Onboarding… from the new employee’s point-of-view

Finding and keeping good, qualified employees is an on-going challenge for all companies. For small to medium-sized companies who might not be able to compete with larger employers on salary, benefits and career progression, this can be even harder. This means that it’s even more crucial to provide great onboarding experiences that reinforce each employee’s decision to join the company, help them feel part of the team, and enable quick success.

Of course, you need to create onboarding programs aligned with your goals - it’s important to track metrics like time to proficiency and turnover in the first 90-days. But in my experience helping companies create impactful onboarding programs, business metrics are most often met, when the goals and needs of the new employee are front and center.

These are 5 priorities new employees tend to have as they onboard to new jobs.

1. I’ve Made a Great Decision
   From the time your employee accepts your offer, they want to know that you’re happy they’ve decided to join your team. Personalized welcome messages from leadership, information about the company and clear instructions about what to expect on Day 1, go a long way.
   When the employee arrives on Day 1 (either in-person or virtually), she needs to know who to talk to and the plan for the day. And by all means, make sure the employee has all needed log-on, phone and other company access information. Nothing will make an employee question her decision more than finding out no one prepared for or gave any thought to her arrival.

   Additionally, start introducing your new employee to her coworkers and colleagues, and if possible, assign a mentor or buddy.

2. I Know What to Expect - Today and Long-Term
   Having an onboarding path through the first 60-90 days gives the new employee peace of mind that there’s a plan in place. If the path includes performance targets and explains how the new employee will learn his job, the employee tends to have a sense of ownership over his onboarding journey. Communicating the manager or coach role in the onboarding, tells the employee how he’ll be supported as he learns his job.

3. This is a Great Company
   One shift in the workforce has been the importance employees place on corporate integrity and community involvement. While we often attribute this value to millennials or younger, many more experienced employees share the same point-of-view. You likely talked about your company’s values and community initiatives in your recruiting, and it’s important to continue the discussion and help new employees get involved, as they move through their onboarding journeys.

4. I’m Part of the Family
   More experienced new employees may have been at their previous job for years, and in that time felt like they were part of an extended family. Employees newer to the workforce may be looking for the feeling of security and belonging that comes from having strong relationships at work. As you create your onboarding, build in networking and social interactions. Every company culture is different, but if you have clubs or activities, be sure new team members know about them. Make sure new employees know how you socialize in your company and feel welcome joining in.

5. I Can Picture Working Here for a Long Time
   Even a new employee focused on learning their current new job wants to know there’s room to grow and change in the future. They also want to know that their employer will invest in their on-going development. This may look different in a small or mid-size company than it does in a large corporation, and that’s ok. If you’ll pay for an employee’s Microsoft certification after 6-months of employment, or offer a FrontLine Leader program for new managers, be sure to build that information into their onboarding.

As you hire new team members, you need them to learn their jobs quickly, fit in with the team, and stay with you long-term. Having a 3-6 month onboarding journey that helps new employees learn their new jobs and addresses their questions and needs is a great start to achieve these goals.