When was the last time your business revisited the procedures for bringing on new hires? If it’s been 3, 5 or even 10 years, you’re due for an overhaul. Otherwise, your outdated onboarding process could be costing you talent.
Why Outdated Onboarding Chases Away Talent
First Impressions Matter
Imagine you are a new hire. On your first day, the HR manager hands you a stack of paperwork that clearly hasn’t been updated in years. What’s your first impression? “Wow! This company is on top of their game,” or “Uh-oh. This company is behind the times.” Chances are, it’s the latter. And when talented employees feel uncertain about an organization, their first reaction is to look for other options.
Motivated Employees Want to Excel
Motivated employees understand the importance of onboarding. They recognize well-designed procedures help them reach full productivity faster and, thus, accelerate their careers. On the other hand, they also understand an outdated, disorganized or even non-existent program causes them to fall behind. Regrettably, this may be enough to send them right back into job hunting mode.
Top Signs Your Onboarding Is Outdated
A Lack of Technology
Is your organization still using old paper forms, printed copies of handbooks and/or long PDF training manuals? If so, it’s probably time to upgrade to self-service portals, computerized files and online training videos. Of course, this requires your business to make an investment. However, ultimately, this easier-to-use, more efficient systems should be well worth the cost.
One-Size-Fits-All Programs
The number of remote workers increased during the pandemic. Yet, unfortunately, many companies never updated their onboarding to reflect this change. And chances are, the same-old, standard onboarding procedures don’t work well for at-home employees. Therefore, plan to revamp processes to specifically meet the needs of various groups. For instance, consider the differences between remote vs. on-site, entry-level vs. experienced and managers vs. reports.
Tips to Improve Your Onboarding Process
Set Goals
No matter what type of program you have, you must have goals in mind. What do you hope to accomplish with onboarding? Although there are some standard answers, the exact responses will vary from one organization to the next.
Establish Procedures
Once you’ve defined WHAT you wish to accomplish, decide HOW to get there. For example, if you want all your new hires to be proficient in a certain technique after one month, prioritize training. On the other hand, if long-term goal setting is important, try implementing ongoing one-on-one meetings to monitor each individual’s progress.
Ask for Feedback
The best way to measure the success of your programs is to gather information from those who’ve lived them. You could collect data through anonymous surveys plus gain insights through casual conversations. Over time, this will allow you to discover what works and what doesn’t. Then, use this feedback to further refine and improve your onboarding processes.
Is Your Business Ready to Onboard Top Employees?
FirstStaff would be happy to help! Our recruiters place skilled and reliable light industrial workers, office staff and other professionals in Fort Smith, Arkansas and beyond. Contact us today to find the right people for your team!
