The terms “onboarding “and “orientation” are commonly confused. Onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into an organization by providing them with the tools, resources, introductions, and answers they need to succeed. Orientation is a simpler process that consists of helping a new hire complete required tasks such as filling out insurance forms, setting up email, and distributing necessary keys.

According to statistics compiled by B2B Assets, “employee retention is improved by 82 percent with a solid onboarding process.” An effective onboarding program improves employee engagement with the corporate culture and the employee’s overall experience by introducing him or her to the workplace and their individual job expectations. It also provides them with the opportunity to bond with those leaders and teams they will be working with in their new position.

Additional benefits of the onboarding process

An effective onboarding program also allows you to get to know your new employees better, learning things about them you may have missed during the interview process. For example, you may discover what motivates them and what skills they are most eager to learn. In the process, the new employee will discover that your company cares about their career development and job satisfaction.

Successful onboarding programs reduce employee anxiety and turnover, giving you a competitive advantage in your market. They also improve workforce compliance with corporate policies and help to ensure the continuation of your corporate culture.

Getting Started

For your program to be successful, you should be proactively onboarding each new hire for their entire first year. This will significantly reduce attrition. Recommended components of onboarding include:

1. An initial welcome message, via an email or post that is sent to the new hire before their first day. The message should introduce the new hire to your company values while expressing enthusiasm for them joining the team.
2. An onboarding package. This can be sent in advance or shared on the new hire’s first day. It should include:
   • A clear and complete job description
   • A list of their required tools
   • HR policy handbooks or highlights (e.g., vacations, holidays)
   • A company contact list
   • An outline of the onboarding curriculum identifying all meetings and activities
3. During the initial onboarding process:
   • Establish communication channels between the new hire and their team members, mentors, and managers.
   • Be sure to review any corporate policies relating to internal communications.
   • Introduce the new hire not only to their immediate manager, but to the managers of all departments they will be interacting with in their job. The better the employee understands the expectations and responsibilities of all players in your organization, the faster they will become comfortable in your culture and their role within it.
   • Make certain each new employee understands how their job performance will be measured.
   • Establish a way to stay in touch.
4. Successful onboarding relies on continual support and mentorship. Consider requiring weekly check-ins between the employee and their mentor or manager, as well as monthly meetings to review a new employee’s performance. An open-door policy across all levels of management will expedite this process.
5. To ensure continual improvement, identify metrics to measure your onboarding program’s effectiveness.

Conclusion

Onboarding is one of the most overlooked processes in an employee’s service cycle, which is unfortunate, because research shows it to be one of the most important. According to Sampling HR, “onboarding statistics confirm that 58 percent of employees are likely to stay more than three years with a structured onboarding program.” A strong onboarding program can help differentiate you from your competitors and retain loyal employees.