A Four-Step Roadmap for Creating Engaged Employees
24 May 2023
The onboarding process is critical for organisations, but often it can be lengthy and complex, resulting in a significant drain on time and resources. Traditional onboarding typically lasts for a few weeks or less, and it often involves a one-day orientation and a packet of information on benefits. However, research has shown that a strategic onboarding process should last at least seven months to create engaged employees. The best onboarding processes start one month before the employee’s start date and continue for at least six months after. This ensures new hires get past the danger zone and remain committed to the organisation.
The importance of onboarding in creating engaged employees cannot be overstated. Engaged employees are more productive, have higher job satisfaction, and are more likely to stay with the organisation. In contrast, disengaged employees are more likely to leave the organisation, which can result in significant costs associated with recruitment and training. Therefore, creating an efficient onboarding process is essential to any organisation’s success.
One of the most significant challenges that CHROs face is managing the onboarding process efficiently. With a vast number of new hires to manage, keeping track of each employee’s progress can be a daunting task. However, with the advent of HR technology, onboarding can be made more manageable and efficient.
If your intention is to create engaged employees, a four-step onboarding roadmap is recommended to help HR managers and CHROs. The roadmap includes pre-boarding, orientation, assimilation, and retention.
The pre-boarding step focuses on creating excitement and engagement before the employee starts their new role. This can include sending a welcome email or scheduling a pre-boarding call with the new hire’s manager.
The orientation step aims to provide a clear understanding of the organisation’s culture and expectations. This step can include an introduction to the company’s mission and values, a review of the employee handbook, and an introduction to the team.
The assimilation step involves integrating the employee into the team and the organisation. This can include assigning a mentor or buddy to the new hire, scheduling regular check-ins with the manager, and providing opportunities for the new hire to connect with other team members.
Finally, the retention step aims to ensure that the employee remains engaged and committed to the organisation. This can include providing ongoing training and development opportunities, recognising and rewarding employee achievements, and soliciting feedback from employees.
CHROs can automate many aspects of the onboarding process, making it more efficient and effective. Our technology partner, Enboarder, has the platform that allows HR managers to track each employee’s progress, automate communication, and assign tasks to team members. It also provides valuable data and analytics to help organisations continuously improve their onboarding processes.
In conclusion, the onboarding process is critical to creating engaged employees and ensuring organisational success. This is one of the reasons we’ve chosen Enboarder as our HR Technology partner. Not only do they deliver on ROI, but if you are looking to create engaged employees who are more productive, have higher job satisfaction, and are more likely to stay with the organisation then Enboarder is the obvious solution.
If you would like to make the move to experience-driven onboarding please email tech@hellokindred.com.