First off, it’s important to look at the question of “What does onboarding mean?” This might seem obvious to some, but having a deeper understanding of onboarding could make all the difference when it comes to employee retention.
Having the correct outlook with onboarding can make sure employees start their new career on the right foot and that they have a long and fruitful tenure with the company.
Don’t Rush The Process
It’s understandable to be eager in getting a new employee up to speed and working in their position as normal. It can be easy to fall into this from being passionate and excited about your business and/or position or from a need to distribute the work and relieve those that have been putting in extra hours while the position was vacant.
Taking time with onboarding can make all the difference for your new employees. How long it should be does really depend on the level of the position, their experience, and their expected workload, but the ultimate takeaway is take your time with it.
That could very well make the difference between a long term employee and needing to keep repeating the onboarding process as new employees keep leaving as they are thrown into their work too quickly for their comfort.
Make Them Feel Like Part Of The Team
Employee satisfaction doesn’t end at being satisfied with the work we do. While that is a large part of it, there’s more that goes into our working lives. We dedicate a large percentage of our time to our careers and it’s important that new employees feel culturally comfortable in their new positions.
This is something to keep in mind whether your business is large or small, in person or virtual. With a large company, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle within the needs of the business. On the other hand, with a smaller company it can be easy for a new employee to be on the outside of a close knit group.
Regardless of the size of your company or department, making sure your new employee feels comfortable and that they fit in, starting during onboarding, can make a large difference in whether they see themselves with the company long term or not.
Make Room For A Mentor
Having someone in a more senior position become a mentor for a new hire can be a great way for new employees to feel comfortable and to start carving their niche within the company. As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a stupid question but it’s easy for someone to feel that way if they don’t have a dedicated mentor to go to.
It’s fair to imagine a new employee wanting to quickly appear confident in their new position and not to bother coworkers with the minor questions that are going to come up throughout their beginning month at the company. Having a dedicated mentor, who has time put aside for new employee questions, will allow for a relaxed environment for any and all questions to get sorted out with the pressure off.