Getting the right person for the job is important but that hinges a lot on new hires starting right in the new job. The parabola of success depends on how employees are hired, how they are oriented and how they fit into their roles and into the culture of the organization. A new industry study by Deloitte agrees that onboarding is of great importance.
There can’t be anything worse than a disastrous first day, and research has it that four percent of new employees leave a job when they start off on the wrong foot and 22 percent of staff turnovers occur in the first 45 days of employment.
Turnover is expensive for an organization, for losing an employee in the first year costs at least three times that employee's salary. So it's much easier to help new hires adjust to the different aspects of their new jobs quickly, seamlessly and smoothly and ensure that they get comprehensive onboarding.
Onboarding helps newbies to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills, develop the correct attitude and behavior so that they can fit within the contours of the organization and function effectively. To make this happen, it doesn't require a lot -- organizations just need to help employees cross the hurdles one by one and make them feel that they are an integral part of the whole.
The research study underscores the need for onboarding to start early and stretch as long as the new hires need to become productive on the job. In short, given the uniqueness of each individual, some may take a little longer to become integrated with the organizational culture while others make the transition in less time.
Also, in an increasingly new digital world that reeks of “multi-channelism”, social media and the Internet, it makes sense to use technology to provide a consistent, compelling and contextual way of personalizing and delivering a positive new-hire experience. Automation and customization of programs to suit different job roles and different generational groups can ensure this.
"The business case is strong for software that can get an employee productive quickly while bringing that employee into the cultural fold with the goals of increased engagement and retention," noted Katherine Jones, vice president of Bersin by Deloitte, part of Deloitte Consulting LLP.
Seventy-nine percent of business leaders consider onboarding to be both an urgent and important priority, but how much of that will actually translate into action is the million dollar question.