With an increase in employee turnover, providing a personalized onboarding experience has become more important than ever. However, many employers still fall short in this category. A Gallup survey reveals that only 12% of employees think their organization does a great job at onboarding new hires.
To better understand the importance of a personalized onboarding, we sat down for a chat with Terry Jones, inspirational trainer, mentor, and life coach. In the latest episode of Team Building Saves the World, Terry takes a deep dive into what makes an onboarding process successful.
“I think a good onboarding experience is an extenuation of the interviewing process. A lot of employees get really excited about having joined the company. So I think a really good onboarding process sort of affirms the person’s decision to join the company.”
Benefits of Having a Personalized Onboarding Process
The first day on the job can be a stressful experience for both the company and the incoming employee. Tailoring your onboarding process to fit the specific needs of the newcomer can help them feel more comfortable, empowered, and welcomed.
Here are several other important benefits of making the onboarding process more personalized.
Higher retention rate
A well-organized and personalized onboarding experience can improve your retention rates by 82%, according to research by Brandon Hall Group. With great talent harder to come by, your retention strategy should start from day one. This is because employees who’ve had a positive onboarding experience are more likely to remain with the company for longer and maintain high levels of engagement.
Increased employee engagement
A personalized onboarding experience can make your employees feel more connected to the company and its values. To keep your new hires engaged, make sure to clearly communicate how their work will contribute to the growth of the company and why their work matters.
As Terry points out, “A successful onboarding process helps the employees themselves to see where they fit in, in the larger picture and the larger success of the company.”
Improved productivity
For some employees, it can take months for them to fully get ramped up and start delivering results. A powerful onboarding process can help speed up the process. A study by the SHRM Foundation found that a detailed and well-thought-out onboarding process can help increase employee productivity by 60%.
Strong company culture
Fostering a strong and positive company culture starts from the first time a candidate makes contact with your company. Take this opportunity to present your company’s core values, how you treat people, and clearly explain how the employee’s work will contribute to the company.
A personalized onboarding process tailored to your new employee’s needs will make it easier for them to assimilate into the culture and create a sense of belonging.
6 Simple Ways to Personalize Your Onboarding Process
Your onboarding experience should take into account the employee’s personality and style of learning. While an extrovert may learn faster by shadowing another colleague, an introvert might prefer to watch videos or tutorials.
In the Team Building Saves the Work podcast, Terry Jones emphasizes that having a strong onboarding process sets the employee up for success.
“When the employees feel good about having joined the company they are able to get up and running very quickly. They feel like you’ve actually set them up for success. They feel welcomed into the company. If you’re taking the time to properly onboard them, you’re setting the person up to be successful.”
Here are six simple tips on how to make your onboarding process more employee-oriented.
1) Start onboarding before the first day
Don’t wait until it’s your employee’s first day on the job to begin the onboarding process. To reduce the anxiety of starting a new job, send your new hire a plan of what their first few days will look like. The new hire will know what to expect and will ultimately feel more comfortable.
2) Develop a mentorship program
Partner your new hires with more experienced employees to help them get familiar with the job faster. Working hand-in-hand with a coworker will not only help them complete the onboarding process more efficiently but will help them build relationships with colleagues early on.
3) Make the onboarding materials more engaging
Many employees don’t prefer sitting at a desk for hours reading through boring onboarding materials. Add an interactive element to your onboarding process. Rather than giving your new hires documents to read, explain your processes with animated explainer videos, colorful illustrations, or even games.
4) Organize team building events
Team building events give your new hires an opportunity to interact with the team, build relationships, and connect on a more personal level.
TeamBonding’s Infinite Loop and Go Green Racing are great fast-paced challenges that will get your teams working together. These popular programs are sure to boost morale and enforce positive feedback between employees.
For hybrid and virtual teams, consider organizing a Mixology class. This hands-on virtual event is designed to create a fun and stimulating environment for your new employees and bring down any barriers between team members.
5) Schedule regular HR check-in calls
Every employee wants to be valued and understood by their employer. This is especially true for new hires who are not fully integrated into the company culture. Schedule regular check-ins between your new hires and HR. These meetings will give your employees a chance to ask questions and provide feedback.
6) Create a personalized success roadmap
Help your new employee set goals during the first 30, 60, and 90 days on the job. Creating a success roadmap will help your people visualize their goals, identify positive outcomes, and prepare for any potential challenges and obstacles.
To track employee progress through the success roadmap, make sure to follow up with regular meetings with the employee to discuss any problems they’re having and praise them for their hard work.
Final Thoughts
A strong onboarding process focuses on people – not paperwork. A well-developed personalized onboarding process that centers around clear goals, dynamic content, and building connections can increase employee engagement, improve productivity, and lead to better retention rates.
To learn more about how you can personalize your onboarding process, be sure to listen to the entire Onboarding podcast episode with Terry Jones.
If you’re interested in fostering a stronger connection between your new hires and current employees, explore other TeamBonding’s engaging team building activities.
