Setting your new hires off on the right foot is vital if you want to them to become active and productive members of the team, but many companies often fail miserably when it comes to dealing with any new members of staff that step through their doors. A couple of hours training and you’re good to go seems to be norm across all manner of industries.

It doesn’t stop with new hires either; those already employed by the company should be treated better too. Many people will move within any given business, whether they are changing departments, branches or moving on to a completely different job altogether; they all deserve a better start.

So, what can we do to ease them into their new roles and get them performing to the best of their ability right from the start? The answer is onboarding, and we have a few suggestions to help you get the most out of this process:

Onboarding is not orientation

While they may at first glance appear to be one and the same, onboarding and orientation are two completely different animals. Separating the two and offering both is the way to go.

Orientation can be used as the first introduction for any new employee to give them a sense of what is going on in the physical aspect of the business: how to get around the building, who the other employees are, where they will be working and so on.

Onboarding should be a longer-term plan of action with the aim of acclimatising the new hire with company ethos, values, goals, vision and strategy.

Play to existing strengths 

Everyone is different and each of us has our own unique set of skills that make us who we are. By recognising these skill sets within our employees we are better able to create an onboarding program that will work for them. Personalising the process will allow you to demonstrate that you understand that individual and will also give you an insight into where they may fit into your organisation in the future.

Avoid information overload

A huge mistake that many companies make is to rush the onboarding process. There really is no need, and a deluge of information is likely to make the majority of new hires nervous and uncomfortable. Instead, try and keep the whole process as simple as possible and break it down into bite size chunks wherever you can. 

Again, playing to the individual helps here as you can tailor the process to suit their particular way of learning and how quickly they assimilate information. 

Be interactive

Years ago, businesses used to give an induction day and that was that. A day of sitting in an often windowless room watching slideshows, videos and overhead projections left new employees wanting to run for the hills. Thankfully, we can do things differently these days.

There are many onboarding tools for companies that allow you get creative and make the whole process more interactive and enjoyable. Getting your new employees involved in an interactive process allows them to open up and encourages them to ask questions, giving them a greater sense of connection with the company. 

Take these four tips on board when you come to review your onboarding process and assess how well you are doing each. A few tweaks here and there could make all the difference to the way your staff perform and how long they stay within your company.