Your ERS - Welcoming & Onboarding

ERS 3 of 10

In this series we are looking at creating, implementing, and executing an Employee Retention Strategy for the survival of your business over the next 24 months. 

This is part 3 of this series so if you haven’t watched part 1 and 2, I encourage you to do this before continuing on the Welcoming and Onboarding component of your ERS. 

Employee retention is improved by 82% with great onboarding practices but remarkably 88% of businesses don’t do it well if they do it at all.  Creating a great experience isn’t hard and here are some top tips for this 3-stage process of pre-boarding, active onboarding, and post-onboarding.

You get just one chance to make a great first impression on a new hire, so you want to get it right first time.

There are 5 key top tips for pre-boarding

1. Communicate the start day and time to the new hire remembering the Employment Contract needs to be signed prior to their start. 

2. Prepare procedure and policy documents. 

3. Prepare their workspace and provide all tools they will need. 

4. Communicate their arrival with their co-workers so they can prepare and be ready to warmly greet their new colleague.

5. Prepare the active onboarding process.

There are also 5 top tips for your active onboarding process. 

1. Have frontline staff and co-workers ready to welcome new hires remembering everyone should be welcomed in the same manner whether they be the new receptionist or general manager. 

2. Prioritise taking new hires through their Job Descriptions, Key Performance Indicators, Channels of Reporting, and Company Policies. 

3. Prioritise introducing them to co-workers. 

4. Change can be stressful and often compromises our immune systems so anticipate and be compassionate about the need for sick days early in the new hires term with you. 

5. Be extraordinarily available to your new hire and buddy them with a co-worker for at least the first 4 weeks of their term.

Your final top tip is for post-onboarding. 

Conduct a 3-month Performance Peering session with them which includes soliciting feedback and as well as providing it.

I hope moving forward you will not underestimate the importance and power of a positive onboarding experience as a critical part of your Employee Retention Strategy.  You can contact me at any time for advice or to ask a question and remember RIPPLE has all the services you need to plan, implement, and execute all components or you Employee Retention Strategy.