Managers need to be mentors in onboarding process
It was the first day of the job for Ajit, he was elated and looked forward very much to working for the company. However, when he walked in his enthusiasm dropped when he found that nobody was expecting him at the reception. He entered his floor only to be further disappointed as not even a place was allotted to him. He was made to sit in a corner of the room. The HR person managed to get a computer for him and he was asked to go through some old documents. And that was it
, nobody even came up and talked to him, his manager was busy that day and Ajit did not even know who his co-workers were. He was like a fish out of water.
This continued for a few more days and it was no surprise that at the end of one week Ajit quit his job. Ajit’s experience had all the trappings of an onboarding programme gone wrong. The responsibility for such disenchanted feelings and consequent actions lies squarely on the management.
A successful well-thought out onboarding programme can make or break the retention figures of an organisation. Not convinced yet? Then take a look at these statistics- more than three percent of new hires in a company leave within four days of joining the job and more than 35 percent of senior level employees quit their jobs after 18 months. The prime reason for these trends is an ill-planned onboarding programme.
When an employee steps into a new job, his mind is as impressionable as a fresh, clean canvas. The imprint that is made on this canvas largely depends on the onboarding process the company designs and follows. The programme has to succeed in preparing the employee to do his job in a few weeks’ time and most importantly instill a sense of belonging to the organisation. This will help him start right on the job. In the process, he will gain a lot.
Smart companies are aware of this fact and have an onboarding process to aid new recruits hit the ground running after a few weeks on the job. The employer has to ensure that the first few days are smooth and helps the new hire to understand the company’s operations and functioning so that he remembers this as long as he works in the organisation.
A well-designed onboarding programme also:
• Creates a positive impression on the recruit’s mind and urges him to spread a good word about his employer to his acquaintances. This is free positive publicity.
• Helps employees get to the grind faster because with their awareness of company procedures and culture, they will reach peak productivity faster. They will also learn to take informed decisions based on this knowledge.
• Builds an awareness of the company’s standing among competitors and how they can contribute to its success.
• Facilitates interaction with senior managers, which provides an understanding of the company’s past achievements and future goals and inspires the new recruits to contribute their best in this direction.
• Significantly shortens the learning curve for recruits fresh out of college.
An onboarding process is different from an orientation programme in the sense that a typical orientation consists of signing some papers, going through the company manual, probably view old training videos and haphazard introductions to company personnel and procedures. This can only unnerve a new recruit. A structured onboarding procedure increases the comfort levels of the new hire and helps him to quickly adjust to the job.
Ideally, the onboarding programme should have content that will help the recruit understand the company better. It should include some information on corporate history, values and goals and a meeting with at least one senior executive. The recruit could be informed about the performance review procedures and he can sit with his manager to discuss his job profile, performance targets and the initial expectations from him. This will help him to develop a focussed approach to his work.
The whole process need not be restricted only to the first few weeks. In fact, it can be a continuous procedure. It can be scheduled across several months at periodic intervals. The options include cross-functional assignments and special projects that will increase the employee’s knowledge of other operations in the company.
Another effective way to conduct an onboarding programme is to use the Internet or Intranet and create an e-learning module on the subject. Employees can have access to the site even before they join the company and thus gain significant knowledge.
The manager has to be considerably involved in the onboarding process. Studies show that the manager has a great influence on the employee’s motivation, performance and desire to stay on in the job. The relationship that the employee develops with the manager has a significant role to play in this. A strong relationship can be established during the onboarding process by getting the manager to communicate and assimilate the employee’s career aspirations so that the management can take the right steps to retain the employee.
Companies ask the manager to provide the employee with an initial set of goals and be a constant guide so that he can do his job well.
Others involve the manager and the new hire in team building exercises while in some companies it is routine for the manager to take the new hires out for lunch. The options are many but the manager has to be a vital element in both formal and informal onboarding procedures.
Some companies even assign mentors for the new hires. These mentors are ideally rich in experience and can offer valuable insights on organisational culture, structure, procedures and goals.
They should represent the ideal employee; their behaviour and achievements should be something others would want to emulate. The mentor can help the hire learn the ropes of the job more effectively than from a formal training session.
A well-planned onboarding programme helps to reduce turnover and allows smoother assimilation of new employees. It helps employees to become familiar with their new work environment quickly and efficiently, making them fully involved productive members of the team in a shorter amount of time. It ensures the new hire remains happy with his decision to join the company while motivating him to do his best.
The benefits far outweigh the cost. An onboarding programme costs only a fraction of the turnover and recruiting costs the company might face if employees are not properly welcomed onboard.
HEMA SWAMINATHAN
faqs@cnkonline.com
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