FACT
All new employees and contractors are “onboarded”, whether or not you plan for it.
Does the Onboarding Process Really Matter?
Does the thought of hiring for another open position make you want to scream?
When it comes to hiring new employees and contractors, there’s no easy answer. Today’s workers aren’t as concerned with long-term commitments.
A survey by Bamboo HR reported that 31% of people have left a job within the first six months, with 68% of those departing within three months.
More importantly, the report stated that 89% say an effective onboarding process helped them feel very engaged at work.
How a new staff member joins your team affects them, your clients, and your bottom line. It sets the tone for your future relationship. It’s a crucial step for both their success and yours.
Which of these experiences would you prefer?
Think back to some of the jobs you’ve had before. What was the hiring process like? What were your first days like? Did you end the day wondering if you had made a big mistake?
Let’s take a look at two onboarding experiences. Maybe you can relate to one or both of them…
Experience A: You show up on your first day, unsure what to expect. You pull into the parking lot, hoping you didn’t take someone’s spot. Someone hands you a pile of HR paperwork to fill out in the break room. Next, you wander into the lobby to find a coworker who is pretty new to the company, too. They’re still figuring out their own job. So, you set your paperwork pile in a corner while the coworker nervously tries to show you what they were working on. Your new boss walks in and takes the paperwork.
You’re handed off to another employee who wasn’t expecting to be training someone that day. You spent a lot of the day alone and lost, trying to figure out what you should be doing. Your coworkers are using jargon and telling inside jokes that you don’t understand. You go home, mulling over the negative rumors you overheard throughout the day. You spend the evening wondering if you made a mistake.
Experience B: You receive a job offer letter with a packet of paperwork to fill out before your start date. In the packet, there’s an information sheet about what to wear, what time to show up, and where to park. You’re given contact information for the person you are reporting to on your first day. Included is a calendar of your schedule for the next month. It includes when you will be in different training sessions.
When you arrive on the first day, your new boss greets you and introduces you at the morning staff meetup. They give you a tour of the facility and show you to your desk or work area. You’re given a notebook with FAQs, the employee handbook, a few how-to sheets, and a place to take notes. You watch a welcome video that explains the history and culture of the business along with essential information about policies and procedures. Your assigned mentor guides you through the next couple of weeks, checking in with you often. You’re also introduced to important clients and vendors. You go home excited, knowing that you are an important team member.
Which experience, A or B, would you choose? Which helps you feel needed, wanted, and important?
Which experience do you think fosters a sense of belonging and motivates employees to perform at their best?
In Experience A, the new hire feels lost, unsupported, and disconnected from the team. In Experience B, the new hire receives clear guidance, and support, and feels like an important member of the team.
How new employees are onboarded can significantly impact their overall experience, job satisfaction, and long-term commitment to the business.
So, which orientation and training experience do new hires have with your business?
Benefits of a well-planned onboarding process
As mentioned earlier, a well-structured onboarding process benefits both your business and the employee.
Effective orientation and training prepare your newly hired employee or contractor to be successful in their new role. It helps them build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills so that they can provide exceptional services to your clients. They will feel more invested in your business success.
A well-planned onboarding process helps your new hires:
- Learn your business goals, policies, and procedures;
- Understand the why behind your SOPs;
- Have confidence in their own abilities;
- Know what they are supposed to do and how to do it;
- Feel like a welcome and important member of the team; and,
- Feel more invested in their job and are more likely to stay for a while.
A carefully planned onboarding process sets the tone for a successful employer-employee relationship. Employees tend to be more engaged, happier, and stay longer. Overall employee morale improves. Your business runs more smoothly. You may even have a better work/life balance for yourself.
Unique needs of pet care businesses
If your business provides hands-on pet care services, your onboarding plan will include policies and techniques related to handling, zoonotic diseases, emergency medical care, and regulatory compliance.
Use the Onboarding Plan Checklist
Okay, so you’re ready to review and update your current onboarding process. What do you do next?
I’ve put together an Onboarding Plan Checklist that can help guide you through the process of assessing and updating your orientation and training program. Get your free copy by clicking on this link:
Get One-on-One Help with Your Plan
Effective plans take time and effort. I can help you. I’ve been successfully managing teams of employees and volunteers for over twenty years.
Let’s start with a conversation. We can identify your onboarding needs and draft a plan to meet your goals. You will leave our conversation with actual action steps that will help you build your improved employee onboarding plan.
Click on Schedule a Call below and choose a time that works for you.
Tiffani knows your business pain points (it’s chihuahuas – just kidding). She has 37 years of hands-on companion, farm, and exotic animal care plus 24 years of managing animal care employees and volunteers. She’s a vet tech and former animal care and control officer as well as a humane society executive director. Take advantage of her experiences to level up your business operations.
Tiffani Hill LLC 