As the skills gap grows, HR must pull out all of the stops to retain your new hires but in many cases, it’s not working. Up to one in four new hires leave their jobs in the first six months according to research from Korn Ferry and 90% of employers believe that retention of their new employees is a significant problem.
Onboarding is the final component of the candidate experience and often the most overlooked part of talent acquisition. Today’s jobseekers expect more from their new employer than completion of a few forms and a brief introduction to their colleagues.
Effective onboarding ensures your new hires are quickly integrated within your company but Korn Ferry’s survey found that nearly a third of employers don’t have a formal programme. If that applies to your business, here’s how to begin:-
Automate essential admin elements : As soon as your job offer is accepted, take care of critical checks such as DBS and any mandatory credit agency checks through your recruitment software. Don’t cut corners by omitting reference requests because you’re convinced you’ve found your perfect candidate. 42% of companies do skip this part of the process but the risk of a bad hire can have very real and negative consequences on your employer brand.
Stay in touch : In today’s labour market, a job offer acceptance doesn’t necessarily mean your new employee will turn up on the first day. The number of job hoarders and last minute turndowns rose in 2016. Maintain engagement with your new hires throughout this waiting period through a combination of personal messages and automated updates through your recruitment software. Include them in all relevant internal and company communications and provide regular updates on the progress of projects they will be assigned to. Issue a detailed agenda for their first week to allow time for questions and feedback.
Provide a welcoming environment : Set up technology, e-mails, telephones and all relevant stationery to ensure a positive first impression from the day they join your organisation. Check that access is available to all relevant software or files and include a clear training plan so your new hire knows exactly what to expect.
Automate alerts for HR : Work Rules[1] written by Laszlo Bock, Google’s former Senior VP of People Operations, suggests that a reminder alert issued to the hiring manager prior to the new employee’s first day can reduce the average time to productivity by 25%. Set up automated reminders within your recruitment software to enable your hiring team to plan effectively.
Involve colleagues : Company culture is the reason behind the departure for 20% of your new hires according to Korn Ferry. Successful onboarding ensures effective communication of your culture and vision while ensuring a comprehensive understanding of where your employees fits in within your organisation. A further recommendation from Laszlo Bock is to assign a ‘peer buddy’ to your new hire. Their ‘buddy’ can respond quickly to questions about the working environment, culture and general procedures. A formal mentoring programme can also help your new employee to acclimatise and integrate quickly within your business.
Regular check-ins : A one day or one week programme will have a negligible impact on retention levels. Onboarding should be a continuous programme for your new hires during the first six months of their employment. Bock recommends at least monthly check-ins for the first six months.
Include your temporary and gig economy workers : PageGroup found that 58% of employers invest in onboarding training for their temporary staff. As the average period for a temporary assignment is now 32 weeks, extending your onboarding to all of your project or contingent workers will enable your business to meet its goals more effectively.
Review regularly : If your recruitment data reveals a consistent pattern of early departures, take a more in-depth look at your hiring process. The main reason most new hires leave is because their new job doesn’t meet the impression or expectations presented to them during the hiring process. Gather feedback from applicants covering each step, paying particular attention to the interview. Use the data gathered to inform future talent acquisition strategies and adopt a similar approach by carrying out exit interviews for all employees, with the focus on short-lived new hires.
Ensure an effective onboarding experience for your new hires with recruitment software designed to help you hire better people faster. Contact Advorto today.
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[1] https://www.workrules.net/uk
