One of the biggest HR issues most businesses face is attracting and retaining skilled staff. When an estimated 25 per cent of employees leave their jobs after just three months, you know it’s time to address the reasons why, and stop it from happening to you. After all, staff turnover can cost your business tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention many hours of your already limited time.
There are many ways to reduce the rate of company turnover, and addressing the onboarding process is a vital part of that. Introducing onboarding software can help engage new hires, establish consistency and simplify complex HR processes and paperwork.
Here’s how streamlining your business’ onboarding process can help new staff feel involved, valued and supported, even before they start.
1. An early welcome counts
What happens during your new hire’s first few weeks on the job impacts how quickly they acclimatise and reach their highest level of productivity. So introducing them to and giving them access to your HR before their employment allows them to officially sign off on documents regarding their new role, action items and view company policies. This means by the time they actually set foot in your building, the employee already feels like part of the team, plus they’re ready to start doing what you hired them for from the get-go.
2. Allow employees to manage their own profiles
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to onboarding these days. It’s about using technology platforms to ensure your new hire’s career path is personalised and configured with individual growth opportunities. Give employees a sense of autonomy from the start by allowing them to manage and update administrative information such as their personal profile, areas of specialty, and goals.
3. Seek ongoing feedback
Set the employee’s position description, including KPIs, online and schedule regular performance reviews to stay abreast of how your new hire is tracking. This also means they know what is expected of them. Remember, the earlier you’re across any issues regarding performance or job satisfaction, the quicker you can address them – before it’s too late and your new employee walks!
By having an onboarding process which is straightforward, consistent and supportive of new employees, you greatly reduce the chance of a new hire throwing in the towel and seeking greener pastures before they’ve even settled in. Making their life easier by having everything ready for their big move to a new role and addressing concerns right at the beginning shows your potential employees that you’re committed and making an effort to keep them around – and they will appreciate that all the more.
About the author:
This article was written by Mikki Silverman, CEO of DiffuzeHR. DiffuzeHR is transforming the way SMEs approach HR by giving you access to an easy-to-use cloud-based platform that reduces takes the pain out of managing your HR
