Employee onboarding is the process where new employees are onboarded or inducted into the company. In earlier times, onboarding was called induction and was restricted to a one-day training program.
Onboarding is much more than induction. It involves the formal bringing on board of the employee and making him feel a part of the organization. This is why this process is extremely important.
Why is it important?
The following facts would help in understanding the importance of onboarding for a company. These facts also reveal how effective onboarding can have a bearing on the company’s success.
- A study showed that 1 in every 10 employees left a company because they were not onboarded effectively.
- 37% of employees surveyed said their manager did not effectively participate in the onboarding.
- Failing to onboard an employee or not onboarding properly can have serious consequences. It can make an employee frustrated and make him disconnected from the organization’s aims. This can lead to employee attrition. It also causes a loss of productivity.
- An employee who has been well engaged (through proper onboarding) is 87% less likely to leave a company.
- 69% of employees who were onboarded in a very effective way stayed on for 3 years in a company. This highlights how important onboarding is for a company.
Benefits of onboarding
The various benefits of carrying out an effective onboarding program are listed below. These benefits also illustrate the importance of onboarding for companies:
- Onboarding is not a one-time training. It is extensive in nature and can extend even for up to a year. This ensures the employee is fully equipped with the skills and resources needed to discharge his work effectively and achieve goals.
- It helps employees get acclimated to adjusted to the new company. The employee would imbibe the company culture and understand the company values. This helps in effective employee engagement.
- Onboarding helps employees understand rules, procedures, and norms. It also helps them connect with managers and other key personnel. This can help in developing a good relationship which will lead to better productivity.
- Onboarding is a crucial factor that leads to employee engagement, which is critical for a company to succeed. Engaged employees would stay on for a long time and would be better motivated. This ensures they achieve their goals and strive to do more. This leads to greater profits for the company.
- When onboarding is done effectively, the employees, their superiors, and the organization would all get benefited.
Use onboarding software
The use of software for onboarding helps to make the onboarding effective. It can help reduce errors and ensures the onboarding is done as per process. HR onboarding software ensures compliances are done effectively. Most importantly, the use of software allows for all documentation to be created automatically.
Software-based onboarding ensures new employees get all the inputs they need in a systematic way. This would allow managers more time for face-to-face interaction to properly induct them into the company and the department.
