Build Engagement Through Successful Onboarding

A first impression only happens once. There are no do-overs. Those first seconds, hours, days... even weeks, set the tone for theconnection of your new hires to your company. How you assimilateor onboard a new staffer, has a significant impact on performanceand the bottom line.

According to a 2010 Aberdeen Group study, "Onboarding: The First Line of Engagement," organizations with a formal onboardingprocess (one that has a dedicated strategy and set of objectives) sawa 60% greater year-over-year improvement in revenue per FTE anda 63% greater year-over-year improvement in customer satisfactionthan those with an informal or ad-hoc onboarding process.

“Business executives are looking to 2010 as a year for growth.And the ability of new employees to contribute quickly and bebest-equipped to serve the needs of customers will be critical to thisendeavor,” said Kevin Martin, vice president and principal analystfor human capital research at Aberdeen Group.

So what exactly is onboarding and what steps can you take toensure that your new hires get the right first impressions of yourcompany and “engage” at the onset? Onboarding practices intoday’s workplace run the gamut from welcome aboard speeches toa full litany of do’s and don’ts for your new shining stars.

Successful onboarding programs share similar traits:They Introduce: Introducing new employees to your corporateculture is key. Do they get a feel for the larger organization andunderstand the important role they play in it? Have you painted apicture for them of your organization’s past and future direction?They Connect: Create several “touch-points” or engagementswith employees beyond the orientation period. Research showsthat the relationship with the immediate supervisor is one of themost significant in an employee’s work life. Most employee turnoveris ultimately caused by that relationship (or lack of it), which makesthe ability to assimilate new employees a core competenceof managers.They Nurture: Your employees need to know that they areappreciated and valued beyond day one.

Successful onboarding programs don’t just address new hires on thefirst few weeks of employment, but encompass the entire employ-ment cycle from pre-hire to career pathing and advancement.

People need support, reassurance, and honest answers. Themore you can provide this right at the start of the employmentexperience, the stronger your organization’s culture will be and thebetter its retention of key people.