This past fall I made the exciting decision to leave my previous employer and join Jobvite’s Marketing Team. While it was, and still is, a decision I am incredibly happy about, there was one part that made me a bit anxious. It would be the first time I joined a company and did all my onboarding virtually. How was I going to get to know the company, its culture, its processes and most importantly, my marketing colleagues from a remote environment? Admittedly, I’m the type that prefers in-person interactions. Thankfully, Jobvite and my manager took advantage of the technology available and delivered a powerful new employee onboarding experience that allowed me to get the information, interactions, and training I needed to hit the ground running.
My experience is one that so many organizations have faced over the past year given the shift to remote work caused by Covid. What most learned, some the hard way, was that technology and a formal onboarding process are essential requirements to delivering a valued, positive experience for new hires. Hiring and onboarding go hand in hand. There is nothing a recruiter hates more than spending the time and effort to attract, interview, and hire a new employee only to have that employee leave within their first 3 months due to a poor onboarding experience. In fact, research shows that 20% of all new hires leave in the first 90 days. That turnover is costly in time, productivity, and hard dollars. To ensure this is not the case at your organization, there are a number of things you can do to provide a smooth transition from new hire to productive and engaged employee. The secret is a well-designed and executed onboarding process.
Onboarding vs. Orientation
For many companies, onboarding means getting your paperwork distributed, filled in, and signed. This thinking is incredibly short-sighted, especially in a remote work environment. If you are using your onboarding process only as a document management solution, you are destined to fail. The most successful HR teams have clear and comprehensive onboarding objectives. They include:
- Easy access to new hire paperwork (e-signature capabilities are table stakes today)
- Onboarding checklist for new hires to refer to as they move through the onboarding process
- Introduction to the company’s mission, vision, and values (extension of employer branding)
- Facilitate introductions to their department colleagues (begin team building efforts)
- Resource center for “everything you need to know” for Day 1 and beyond
- Begin the learning & development process (if there are critical skills or certifications required, make training available)
- Provide a resource center for all questions
- 30-60-90 day plan for the new employee
It is important to remember that the selling process does not end with the accepted offer. Most of us are anxious when we make a major change like a new job. Providing a clear and inclusive onboarding process helps ease that anxiety and allows the new hire to focus on the excitement of starting a new position. A disjointed onboarding experience will only heighten that anxiety and potentially lead to a change of heart by the new hire.
Let Technology Carry the Weight
Most HR organizations have onboarding solutions built into their Recruiting or Talent Management software. The question to ask yourself is, are you utilizing it to its full capacity? Again, if it is only a document management system, you are missing a significant opportunity. Automate the system and personalize it wherever you can. The more time spent developing a world-class onboarding program leveraging your technology, the faster you will transform a new hire to a productive employee. More importantly, you will retain the majority of your new hires because they believe your company is invested and committed to their development, growth, and success. If you don’t have access to an onboarding platform, now is the time to start looking for a partner. Many new hires are onboarding remotely which makes it even more important that you have a modern onboarding experience.
Jobvite Can Help You Deliver Successful Onboarding
As I mentioned, Jobvite has an onboarding platform that made my experience smooth. It was personalized to me and the role I was starting within the Marketing Team and it helped me internalize the new culture I was joining. It was all delivered with Jobvite’s Onboard solution, so I had a portal that gave me access to everything I needed for Day 1 as well as some resources I have turned back to over my first few months. I joined a great organization and an amazing team. Fortunately for me, I knew that before I started thanks to the hard work, commitment, and technology provided by the HR team at Jobvite. If you are interested in learning more about how Jobvite’s technology can help your organization evolve your onboarding in a remote world, visit our website at www2.jobvite.com/products/onboard or request a demo here.
