Onboarding is critical to success.
Remember: “You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.”
This is why onboarding at any company is so important and it's astonishing how many businesses and institutions out there have rather poor onboarding practices.
As a former educator, I can attest to what happens when this process is entirely ignored because educators rarely have onboarding at all.
When we got hired, we usually had one meeting with the principal, received our keys and a useless handbook, were shown to our classroom, and essentially told to have fun - which ironically ensured we wouldn’t have fun.
I didn’t know where the bathrooms were, didn’t know where I could make copies, wasn’t taught how the various computer programs I needed to use, or where to park.
This mentality sets people up to fail. When you do that, you end up with retention problems when those same workers inevitably leave.
Have a 30-60-90 day plan for new hires!
This way, employees know what they will be learning when they start, what is expected of them, and when they must know it by.
By doing so, you give employees the tools to not only do their job effectively right out of the gate but also to represent the company in a positive way.
I mean, you wouldn’t hire a customer success agent and immediately put them on the phone with an angry customer without any training, would you?
A lack of clear onboarding results in employees feeling lost and unsupported.
Amy Hirsh Robinson put this well: “Onboarding is a magic moment when new employees decide to stay engaged or become disengaged.”
Onboarding is crucial for a company’s longevity. It creates loyal workers who believe in your brand, stay longer in the role, boost productivity, and feel balanced with a normal amount of stress.
Invest in your workers and it will pay dividends in the long run.
#onboarding #workplaceculture #retention #careerdevelopment #leadership #worklifebalance #growth #instructionaldesign