Onboarding
Onboarding is the successful integration of new hires
into an organization so that they become productive and
loyal employees. This concept encompasses far more than
a “good” orientation—it is a culture
that through adequate preparation and support empowers
the new hire to be the best employee they can possibly
be.
Although some employers choose to center their programs
on the orientation and training phases, the onboarding
culture is most successful when it originates with the
new hire’s first contact with the organization
during the recruiting and hiring process and continues
through training and performance evaluations until the
employee is firmly established.
Unfortunately, many employers do not understand the
importance of establishing or improving their onboarding
process because they often do not recognize the weakness
that immediately impact their new hires or how dramatic
that impact can be on retention. Disorganization, unclear
expectations, poor training, inconsistent preceptors,
and unwelcoming environments are just a few factors that
influence new hires as soon as they walk through the
door.
Conversely, because of our perspective as an employment
communications firm, we are constantly hearing these
complaints first-hand and truly understand employees’ disappointments
and frustrations when they are not successfully integrated
into their facility. Consider the following comments
from exiting employees:
- “I was thrown into a lot of things that
I was expected to do without any direction.”
- “I decided to leave after two days of orientation
because they could not give me a definite job description
or schedule.”
- “I never had the same
preceptor. It was too difficult.”
- They
violated the law for new-grad RN’s. They
had too little training and too much independence
on the unit too early to meet the training requirements.”
- “I
felt unwelcome. The nurses who had been there a
long time would not talk to me or help me.”
Based on
our research, data, and employee comments, we know
that new hires who receive proper guidance, thorough
training, and feel welcomed at the beginning of their
careers in turn feel good about their choice of employer,
fit in quickly with peers and colleagues, and readily
contribute new ideas. They are also more likely to
speak well about the facility to friends and family,
and are more likely to represent the facility more
confidently and positively to customers and colleagues.
All of these factors support greater employee engagement
and retention and demonstrate why a well-designed
onboarding program is a sound investment for any organization.
On the other hand, when employers choose not to invest
in onboarding to ensure their staff is properly
and fully integrated into the organization, the result
is high staff turnover. This, of course, translates
into higher costs for the continued process of
recruiting and training for the same positions over
and over again. Staff turnover also takes a high
toll on morale. When employees are constantly leaving
your organization, those who remain begin to wonder:
Should we be looking for new employment, too?
So, while it’s obvious that implementing a
sound onboarding process is important, few invest the
time and attention necessary to make sure it's done well.
Now is the time to review your current processes and
take the steps toward a long-term onboarding program.
Establish a culture that will attract the best employees,
foster the best performances, and ensure the best retention
possible. Be the best.
Provided by: JWT
Specialized Communications
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