How to Help New Hires Through Onboarding

Why do new hires fail?

This is one of the fundamental problems that any HR professional must address, sooner or later. Every now and then there may be a new employee who turns out to be a poor fit for the company, and that’s not necessarily your fault. When a lot of new hires end up leaving or being dismissed prematurely, though, it points to an issue more systemic—and significant.

There are several possible answers to the question. In some cases it may be a recruiting issue; maybe the employee was truly never a good fit, and somehow slipped through the interview and screening processes. Maybe expectations were not communicated on the front end, or maybe feedback was not given to help the employee improve and adapt.

The Importance of Onboarding

In many cases, though, the problem is an inadequate onboarding process. What is onboarding all about? It really boils down to this: In the onboarding process, you want to integrate the new hire into your company culture, as quickly and as seamlessly as you can. This means helping the new hire feel comfortable with the position and its responsibilities; with other team members and supervisors; and with company values and policies.

As you consider your own onboarding processes, it might be helpful to think about what new hires are looking for. According to one study, new hires are looking for the following things in an onboarding process:

• 76 percent of new hires say that on-the-job training is the most important thing to them.
• 73 percent say that a review of all company policies and procedures is helpful.
• 59 percent want a company tour and demos of all the equipment that they will be expected to use.
• And a little over half say that having a buddy or mentor is helpful.

Here’s something else from that same study that might surprise you: New hires do not necessarily want HR team members to show them the ropes. Instead, they would rather be trained by their managers and supervisors. That’s what makes them feel most comfortable. HR can and should have a role in creating the onboarding process, but it’s critical to enlist management and to have them play an active role of their own.

It Starts in Advance

With that said, HR can do much to facilitate a smooth onboarding process. Here’s one consideration: It all starts with advance planning. You don’t want to hit a new hire with endless rulebooks and forms to fill out on Day 1. That’s the kind of thing to e-mail in advance, and to cover as best you can during the recruiting process.

It is also helpful to set the tone for what your company culture is like. Express to potential new hires what your company values and mission are—even during the interview. You can hit the details on that first day, but during the interview, it’s good to give a broad picture.

Remember how critical the onboarding process is—and how daunting it can be! As an HR professional, your role should be to help the new hire through it, and to position them for success within your organization.