According to a Jobvite survey, over one-third of new hires quit their jobs within the first six months. Most reasoned out that the job didn’t meet their expectations and they didn’t fit into the company culture, hence the high early turnover numbers. Fortunately, it is very possible to prevent this through the effective integration of new hires.
If you want to improve employee retention rates, you’ll need to make sure that your employees feel like they belong in your company. Pain Free Working wrote about some successful workplace wellness strategies for employee engagement and wellbeing, such as: offering flexible hours, providing daily team lunches, bonuses for self-care, and company retreats. But the success of these workplace wellness strategies is highly dependent on how well HR managers onboard and integrate new hires. With that said, here are some other ways you can improve employee integration.
Utilize technology
Automation can be a great help in making the process of onboarding less of a hassle. Today, onboarding software allows companies to deliver training programs that are not only highly customizable but also affordable. The Balance noted that onboarding software also provides an all-in-one platform that allows new hires to access training videos and presentations that introduce them to the company’s culture. With the help of social media and other platforms, conventional one-on-one conversations can become more dynamic, and can better enhance social discussions across various lines and teams.
Start engagement before the first day
Onboarding should begin once an applicant accepts an offer. As an HR manager, it pays to make use of a variety of methods such as videos or infographics that introduce the company’s structures, core values and organization. With so much available materials to go through, it is a good practice to start early and space out these presentations in such a way that the new hires won’t be overwhelmed with too much information. Studies have shown that onboarding processes that last from three months to one year lead to better employee retention. Longer onboarding processes allow companies to go through certain topics in detail, while managers, mentors, and colleagues can foster better relationships with new hires, making employee integration much more effective.
Accelerate their learning
In the initial months, the progress of new hires depends largely on how fast they’ve learned about the organization and their role. The Harvard Business Review noted that, to accelerate learning, managers must first focus on what new hires need to learn in three key areas:
The first is Technical Learning, which pertains to the fundamentals of the business such as its products, customers, systems, and technologies. Next is Cultural Learning, which refers to the attitudes, behavioral norms, and values that are unique to the organization. Meanwhile, the last, Political learning, focuses on learning and understanding how decisions are made and how influence and power come into play.
Understand their challenges
Regardless of how experienced a new hire is, onboarding can be difficult due to how uniquely each business operates. Things will often work in ways that new hires don't understand, and they must adapt to the new culture with no established relationships to rely on. With a lot of things to learn and familiarize themselves with, new hires can easily feel vulnerable even when they seem confident. Some respond to getting overwhelmed by playing it safe and sticking too much to what they already know, while others overcompensate and act like they have the “the answer,” instead of asking questions. Given this, bosses or HR managers must reassure recent hires that rather than doing this, the focus should be on learning.
Encourage questions, ideas, and feedback
One great way to make new hires feel welcome is by asking them for feedback. This can help you nurture that initial trust with a new hire. As we previously explained in How to Build Trust in the Workplace, doing so has many benefits, like boosting their productivity and improving their decision-making skills. As an HR manager, you need to encourage new hires to ask questions because they are generally reluctant to do so — even though it's a great way to learn more about their new role. Encourage questions by asking them what’s challenging, what’s confusing, and how the working experience has been so far. Establish an environment in which there is no such thing as a “dumb” question. Emphasize that asking questions can help them learn, so there shouldn’t be any fear around the practice.
Beyond these tips, it’s also crucial for new hires to know that their employer cares for the well-being of all employees. One way of doing this is by purchasing only high-quality stationery like the ones we offer here at Blue Summit Supplies. With these seemingly little steps, you can go a long way in making your new hires feel cared for and help improve the retention rates in your company.
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