Employee onboarding is an essential step to integrating a new employee into the workplace and it is crucial to the success of any company. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce new employees to the company’s culture, values, and expectations, and it paves the way for a successful partnership.
When employee onboarding is executed the right way, it can help to set the stage for a productive and long-lasting relationship. However, if it is not handled well, it can lead to disappointment and a high employee turnover. Despite its importance, many companies make common onboarding mistakes that can end up costing them time, money, and sometimes, valuable employees.
This blog post will discuss what employee onboarding is and seven of the most common onboarding mistakes to avoid.
What is employee onboarding?
Employee onboarding is the process of getting new employees used to their jobs and workplace. Its goal is to help new hires adjust to their roles and become productive, contributing members of the team.
Onboarding typically includes a combination of orienting new employees to the company culture, job duties, and expectations. It can also involve training on company policies and procedures, as well as providing resources and support to help new employees settle into their roles. It is an important part of retaining top talent and ensuring a smooth transition into the organization.
7 Employee onboarding mistakes to avoid
The success of your organization is dependent on the success of those who work in it. Ensuring they have the tools and processes needed to fulfil their duties will set your business up for success. Here are the top seven mistakes to avoid during employee onboarding so the process is effective, supports a healthy workplace culture, and isn’t harmful to your business in the long run.
1. Lack of a formal onboarding process
A formal employee onboarding process is critical for ensuring that new employees have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in their roles. Without a well-designed onboarding program, new hires may feel lost and overwhelmed, and they may struggle to meet expectations.
What is needed here is more than a meet and greet and impromptu conversations as you give your new hires a tour around the office. Here is where a structured, step-by-step plan that outlines what the employees need to know will be useful.
Some items to include in your plan are:
A welcome guide with useful details about your company.
Clear expectations and details of the job role.
Access to work emails and software.
A partner system that pairs the new employee with an onboarding partner/colleague.
A tour of important places in the office such as the conference and break rooms.
Instructions on how to leave feedback about the onboarding process and any other concerns.
Onboarding programs help to ensure that new hires are fully prepared to hit the ground running, and they can make a big difference in employee retention and satisfaction. Without a clear understanding of the company’s culture, values, and day-to-day processes your employees may not be motivated to do their best work.
Additionally, a formal onboarding process can help new employees feel welcome and supported, and it can give them the tools they need to be successful and perform at the highest level, as required by the company. Without an onboarding process, organizations risk losing out on the benefits that come with having a diverse and talented workforce.
2. Waiting until the first day to onboard employees
The first day an employee starts a new position can be nerve-racking. By onboarding your employees before the first day of work with a strategic onboarding plan, you will be giving them the tools and confidence they need to hit the ground running. The goal of employee onboarding is to help new hires adjust to their new roles and become productive members of the team as quickly as possible.
By starting the onboarding process early, you can help new hires to be instantly productive, instead of spending that time trying to navigate the onboarding process. Additionally, by providing them with information about your company’s culture and values, you can help them to feel like they are a part of the team from day one.
Waiting until the first day to onboard employees is a missed opportunity to get them acclimated to their new roles and set them up for success.
3. Information overload
It’s important to onboard in an efficient way to avoid information overload during the process. A structured onboarding program can be useful to combat this.
Having a guideline such as a ‘welcome pack’ that includes everything from an employee handbook to important dates for your company can be an integral point of reference for your employees to have. It can store the basics and gradually introduce new concepts to avoid overwhelming your employees.
Set up regular check-ins to ensure that employees are absorbing the information and ask for feedback on the onboarding process. By taking a gradual approach, you can ensure that your employees have a positive onboarding experience and are better prepared for success in their new roles.
4. Failure to set clear goals and expectations
The first step in planning an effective onboarding process is to define the objectives. What outcomes do you want to achieve? Do you want new hires to become acclimated quickly, learn company policies and procedures, or gain a better understanding of the organization’s culture and values? Once these objectives are established, it is important to create a timeline and a plan for achieving them.
One of the challenges employees have reported in the workplace is not having a clearly defined job role when they report to work. It is common for employers to tell a new hire to report to work and then they will be told their exact duties and responsibilities. This is not the ideal way to start a new role.
Not knowing what they should be working on each day or not having the resources to do it will make it difficult for your employees to perform. It also makes it harder for them to feel confident and feel like a true part of your company.
Ensure they are given a detailed job description and have access to email accounts, company software, and anything else they need to work. Setting clear goals and providing the tools they need will make the onboarding process easier.
5. Lack of support & guidance during the onboarding process
Leaving new hires to navigate a new corporate setting on their own will not help them feel comfortable in their new work environment.
There are many ways to provide guidance and support during employee onboarding. For example, you can pair a new employee with a more experienced colleague who can answer their questions and help them to get accustomed to your company’s way of doing things. Ensuring that they have the support they need to adjust to a new working environment is a powerful way to welcome them to your company.
Be sure to find a friendly and helpful employee to assist new hires. One with a cheerful personality will provide a relaxing introduction to what can be an anxious experience. If you need more information on how to better support your new hires, this blog post will be helpful – How To Better Support New Hires Using Employee Onboarding.
6. Failure to familiarize new hires with company culture
Do you wear t-shirts on a Friday in your office? What about coffee mornings or Lunch and Learn Wednesdays? Every company has things that are unique to them and these things should be shared with new hires to help educate them on your company culture.
Employees who are not properly onboarded are more likely to experience culture shock when they begin their new job. This can lead to a feeling of isolation and disconnection from the company, which can eventually result in employee turnover. To avoid this, it is essential to familiarize new hires with the company culture during the onboarding process. This can be accomplished by providing an overview of the company’s history, values, goals, and practices.
New hires should also be given a tour of the office and introduced to their teammates. Research shows that 88% of organizations believe that it is critical for employees to believe in what the organization stands for. This allows them to feel like fully integrated members of the team. By taking these steps, you can help ensure that your new employees feel comfortable and connected to the company from the very beginning.
7. Neglecting feedback on your employee onboarding process
An employee onboarding process is a critical component of any business, yet many organizations avoid seeking feedback during this process.
There are several reasons for this avoidance:
- Feedback can be seen as negative and can discourage employees from engaging with the process.
- It can be time-consuming and costly to collect and analyse.
- Feedback can be difficult to interpret and may not provide clear guidance on how to improve the process.
While there are some valid reasons for avoiding feedback, it is important to remember that employee onboarding is an essential part of business success. Without feedback, businesses will not be able to identify areas in need of improvement and will ultimately miss out on the opportunity to create a more effective employee onboarding process.
Employee training & onboarding in Jamaica
Employee onboarding can set your new employees up for success, and by extension, your organization. Providing a thorough and easy-to-analyse onboarding experience is just what your employees need to start on the right footing. In addition to employee orientation, an effective onboarding experience is the start of great things between an organization and its new hires.
Are you unsure of how you can easily onboard and train your new employees? One On One has the resources you need. We are the leading provider of online courses in Jamaica and our LMS makes it easy to educate, train, and upskill your employees wherever they are.
Book a demo with a member of our team and we will provide customized and streamlined employee training for you.
