Hiring new employees is only half the battle for Human Resources professionals. The next challenge is keeping the new hire from quitting the weeks, months, and even years after they have accepted a position at your organization. This is a daunting task considering in 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the rate of workers quitting their jobs is the highest it has been in the last six years.
Common reasons often cited for turnover includes the following:
- Burnout
- Company culture
- Failure to develop skills
- Failure to challenge and motivate
According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, employers will spend the equivalent of six to nine months of an employee’s salary in order to find and train their replacement. Recruiting good talent has become fiercely competitive, so having effective employee onboarding is imperative to not only retain good employees, but motivate him or her to thrive at your organization.
Onboarding has become a hot topic in recent years as more companies recognize its positive impact on business growth. First impressions are crucial, especially considering new hires generally make their decision to stay at a company within the first six months of the job.
Research has suggested that employees who feel welcome and prepared for their jobs will quickly and successfully contribute to your company’s mission.
Here are some ways you can motivate and inspire new hires through your onboarding process:
- Make them feel welcome as soon as he or she walks through the door
- Have a senior manager or CEO teach the new hire about your company’s culture, values, and mission
- Work with the new hire to identify their personal and professional goals at your company
- Assign the new hire a mentor or companion to help him or her transition into the company’s culture
- Personally introduce new hires to company executives and senior management
- Offer benefits and incentives
- Highlight training opportunities
- Show new hires how he or she can grow in your company
The onboarding process can be overwhelming for any new hire. Another good practice is to outline the company onboarding process in an outline or checklist.
Once the onboarding process is complete, you should check in with employees to see how things are going. Ask for feedback or ideas to make the onboarding process even better. Remember, there is always room for improvement. Large companies, such as Google and IBM, are constantly modifying their onboarding processes to help motivate their employees to succeed.