Avoid These Mistakes When Onboarding New Hires

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Mencari-Teman-Di-Pejabat-BaruHave you ever made mistakes in the process of onboarding new hires? If so, you are in good company — virtually 100 percent of employers have goofed up in this area. But, the good thing about mistakes is that you can learn from them, whether they are yours or someone else’s.

Here are three specific mistakes employers should avoid during the onboarding process:

Failing to Invest in Employee Engagement Programs

How much money would you say the average company invests into a new hire? The correct answer is, about $3500. Obviously, companies are not afraid to spend quite a bit of money on new employees. If only employers were as willing to invest in programs designed to engage new hires.

The first onboarding-related mistake employers should avoid is neglecting to establish new-employee engagement programs. Some portion of the money companies invest into new hires should be allocated to programs designed to retain and engage employees. New hires should be placed in such programs from the day they accept a position until it is clear that they are totally comfortable with their job responsibilities.

Waiting Too Long to Begin the Onboarding Process

As an employer, when do you begin onboarding a new hire? If you don’t begin the process until an employee’s first day on the job, you are making a mistake. It works much better to begin onboarding before an individual starts work – even as soon as a contract is signed. This process is known as pre-boarding.

When you pre-board an employee, you begin making him or her feel welcome, oriented and prepared for work before his or her first day. “This can help to reduce the new hire’s time-to-productivity, quell any new-job jitters they are feeling, further excite them about the role, and counteract “cold feet,” thereby reducing the number of dropouts and first day no-shows,” says Kazim Ladimeji, writer for Recruiter.com.

Not Including New Hires in a Company’s Social Scene

There are few things as emotionally painful as being the “new kid” in a work situation. Whether or not a new hire quickly plugs into a company’s social scene may determine if he or she will stay in or leave a position. In light of this, make sure your onboarding strategy includes socialization. Ellen Julian, writer for People Fluent, advises employers to create online orientation groups to help new hires get connected before they ever step foot into the office.

Failing to invest in new-employee engagement programs, waiting too long to begin the onboarding process, and not including new hires in a company’s social scene are three mistakes employers should totally avoid. What lessons have you learned from your personal onboarding mistakes?

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