Why Bad Onboarding Will Damage Your Business

Why Bad Onboarding Will Damage Your Business Amid the hype of attracting top talent and filling vacant positions, its easy for employers to  forget the importance of having a great onboarding program for new  starters.  If someone has signed up to work at your company, theyve obviously been impressed thus far by who theyve met and the reception theyve  been given. Hiring managers are happy to  go the extra mile to woo talent  and amend  their talent shortage. However, having a signed contract and a new  start date should  NOT be  where the candidate courting stops. Why? Without a solid and thorough introduction to the business, new employees can be overwhelmed by information  or  confused by a lack of it. Many report feeling  neglected in the early days, and a rocky start often leads to shaky employees. A bad onboarding process means employees are not properly integrated into the organisation nor embedded into their role, creating a sense of disengagement that can leave to early resignation. The folks over at  Onboardia  have compiled the infographic below showcasing the importance of laying a strong foundation for new hires, quoting fifty-six percent of disengaged employees say that when it came to their onboarding process, they received either ineffective or no training at all. As a result,  31% of people quit their job within six months or less. Helpless in HR Its concerning that  81% of HR administrators feel their company doesn’t do onboarding well at all. Perhaps its because of a lack of resources, a lack of time or simply not enough investment from the powers that be above.  Only 32% of organizations actually have formal onboarding programs. On-the-job training Majority rules: 76% of employees want on-the-job training during their first week. More than half of employees believe that actually, with a bit of extra training, they could do their job far better. Buddy up Safety in numbers is a saying for a reason. Its reported that  56% of employees would like to have a buddy during the on boarding process. Get it right! Getting the onboarding process right has massive positive flow on effects for employees. Three quarters of employees who were satisfied with the on boarding process reported feeling loyal to their current company. It all starts from day one Easing a new employees first day anxieties is hugely important to getting things off to the right start. Making sure that employees have someone to personally meet and greet them upon arrival can make or break their morning. Make sure the receptionist is aware that they will be coming in, and introduce the new person to the members of their team dont just sit them down and deal with the internal networking piece later. These might seem like little things, but they are instrumental in putting a nervous new starter at ease. Within their first few days, you want to cover all the basics about the organisation, the business and the products. Talking them through  the current marketplace and where the company sits in context with this will also help them to have a complete overview of their own and the companys position. ITs also important to provide the individual with contact point, names and numbers  of who they can call for help and emergencies. Simply put, keeping close tabs on new employees and making sure they are comfortable is a huge factor in retaining the top talent you attract! Top Image: Shutterstock