It's not just in times of a shortage of skilled workers that it's annoying when employees leave during their probationary period. Not only have you invested time and money in finding and training the people, it will cost money again and an average of 113 days to fill the position again, not to mention the stress of everyone involved. That's why it's so important to have a carefully designed onboarding process.
Because it's actually quite clear: If the start in a new company is boring, stressful or overloaded with bureaucracy, your ideal candidate will perhaps think again. If the start is remembered as positive, ideally as a seamless continuation of a good candidate experience in the application phase , then you are well on your way to a new, committed employee.
An onboarding process
It is therefore advisable not only for corporations, but also for smaller companies, to not just proceed on a gut feeling, but to set up a clear process (and then stick to it).
In the US, small businesses have been able to reduce employee attrition by up to 60% by implementing carefully planned onboarding .
If you're looking for a guide, you've come to the right place. We'll walk you through what should happen in the first 90 days that new employees spend at your company to ensure they stay with you long, happy and hard-working. As a bonus, there's a comprehensive list of everything to consider below.
One week before starting: Introduction and paperwork
Don't wait until your official first day of work to begin your efforts; there are a few things you can do beforehand to ensure success.
Think back to the last time you started a new job: a new, unfamiliar environment, new, unfamiliar tasks, new, unfamiliar colleagues. It's nerve-wracking and stressful. But you have the power to make this first day less tiring.
Therefore, you should send an email to your new hire one week before he or she starts work. It should include:
A welcome greeting
A timeline of the first week
The indication that you are always available for questions
With a little support from you, your newcomers will feel in good hands, which in turn is the perfect starting point for a successful future in the company.
You should also appoint a mentor, ideally someone who has been working for you for some time, but in a similar position. Ideally, you can even find time for a short introduction by email or phone. A mentor is not just a first acquaintance in the company and a friendly face on the first day, studies show the many advantages of mentoring , which is also very well received by Generation Z.
And while you're at it, you should now get the last bureaucratic hurdles out of the way. Add your new recruits to an onboarding software and they can submit any outstanding information digitally and prepare registration with the employment agency, health insurance company, BG, etc., then that's out of the way.
Screenshot of an onboarding process at namely
This is what the form filler looks like at Namely (
source )
This way, your new employees will have insurance coverage in place from day one and you can all focus on what is really important: an introduction to the company.
The day before you start: Set up an inviting workplace
Imagine you start a new job, you are shown to your place and everything is clean, with everything you need for the first week and maybe even a small welcome gift. Nice, right?
Now imagine that your new employer hasn't even bothered to wipe down the table and you might even find an old handkerchief from the previous owner in the drawer. Of course, that makes an impression, but not the right one.
A messy workplace
So, let's do it... Hey, where are you going? ( Source )
Because the first impression counts. And that's exactly why you should make sure that the new colleague really feels comfortable in her workplace.
It's actually quite simple:
Remove all traces of former colleagues. The predecessor's name tag or business cards are depressing and have no place in a new workplace. Let your employees start off carefree.
Provide them with everything they need. HR and IT should work together here: computers with the appropriate software, telephones, office supplies, name tags, company directories and more belong in a well-equipped workplace. Get things together in advance and make life easier for your new employees.
Be generous with promotional gifts. Look in the closet again and find anything that has the company logo on it. Coffee mug, ballpoint pen, bottle opener, it doesn't matter: give your new employees anything that they can wear. Maybe you can even have it personalized?
Include welcome greetings from colleagues. A few friendly words from future colleagues can make the day much more pleasant.
Maybe even flowers? For someone who has moved to your city, a city map is also a great idea. And if the welcome gifts can somehow be aligned with your company culture or your products or services, then even better. For an outdoor equipment manufacturer, for example, a hiking map would also be recommended. Be creative and adapt your gifts to your company, but also to the circumstances you know from the new person's life.
If I had to pick a single, most important moment in the first 90 days, it would be the first day of work. So plan it especially carefully. Now is the time to make a particularly good impression, so you should take advantage of the opportunity. If your new technical draftswoman thinks on the way home tonight: "This is going to be great!", you've done everything right.
First, make sure someone is there to greet her at the entrance in the morning, preferably canada telegram data her direct supervisor or mentor. (You have no idea how many new hires start their first day waiting at the gate until someone is available to see them. Frustrating, right?) Show her where to leave her things, give her a coffee or snack, and show her around.
While she's settling into her new job, write a short letter introducing her and her role, explaining where she'll be in the company and who she'll be managing. Invite her to lunch with some of her new colleagues.
And if you want to do something really extraordinary, take an example:
These 3 companies celebrate the first day in a very special way
Everlane gives new employees $100 on their first day to spend on something they love right away. No matter what it is, there's just one restriction: They have to report back to their coworkers over the next week on what they did with the money.
At ATLETO, newcomers choose their favorite sport and then play a round with their colleagues. When a new technical director joined the company in 2016, the workforce went stand-up paddling together .
At TINYpulse, the first day of all new employees is celebrated with a bottle of champagne
It should now be clear what we are getting at: make sure that the first day is one that you will remember fondly (very fondly!). In plain language, that means no paperwork (that should already have been done anyway) and certainly no training. There will be plenty of time for that in the next few weeks.