A positive onboarding experience is and always has been key to the success (and retention!) of new hires. Yet a 2019 Gallup poll found that “after experiencing onboarding at their organization, only 29% of new hires say that they feel fully prepared and supported to excel in their new role.” And that was before a global pandemic, a mostly remote workforce, and The Great Resignation.
Effective onboarding is now more important than ever. Many of the employees hired over the past two years have not met their teammates in person, or walked down the corporate hallways, or chatted with a fellow employee at the coffee station.
So, how do you convey the company culture and create team connections in a hybrid work environment?
Here are some tips.
Provide all new hires with a company Orientation that includes information about the company history, mission, vision, goals, and objectives. Talk about the culture and give examples of how it’s demonstrated internally and externally. Consider having (positive) long-time employees share their experiences relative to the culture. Be sure to allow time for introductions, interactions and questions.
Promote connections. Create opportunities for new hires to connect one-on-one with other team members – via Zoom, or, if practical, via scheduled in person meetings.
Add a personal touch. Millennials and Gen Z new hires in particular expect a high touch onboarding experience. One way to do this is to assign a “buddy” or mentor to help the new hire get oriented to the new company. This is especially important for summer interns/college students who are being onboarded remotely. They need an assigned 1:1 person who is not their manager to help them learn the ropes and to be available to answer questions.
Communicate. Before the new hire’s first day be sure that they have the equipment they need and that their email is set up and working. Send out an announcement to the rest of the team with the new hire’s name, role and a brief bio. Designate a team member(s) to send the new hire a “welcome” message on or before their first day. Be sure the new hire is looped in to all company-wide communications.
Consistently demonstrate the culture. Culture is more than just perks. It’s how leadership and employees demonstrate company values, how they treat one another, how they treat customers, vendors, etc.
Involve the new hire’s leader. The new hire’s leader plays a key role in acclimating them to the organization. According to Microsoft research, when managers played an active role in their new hire’s onboarding, employees were 3.5 times more likely to say they were satisfied with their onboarding experience. They were also 1.2 times more likely to feel that they were contributing to their team’s success.
Remember, employee retention starts on Day 1.