101: Best practices for onboarding new employees

As companies hire new employees, the onboarding process is essential to ensure everyone feels welcome and prepared to begin a new career. Data shows 52% of new hires feel satisfied with their onboarding experience, with 32% finding it confusing and 22% disorganized, according to a survey by payroll services company Paychex. Nearly half of new hires felt undertrained, which impacts productivity and retention. All companies should implement an onboarding program to create a successful work environment. Optimize the first day experience. When employees enter a workplace for the first time, job duties, responsibilities, and objectives must be clear. Some companies take new employees out to lunch on their first day to build rapport and meet other team members. Employees should be shown around the work area, and given access to equipment and access codes, Chauncey Crail writes in a Forbes article. Integrating new employees into the workplace will create a collaborative and supportive team. Conduct consistent check-ins. Conducting regular check-ins is important with new employees. Whether it’s creating scheduled meetings or informal conversations, this can gauge performance and address any questions new employees may have. Consistent “support and feedback throughout the first year can help to improve retention and job satisfaction for new employees,” Crail says in a Forbes article. Ongoing feedback and support should be included in onboarding programs because it shows employers care about their employees well-being. Re-onboard when necessary. Every new hire is different, and some may need a longer onboarding process than others. If a new hire seems disinterested, confused or is underperforming, this may be a sign more onboarding is needed, Gleb Tsipursky writes in a Harvard Business Review article. Feedback from new hires or conducting surveys can provide insights into what worked well and what could be improved. Re-onboarding often increases employment retention by 43%, according to Paychex. An evolving onboarding experience is the cornerstone of a company's success.