Dive Brief:
- New hires say their top concern is understanding what their boss expects from them, according to a new survey by TalentLMS, a cloud-based training platform. That concern was followed by worries about learning how to perform their job. Only one-third of respondents felt their onboarding gave them the tools and resources needed to address those concerns.
- In other highlights, 39% said they received company-culture training in the onboarding process. Twenty-seven percent said their onboarding was exclusively online, but most said they prefer a mix of online and offline methods.
- TalentLMS offered five tips for creating a successful onboarding experience: (1) tailor onboarding to a new hire’s age or experience; (2) extend the length of the onboarding process with more relevant content; (3) use a mix of traditional and technology-based methods in the onboarding process; (4) make sure new hires meet their boss on their first day; and (5) include culture in the onboarding process.
Dive Insight:
A partner in the study, Allison M. Ellis, assistant professor of Management and Human Resources at the California Polytechnic State University, offered some additional guidance. She said onboarding should assist new hires "in gaining a functional understanding of the skills and tasks required in their new role, helping them to develop new relationships with others in the workplace, and facilitating an understanding of the company culture and goals."
Although new hires’ first impressions of an organization likely occur during the interview, the onboarding process can make or break their employment experience. When onboarding is mishandled, new hires are twice as likely to leave, drastically increasing employers' costs.
HR managers can let technology take care of many of the administrative tasks of onboarding so they — and new employees' managers — can focus on the human, personalized aspects of the process.
