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Let’s Talk About Your Onboarding Process!

The hiring process doesn’t stop when a candidate accepts an offer.  The onboarding process is one of the most critical and important parts of the process.  The main goal of onboarding is to set your new employee up with everything they will need to get started in their new position. This process can make or break the experience of a new employee, so let’s talk about why it is so important, and what you can do to improve the onboarding process.     
  • Reduce The Chances Of a Fall-Off

A fall-off is when your new hire changes their mind after accepting your offer but before their start date.  A fall-off can be caused by a simple change of heart, a counter-offer, or an offer from another company.  But sometimes, a bad onboarding process can be the reason someone decides not to formally join your company (especially if they receive a counter-offer or an offer from another company).

  • Strong Foundations Begin With Solid Onboarding  

According to a recent Gallup poll, it was found that only 12% of employees feel their company does a good job with the onboarding process. In the post-Covid world where many companies are continuing to offer employees hybrid or remote work, the onboarding process can get confusing and overly difficult for employees who will not be in the office all day every day or even live in the same state as the company they’re working for. If the onboarding process is strong and strategic, it can increase levels of satisfaction, engagement, and retention. In the current market, the companies that are able to attract top-tier talent are the ones that invest in high-quality onboarding.

Because many organizations underestimate the amount of time onboarding will take, the tendency is to make promises they are unable to keep, and this leaves new employees unable to adapt as quickly to a new organization.

  • Make The New Hire Feel Welcome 

An important part of the onboarding process that is often overlooked is how the existing team will interact with the new hire. Helping the new employee feel at home with the existing  team will help give them a sense of inclusion. When you make onboarding a team effort, it can actually help a new member of the team feel acclimated more quickly as well.

Finding a list of the people that the new hire will be working with and proving them with information on these team members and setting up a time for them to meet is a good way to start. It doesn’t have to be formal – it can just be a coffee get-together, but this is shown to have positive effects on company culture because your new team will be able to communicate more effectively with each other and can ease potential disagreements in the future.

  • Optimize The Process 

Managers should pair new hires with a mentor who can answer their questions and help them learn within the new organization. The same Gallup poll found that, that valuable learning offers far more than role-specific training. Remember that Managers are central to learning; they need to workload expectations, explain the goals of the department/organization and help new hires collaborate with their teammates.

Don’t forget a welcome letter or some type of message to welcome the new hire into the department or organization. Many companies are sending out care packages with gifts or handwritten notes that speak volumes to new hires, making them feel seen and valued. This is especially important when you are onboarding a new employee that works remotely.

  • Final Thoughts

Because of how few employees say their onboarding was helpful, organizations should make it their priority to create an onboarding journey that can only be described as exceptional. When streamlining your onboarding process, keep in mind that when employees understand why and how their job fits into the bigger picture, they can more positively contribute to your organization and to the team.  If you are interested in a job in energy storage or want to read up on more content from us check out our other blogs, and for specific questions contact us at solarrecruiters@gmail.com.