First impressions are important. This is especially true for employees arriving for the first time in their new job. For this reason, many companies are starting to make sure that these first days are pleasant for the newcomer to the team.
To achieve this, companies have started to create their own onboarding programmes. This is the name given to the process designed to welcome a new employee.
On the contrary, onboarding aims to accelerate their integration, to get them to know the team, to understand the company culture and to make them feel comfortable from the very first minute.
It has been proven that the welcome a person receives can define their short-term future within a company. According to TalentWise, 69% of employees will stay with the company for at least 3 years if the onboarding process is well defined.
Recruitment processes are long, costly and every signing is a gamble and an investment. To get the most out of him and to make sure he stays with you for many years, you need to take care of him from the very beginning.
It is important to think and reflect on a person's first few months in a company. According to Michael Watking, author of the book The First 90 Days, “when someone takes a new job they are most vulnerable, so it is the perfect time to reach out and make an impact”.
On the first day, people sometimes err on the side of being too formal or serious. The rules of the company, the timetable, the strategy, the objectives, the structure... This does nothing to break the ice.
According to Watking, the focus should be on the company's culture and values. What's more, he adds, “you shouldn't wait until the first day to tell them all this - during interviews it's important to convey the vision of your company to see if they are the right person or not”.
Welcoming a new colleague should be a responsibility shared by the whole team. Ask one veteran to become a mentor to the newcomer, another to act as a guide... Designate roles and get your employees to start interacting more with each other.
The more senior members will have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and leadership skills; and the newcomer will be able to “bore” his or her peers with questions without feeling too self-conscious.
It is important that your new recruit knows from the outset what is expected of them. Take the time to explain why they have been hired, what their functions are and how their success will be measured within the team.
In this way, you will be clearing up a large number of unknowns and making the rules of the game clear.
Watking believes that the onboarding process takes 90 days, as it is only after this time that the person is fully integrated and adapted to their new position.
However, he also acknowledges that there is no exact measure for everyone. In his book, he explains that there are cases where some employees have only started to shine and perform at their best after six months.
With this in mind, when designing your own strategy, bear in mind that it should have these four ingredients:
Otherwise, anything goes. There is no such thing as a specific onboarding, each company must design its own onboarding that best conveys its personality to new employees. Even the craziest ideas have a place here.
Remember:
And never, never....:
With all this information you will be ready to give your next recruit the welcome he or she deserves. This welcome will positively mark their integration and trajectory within the company.
