Onboarding Mistakes HR Must Avoid

Onboarding errors are prevalent in business, regardless of industry, yet they are not acceptable. According to research, 44% of workers quit after 6 months due to insufficient training or a lack of job standards, while 26% quit due to unhelpful coworkers or managers.

However, 78% of organisations that spend on onboarding see an increase in ROI, and 64% of HR employees see a decrease in turnover rate after prioritising training and onboarding.

Employee onboarding is undeniably essential, but how can you identify which parts of onboarding you struggle with? 

Here are seven common onboarding blunders to avoid.

1. There is no entry-level training

It is a concern if onboarding takes less than a day. Consider this: which industry has one of the greatest turnover rates? Customer care. Those who work in fast food restaurants, hotels, retail sales, and restaurants either receive zero training or a 15–30 minute onboarding conversation.

This is a major issue because 89% of customers are more inclined to make another purchase following a favourable customer experience. Entry-level does not imply that no time is spent on training.

Here are some other ways that customer service training can assist frontline employees:

• Customers are eager to pay a premium for a great experience.

• Customer loyalty can grow with good customer service.

• Immediate increases in sales and customer satisfaction.

• Knowledgeable employees can easily sell products.

• As they are knowledgeable, employees are less nervous on the job.

Employees are not incompetent because they work too slowly, make mistakes, or are unable to calm an angry customer. If they were not trained in handling consumer scenarios, they would have to figure it out on the job. It is preferable to train them now to reduce preventable errors.

2. Vague goals and expectations

It is never easy to be a newcomer, and an absence of communication makes matters worse. Whether your employees do not know who to ask when they have a question or if they can even talk to you at all, they will begin to doubt their own worth and performance.

Uncertain expectations are frequently the source of this worry, which is why a pleasant onboarding experience is critical. Set targets to track progress because onboarding can take some time.

Employers favour the SMART goal framework since it helps employees set clear, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals. However, goals might be more easily defined if they are divided into smaller tasks. For example, one of the first things a new employee should learn is how to analyse a report.

3. Overworking new staff

Overloading information is just as damaging to the onboarding stage as inadequate training. Cramming is one of the worst methods to remember what you studied.

Several studies have found that cramming impacts information recall, promotes negative habits (such as poor sleep), promotes procrastination, raises anxiety and worsens performance.

Implementing a slow and targeted onboarding plan is the easiest method to avoid overload and onboarding mistakes. An onboarding procedure should ideally take no more than three months and no longer than a year. Create an online internal company library to assist staff continuously.

4. Completely nonexistent pre-boarding

Companies want to complete the onboarding process as quickly as possible, which makes the following onboarding error perplexing. Few companies have a pre-boarding strategy that informs new employees about their company's policies, workplace, and goods before they begin their first day.

Even better, you can include the hiring documents in a welcome package you send the new employee. However, to be effective, the information packet must include the following:

• A description of your products and services.

• A URL to an interactive training session for using company systems.

• A policy manual for the company.

• A building map showing where everybody sits and their jobs.

• A contract list (email addresses and phone numbers) for coworkers and bosses.

Use empathy when designing this packet. Consider what bothers new hires and try to alleviate these concerns before they arise. Inform your employees that they may come to you with any questions. Discuss ahead of time the dress code, parking spots, and materials required.

5. A disorganised onboarding process

The onboarding process can be more flexible, but that does not guarantee success without a structure. For instance, an unstructured interview can make it challenging to appraise candidates according to their job performance, while organised interviews help you locate candidates based on skills, not personal biases.

An organisational flow chart will ensure that your staff have something meaningful to do from the get-go. Ensure you use this chart throughout your organisation and with each new hire.

A simple onboarding checklist may include the following:

1. New Hire: Assist your employee in understanding the firm and their role.

2. First Workplace Visit: Show applicants around and welcome them to the team.

3. Send a Job Offer Letter: A job offer letter demonstrates that you value your new employee.

4. Timely Onboarding: Share role-specific information and assist new hires in settling in.

5. New Employee Welcome: Provide a welcome kit, organise a team lunch, and arrange meetings.

6. First Week Welcome: Plan meet-and-greets and offer new employees a task list.

7. Continuous Engagement: Schedule team-building events and provide constructive feedback.

Ensure the new employee has everything they need before they arrive. Among the items included are identification, a workstation, IT equipment, a bundle of business cards, headsets, adapters, a travel tag, a notepad, an umbrella, and some business swag.

6. The negative feedback loop

According to a Gallup poll, employees require meaningful feedback weekly to remain engaged. Employers may be inclined to move on to the next project before employees can determine their performance; thus, the important term here is "meaningful." This can make it hard to improve.

If your new employee performs admirably, you may avoid this onboarding mistake by creating an efficient feedback loop. Utilise polls or one-on-one sessions to start a feedback loop.

Collecting the correct amount of feedback can be difficult, so try this formula:

1. Gather feedback by directly questioning staff or sending out anonymous surveys.

2. Analyse feedback manually or using analytics software with your leadership team.

3. Respond to criticism by modifying the question or executing a compromise.

4. Follow up on feedback to demonstrate to your staff that you are listening to them.

A feedback loop is continual communication between you and your new staff, which means you can start at any point. As your new hires progress through the onboarding process, consider their feedback and use it to boost your job satisfaction level.

7. Failure to address generational divides

Unbiased employment procedures are critical to equality, but we should not be ignorant of our differences. Because our experiences impact how we engage with the world, a broad onboarding approach may leave certain individuals unprepared or insecure in their employment.

A baby boomer senior executive, for example, will not profit from an autonomous onboarding process (they want hands-on training), whereas a Gen Zer would appreciate access to a knowledge library. Without managerial assistance, a baby boomer may struggle to interact with a knowledge library.

Instead of presuming, ask new hires what kind of onboarding they prefer and allow them time to explore all options.

How you attract and recruit new employees can impact how you train them.

Source: Recruitee

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