Personnel(ly) Speaking
A Monthly Newsletter from
Personnel Management
Systems, Inc.
May 2007
The New Employee On-Boarding Program:
What is it and is it worth all the trouble?
Your
long-awaited new employee arrives on their first day of work. As a manager, your first thought is, “I need
this person brought up to speed as soon as possible!” Your employee’s first thought is, “I hope I
made the right decision!”
As the
day progresses your new hire meets their team and other co-workers, reads
paperwork, signs up for benefits, goes through the employee handbook and learns
about your company’s history. You’re
happy they got everything they needed and now they are ready to work. The employee is thinking, “Wow, what was her
name again? Where do I sit?”
With
the nationwide unemployment rate at 4.4% and even lower in certain parts of the
country, retaining
your current employees becomes a harder task.
“What
does unemployment have to do with my employee’s first day,” you ask? Research at Corning Glass Works
revealed that employees who attended a structured orientation program were 69%
more likely to remain with the company after three years than those who did not
go through such a program.
By
combining the typical new hire orientation with a mainstreaming process, good
managers and good companies can create a comprehensive Employee On-boarding
Program that meets the organization’s goal of retaining good workers and your
new employee’s need for knowing they made the right decision choosing your
company.
Why Do We Need a Structured On-Boarding
Program?
- Lower
turnover –
The cost of turnover is estimated to be 1.5 times the salary of the
position. Not connecting new employees to your
company can cost you.
- Increased
productivity
– A study at Texas Instruments found that employees who were carefully
oriented into the organization and job reached 'full productivity' two
months earlier than those who weren't.
Who is Involved in an Effective
On-Boarding Program?
- Those
involved in the recruitment process – The hiring manager and other team members can reinforce
what was shared about the company culture during the recruitment process.
- The
employee’s direct manager – The largest responsibility for an effective
On-boarding Program falls onto the employee’s hiring manager. This person has the most effect over
what the new hire does and how they are introduced to your company’s
culture.
- Human
Resources –
Human Resources can assist in developing the On-boarding Program and also
take care of the required paperwork.
- Upper
Management
– New employees are often intimidated by upper management. By including upper management in the
On-boarding Program, new employees know they are welcome.
How Do We Implement an Effective
On-boarding Program?
- Create
a plan –
Before an employee is hired, all of the key players need to work together
to develop a meaningful plan on not only how employees are introduced to
their job, but also to the company.
What is the outcome each player desires?
- Create
a checklist – Designate who is responsible for each training
aspect you want your new hire to know and by what date it is expected. Share this with the new hire so they are
involved and so they can see who is helping them through this transition.
- Give
each new employee a mentor or a buddy – A mentor
helps connect the new employee with their team. This person gives the new hire a place
to ask questions and helps define your culture: acceptable work hours and
dress, how to get supplies, where to get lunch, etc…
- Be
ready –
Make sure the new employee has a desk, a computer, a phone, server access,
keys, and whatever else they need to be self-sufficient. Show them you took the time to get ready
for them.
- Make
it on-going
– What happens next week or next month?
Don’t forget about those new employees. Maybe have a “new hire lunch” once a
quarter for all new hires to get together and meet with management to ask
questions.
- Give
the employee something meaningful to work on during their first day – This gives the new
employee a sense of accomplishment and a readiness to take on more.
- Let
new employees learn about other teams – Create a job-shadowing program where new employees
spend an hour with another team so they can fully understand their role
within the organization.
- Make
it consistent
– All employees, whether part-time, full-time, non-exempt or exempt, need
to participate.
- Give
them a map
– Give new employees a floor plan of the office that includes names of
co-workers; this gives them names to go with faces.
- Follow-up – At the end of the new
employee’s first week, set aside some time to talk with them about how
they are doing so far. What else do
they need?
- Develop
a list of FAQ’s
– Instead of having new employees figure out what questions to ask, be
prepared. Employees tend to ask the
same questions when they start: Where can they find those commonly-used
files? Who places supply
orders? What about expense reports?
- Wrap
up their new office supplies like a gift basket – It makes their first day
a bit more "celebratory” and it’s a fun, inexpensive way to liven up
an empty office or cubicle.
- Say
"hi"
– It’s the fastest and easiest way to make a new person feel welcome and
wanted.
- Introduce
them to everyone
– Instead of sending out an announcement, have a new hire breakfast or lunch. Give everyone at the company a chance to
come together to meet the new hires.
This is also a great tool to keep long-term employees feeling
welcome and engaged and to retain your new employees for the long-term.
The
On-boarding Program your company creates will be your first opportunity to make
your new employees feel welcome and to show them what your company is all
about. Having an effective On-boarding
Program unique to your culture will help clarify your organizational goals and
offer many benefits for both you and your employees. If you need assistance in this area, Personnel
Management Systems can assist with the development of an On-boarding Program
and other Human Resources needs.
Personnel(ly) Speaking is a monthly comment on HR
issues of importance. It is intended to
provide general information and must not be construed as legal advice. Reproductions are allowed as long as credit
for this information is given to PMSI.
We welcome your comments, questions, and concerns. © PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, INC.,
Corporate Office (425) 576-1900, Colorado Office (720) 497-0200, www.hrpmsi.com.