The numbers are rather staggering. Around 20% of new hires will leave their new job within 45 days of starting and 4% indicate that it was the impression and experience of their very first that influenced their decision to leave. Hiring top employees and retaining them should be the number one priority of any organization, so the right onboarding process is critical to ensuring employee success. Here are 4 tips to help you create a successful onboarding program in your company.

1. Make introductions. Take time to introduce your new employee to everyone in the office, not just their department. Interaction will occur with everyone at some point, so the first meeting should be casual and easy. By already knowing the other people around the company, they will feel more comfortable talking to them when an issues occurs in the future. Provide a tour of the office space first thing and facilitate these introductions.
2. Give them a break. The first day can be overwhelming with all of the new information they’re expected to learn. Provide an opportunity to sit down halfway through the day and process their morning. Some managers like to take their new hires out for lunch to give them a casual opportunity to ask questions and get to know each other. You can talk to the employee one-on-one or you can invite the department as a way to break the ice.
3. Showcase company culture. Policies, procedures, and daily tasks are important, but onboarding needs to go beyond these basics. You need to demonstrate your company’s core values, the environment, and how the team works together. Your company culture should be the heartbeat of your company and your new staff member should feel like they have a general and positive sense of the office.
4. Share feedback along the way. One of the reasons for dissatisfaction among new employees is not knowing about problems until it is too late. Some managers will wait until the 90 day review to provide and receive feedback, which leaves the new employee wondering if they are doing okay on the job. Make helpful suggestions when things need improvement along the way. Also, reinforce when you see good results. Also, allow for them to provide feedback to you to ensure they aren’t bottling up negative feelings.

How is your company handling the onboarding process for new employees? Our employment experts, located in Phoenix, Denver, Los Angeles and Orange County, can help so call us today.