Every business owner knows that recruitment is an expensive process. What it’s easy to overlook though is the cost of onboarding.
A study by Training Magazine found that companies spent $92.3 billion on training in 2020-2021. Small businesses bear the brunt, paying more to train their employees than large corporations. Faced with these kinds of numbers, mistakes during the onboarding process look very expensive.
Let’s dig into how to avoid costly errors and make employee onboarding as smooth as possible.
Forgetting Pre-Boarding
Before employees arrive on their first day, they should already have completed a pre-boarding process. Pre-boarding can sometimes refer to training that closes skill gaps, but here we’re talking about getting the mundane stuff out of the way first. Provide them all the practical things they need to know – who everyone is, where they sit, and your company’s policies.
Having completed a pre-boarding process, your new hires enter the building with extra confidence. They’re not coming in completely green; they’ve already had a taste of your company’s culture. It can settle nerves and help new employees get to work more quickly.
Lack of Structure
Effective onboarding requires organization and a clear structure. All too often though, it’s a hope for the best situation that leaves new hires feeling lost.
Effective onboarding requires a detailed schedule that’s focused, but balanced. It should let them know where they need to be at each point in the week and introduce them to key staff. All training included in the first week should have a clear purpose.
Inadequate Training
Nobody likes to feel that they’re not doing a great job. But even the most capable new hire could start feeling this way if they don’t fully understand the scope of their role and where they fit into the organization.
The onboarding process needs to include training that builds their confidence, rather than leaving them questioning their own competence.
Inaccurate Job Descriptions
A recent survey found that 52% respondents who had been at their job less than three months were actively seeking alternative employment. Some reported that jobs did not meet their expectations or were not as advertised.
Could the seeds of this disillusionment have been sown during the onboarding process? If the job presented during onboarding fails to match the job as described, the new hire may feel confused, or even deceived.
Onboarding is your opportunity to make a strong connection with the new hire and excite them about their role. An integrated approach to onboarding can help iron out any disconnect between job descriptions and the role the employee will perform.
Boost Employee Retention With Employee Onboarding Software
Forget hurried, disorganized onboarding that leads to unproductive workers. EMP Trust HR has created an employee onboarding portal that helps new hires understand their role from day one. Put all the information they need at their fingertips and help them seamlessly integrate into the team.
Request a demo to find out how we can transform your business’s onboarding process.
