You landed a new job opportunity at the company of your dreams. The role is exciting, but the manager is busy, and team members are concerned with achieving their monthly stats. It is the first two weeks of employment, and the feeling of isolation is creating an uncomfortable work experience. What is a new hire to do?

 

According to an SHRM report, “new employees who attended a structured orientation program were 69 percent more likely to remain at the company up to three years.” The reason most organizations are unable to hold onto top talent is that the onboarding experience is not impressive. As a result, the workplace culture and standard of working with employees have an opportunity to improve.

 

Onboarding Strategies for Employee Retention

 

One of the common experiences after the probationary period of a new hire is feeling burnt out because management expects the individual to perform. There is a lack of guidance after the first 90 days, and the onboarding process comes to a sudden end.

 

Career Transition Program

 

A career transition program designed for new hires that start in a role for the hiring manager to discover the individual’s skill set can be used in a new department. The decision to fire a new hire that has a talent for graphic design although their role is in marketing can improve the onboarding experience. A professional will be more loyal to an organization that helps build a career versus firing them.

 

Departmental Social Time

 

During the probationary period, it is common for a new employee to find a ‘clique’ either or outside their department. Acquaint new hires with the entire department outside of the office to create a feeling of comfort. The new employee can learn about the company culture offering an opportunity to network with individuals outside of the team.

 

Effective Seating Arrangements

 

On the first day, sit the new team member besides a person that is experienced and open to being available to help as an assigned buddy. This selected persona needs to exercise patience, is one of the top 3 high performing employees on the team. Here is a list of benefits of selecting the right seating arrangements:

 

• Decreases a sense of isolation
• A second person to confirm the new hires progress
• A new hire can avoid common mistakes
• The new hire is less likely to quit

 

A person the new hire can depend on with questions or speak about their thoughts about fitting in with the company can decrease the chance of this person leaving to work for one of your competitors.

 

Weekly vs. Monthly Meetings

 

Most organizations are focused on meeting financial goals not understanding that effective communication with a new hire can impact it. Instead of meeting an employee once a month in the probationary period, meet with them at a casual location. You can ask them out for lunch at a nearby restaurant. If the weather is nice, have a walk around the office at a 15-minute break. Ask the new hire to meet at a coffee shop near the office.

 

Keep the conversations casual to avoid adding inevitable pressure that can create an uneasy experience.

 

How to Measure Success

 

Per a 2018 HR report, “only 12% of employees agree that their company does a good job of onboarding new.” It boils down to two-way communication that does not punish new hires for being honest about the onboarding process. Here is a list of ways to receive their honesty:

 

• Send surveys to new employees that include questions on the performance of the manager and onboarding experience
• New hire offers feedback on how the company can improve
• Hiring manager understands the employee personally
• The confidence of independent decisions of the new hire is evident

 

A focus on the results of the onboarding programs can result in a decrease of new employees leaving the company. It costs more to hire a new employee and offer training than to keep your current staff happy. Dedicate the time, resources and effort that implements an onboarding process that represents the essence of your organization.

 

 

 

 

Makeda Waterman is an online media journalist with a passion for helping people succeed with features on CNBC Make It., Yahoo Finance News, Fast Company, Glassdoor, and Elite Daily. Her website is www.freelancewriteredmonton.com