However, turnover is expensive, so it’s important that you support your new employees get adjusted to the social and performance aspects of their jobs quickly and smoothly with comprehensive onboarding to ensure their success.
Drew Banks, the Head of International for presentation software Prezi, had the following onboarding tips to share with Anthill from his wide corporate experience.
1. Provide a comprehensive visual guide to all new hire information
There is an overwhelming amount of information required to come up to speed in a new job. The single best tool a company can provide a new employee is an easily accessible, always-up-to-date overview that helps them find the information they need when they need it. This can be intranet, a Google doc, or a presentation that visually presents information in context.
2. Start with the business, move to culture, end with administration
Too often, companies focus new hire orientations on the administrivia of the job and later wonder why employees are stuck in the weeds.
If you want your employees to focus on your business objectives from day one, start with the company’s goals, strategies and success metrics.
Don’t do a dog and pony – make it interactive. Perhaps a case study that struggles with a current challenge the company is facing.
Getting them discussing how to build the business, not where the nearest lunch places are. The administrative details should be the appendix, not the headline.
3. Connect them… both literally and figuratively
Make sure your employees know what communications channels matter and how to use them. Since communication differs by department, this is primarily the manager’s role, but managers are busy people and often need to be reminded. Do a week-after check-in (with a specific checklist) to ensure that the new employee is fully up to speed.
Finally, figure out the best way to help new employees plug in to your company culture. Assigned mentorship works for some companies, “class-of” new hire communities work in others. What works in yours?
Check out this Prezi below for more tips on how to onboard your new employees.
