Dive Brief:
- Organizations with poorly-handeled onboarding are twice as likely to cause new hires to seek new opportunities "in the near future," according to a survey by machine-learning software vendor Digitate. While businesses do invest in HR technology software and recruiting staff to meet their need for talent, they may stop short of making improvements to employees' initial experiences.
- The study of 1,500 corporate professionals also found that the new hire onboard experience sets a tone which, if negative, can leave one in five new hires unlikely to recommend the employer to a family member or friend.
- Separately, three out of five professionals in the study "expressed an optimism that [a]utomation may benefit their employees," Digitate said.
Dive Insight:
It may be more important than ever to avoid onboarding mistakes and miscues, given the high-stakes nature of the job market. Good written policy isn't necessarily enough, either; 76% of HR leaders in a joint Kronos and Human Capital Institute study said their onboarding processes are underutilized. Another 24% didn't even have an onboarding strategy.
Getting new hires integrated into a culture within their first week is an obvious priority, but broken onboarding processes (which may also be more pervasive than is assumed) mean HR could be standing in its own way. Leadership development expert and CEO Anett Grant wrote that employers' three biggest onboarding mistakes with new hires include not checking in with them after a job offer, forgetting to welcome them with a brief celebration and bombarding them with too much information at one time.
Investment in training, combined with mentorship, has statistically shown improvements to engaging and retaining both new and seasoned hires, according to the Association for Talent Development. Drafting a plan and getting managers and other employees to help with the process is key, but so is giving fresh faces a realistic look at their day-to-day responsibilities and surroundings.
