Turn Ordinary Onboarding into a Warm Welcome!

Congratulations! You got the job!

Blazer on and internal butterflies afloat, you’re headed to the office for the first day of your dream career. The team had nothing but great things to say about you when they called with your offer, giving you total confidence that this was the right move.

…Or so you thought. *Cue the ominous music*

Your supervisor, while kind and enthusiastic, is often too busy to answer your questions about the projects to which you’ve been assigned. HR rushed through their standard employee benefits spiel and left you with more questions than answers. Your new co-workers seem nice enough, but aside from a few drive-by hellos, you never really got an opportunity to get to know any of them in your frenzied onboarding process. By the week’s end, you’re drowning in work, surrounded by virtual strangers and still trying to figure out exactly how their 401(k) plan works.

That dream career suddenly doesn’t seem so dreamy, does it?

While the above-mentioned position may actually end up being incredible, their onboarding process was a little…well…nightmarish. And it may affect the new hire so deeply that they quit before they get to the “good” part. Far too often, companies forget to keep up the momentum behind the hiring process once they reach the onboarding phase. This is a recipe for “revolving door syndrome,” as talent continuously finds themselves floundering and, eventually, leaving due to inadequate support from the onset.

The solution? Roll out the welcome mat!

Remember when you were a new hire? Especially early in your career, didn’t you appreciate (or wish that you had) clearly defined expectations, thorough explanations and a welcome wagon eager to bring you into the fold? Of course you did, and your new hires deserve this same star treatment!

A truly successful onboarding process is carried out as a welcome orientation, going beyond the basics to address any and all information that an employee needs to know in order to thrive. Detailed benefits, lunch invitations, explanations at the ready—a stellar experience is so much more than a brisk tour and detailed task list (although these also shouldn’t be overlooked)!

Here are a few ideas to give your newest co-worker a warm welcome to ease the transition:

·     Detailed benefits explanation

·     Introduction to appropriate people (P.S.: Everybody should meet the CEO at least once)

·     Custom business cards—imagine walking in on your first day to a stack of cards with your name on it, next to the company’s name!

·     An explanation of products and services, as well as your customer service philosophy

·     An understanding and willingness to answer all questions as they arise

·     Lunch/happy hour invitations

·     An email address, telephone access, and (pre-tested) computer upon arrival

Start viewing your onboarding process as a welcome orientation and go the extra mile for your new talent! In the end, you’ll see better retention, cost savings and higher engagement leading to a drastic reduction in turnover. You asked your employees to choose you; remind them why they made the right choice.

Follow Kathleen on LinkedIn

Follow Kathleen on Facebook

Follow Kathleen on Instagram

Follow Kathleen on Twitter

Subscribe to Kathleen on YouTube