Today, most of the organizations are fully aware of the importance of the Onboarding process. However, it is often the case that the effectiveness of Onboarding is undetermined by factors such as competing priorities or a lack of resources to implement it.
A successful Onboarding process can not only improve retention by 82%, but also increase productivity by 70% (source: Glassdoor). For these reasons, Onboarding is extremely important in terms of reducing turnover, increasing engagement and strengthening employer branding, both at an organizational and individual level.
The induction phase has a decisive influence on the future of new employees. In the first few weeks, negative experiences can really compromise the relationship with the company, impacting on the motivation and involvement of new employees.
Onboarding is therefore a delicate moment, but at the same time an exciting phase. It is on this occasion that a new hired verifies whether his expectations are being fulfilled and whether he will be able to express his full potential in the new professional context.
Onboarding has to be planned carefully, both in small and large companies.
For large companies with high recruitment volumes, it is absolutely necessary to have an efficient onboarding system to streamline the HR department’s workload.
But even small-medium enterprises should not rely on improvisation. After all, the smaller the number of employees, the more vital it is for the company to integrate and retain them.
Today more than ever – in the competitive and digital marketplace – people make the difference; therefore, to become and remain leaders in their industry, companies must be able to attract and retain the best talents.
Onboarding, which is an integral part of the Employee Life Cycle, ensures positive working and interpersonal relationships, making employees feel part of a team and looking forward to a long-term relationship.
Some specific steps are common to successful Onboarding processes, both in complex and structured organizations and in small and medium-sized enterprises:
- Communicating the corporate culture
- Illustrate company internal dynamics
- Exemplify each role objectives and related responsibilities
- Facilitate relationships between the new employee, the team and the company
Of course, technology cannot be neglected. Through innovative HR software makes it is possible to digitalize every step of the Onboarding process and make it remotely accessible. In the age of remote working, it is often the case that new employees start their new job without visiting the company.
It is therefore no longer science fiction, but rather a distinctive and successful element, to use virtual and augmented reality to facilitate the integration of new hired, introducing them to the corporate world and the people who are part of it.
However, Onboarding should go beyond this: a good programme will facilitate the integration of new employees into the corporate culture.
Understanding not only what to do, but how to do it will be decisive.
“I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies”- Laurence Bossidy, GE
