can’t be matched in the personalisation stakes. Tools and tricks come and go but nothing affords you real impact like a good old face-to-face, hands-on encounter. And onboarding is all about exactly that. So, with that in mind, why is onboarding one of the most regimented and often neglected practices going? In a nutshell, it’s because it take time, effort and attention to nail.
Instead of fretting about increased budgets and man hours let’s take a look at the current state of onboarding. We all know that retention rates are rough and that companies are hemorrhaging talent, why? POOR ONBOARDING! We all know that rehiring is a costly, and much repeated, endeavour so what’s the culprit? POOR ONBOARDING! Oh and what do you think leads to a lack of manager-employee relationships? Yep, you guessed it POOR ONBOARDING!
Poor practice has a role to play for sure but maybe we need take things back to the drawing board? Creating and owning your very own onboarding process is becoming an answer for many recruiters and employers. Crafting your own process doesn’t need to be all about innovation and game changers, it should be about adopting what works and shaping it around your new hires and culture.
Let’s get to personalising your Onboarding Process - Tips galore.
Before you go crazy with customisation, make sure to study what you need this process to do for you. Hiring and training new talent can be as stressful for you as your newbies so don’t cut your needs out of the equation here. Shape a process around what actually matters to you, it’s the only way to make it valuable, engaging and of course adaptable.
- What’s effective orientation to you?
What’s effective to you might be below par to other companies. If you can identify these winning staples then you can address the delivery of each uniquely. If you have a massive list of office procedures to run through then you need to create a process that makes it digestible and engaging. Examine what you see as primary onboarding goals and aim to tick those boxes. Onboarding is a long-term exercise so you need to break down your approach. Think in stages if that helps.
- Re-approach the tech/resources you have.
You might not have the most up-to-date tech or a hundred-strong HR department but that doesn’t mean there’s not room to readdress the effectiveness of your process. Even seemingly boring and time-consuming acts like processing paperwork can be made to reflect your culture more. Don’t be afraid to step back and really look at the steps you have in place - do you need countless docs/details? Where does that info go afterwards? Get your associated procedures and resources pinned down at the same time as your process shuffle, and never stop adjusting as you go.
- Shape onboarding around each new hire.
It might sound like an overwhelming exercise but it’s far simpler than it sounds. If you can create the framework for a new approach that’s linked to your culture and beyond, then you can cherry pick elements and tailor them to each new hire. Put needs first by changing up the Qs you ask during the interview stage. Why not ask them to fill out a pre-onboarding questionnaire that outlines things like their preferred management approach and what they think they need to get settled in? By going for a ‘Needs first’ approach you eliminate timely repetitions and personalise that initial experience.
- Be the glue.
Relationships are key to successful onboarding and all that follows. Regardless of the culture you promote, get in the middle of the action and encourage that connection team-wide. Send an email to tell your team that a newbie is starting today and let them know what they can do to help with the process. Introduce them to your staff personally and open up the channels of chat. Onboarding info will flow through them without you trying so put the opps in place for information to change hands organically. Trust in your current staff.
Aspects such as making time for feedback, being prepared and getting specific with job responsibilities are all onboarding 101. These are undoubtedly important but they don’t need to form the foundation of your entire process. Weave these into it in fresh ways and be patient, if you trust in your culture and current team you can keep tabs of retention in a meaningful way. It all starts with knowing what matters to you as a company - get that straight and the rest is gravy.
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