With the influx of Gen Y employees into the workforce, the pressure to overhaul dated, old-fashioned induction policies is greater than ever – especially for small businesses.
New employees are at the highest risk of turnover within the first 90 days and turnover in this time can be very costly. New hires need extra attention and love, and Gen Ys are no exception to this rule.
To secure top talent and remain competitive, small businesses need to upgrade employee onboarding processes to speak to the next generation.
Here are some tips and tricks on how small businesses can take their onboarding into the 21st century.
Issues with ineffective onboarding
First let’s look at it from the perspective of Jane, a hot candidate for that position you’ve been looking to fill. Jane is a tech-savvy Gen Y, her skill set is in high demand and she’s applying for multiple roles.
Jane applies for your position through SEEK. She ticks all the boxes, so you give her a call.
She’s perfect – your dream candidate.
You quickly send her a calendar invite to come in for an interview. She attends and blitzes the interview.
Jane eclipsed all the other candidates, so you offer her a job on the spot. Even better, Jane verbally accepts the offer and can’t wait to receive her contract and offer pack, and get started.
You now write up the contract, get it approved, print all of the necessary documents, policies, Tax File Number declaration, SuperChoice forms and welcome documents. You put it all into an envelope and post it.
Meanwhile, Jane sits waiting.
A few days pass, and you start to wonder – did Jane receive her offer? Did we include everything? Is she filling out all the paperwork? When will she send it back?
Unable to wait any more, you give Jane a call.
“I’m really sorry, but I’ve accepted an offer with another company. They’re just a better fit for me – modern, dynamic, energetic and fun” – Jane.
Many organisations still use antiquated procedures to onboard the next generation of hires. New employees are left feeling disenchanted with bundles of contracts, piles of documents and pages of policies all being sent through the mail. If you want to be an employer of choice for Gen Ys, you have to give young candidates a modern, engaging welcome into the organisation.
Make the onboarding process a celebration
The new hire has just been offered an exciting new job, and you’re about to get a great new team member. Both of you should be celebrating.
As soon as you’ve made the verbal offer, you want to give the new hire a positive employee onboarding experience. Send the new hire their offer pack online immediately. Don’t wait around and risk losing that excitement and energy.
Socialise the new hire with the team
Gen Ys are looking for a good culture. But how do you demonstrate that culture before day one?
The easiest way is to make employees feel like part of the team the minute they accept their offer by encouraging new employees to connect with their colleagues on LinkedIn and Facebook. It’s important to then continue this socialisation in the first few weeks of their employment.
You can also provide the new hire with a buddy to help introduce them to everyone in the company. Sending them your company values as part of their offer pack can also help them to get to know the company who they’re working for.
Make sure your new hires are ready to go on day one
There is nothing worse than spending your first day (or week) waiting for a desk, filling out paperwork or wondering what to do. The gap between recruitment and the first productive day should be as small as possible.
When new hires complete their details through an online onboarding system, their Tax File Number, Super Choice and contracts can be automatically updated. HR managers can then notify IT, payroll and the provisioning team to ensure the new employee is set up in the business before they start.
Consider the employee lifecycle
When it comes time to offboard the employee (hopefully years down the track), you want to make sure the employee leaves with a smile. You never know when they might ‘boomerang’ back into the organisation, bringing with them added years of experience and contacts. At the very least, they could be a future customer or a referrer of talent, so keeping the relationship positive is important.
It’s essential to focus on building a positive first impression of the business for the new employee and focus on the onboarding process for at least their first 90 days. When it comes time to offboard the employee, give them the same great experience and positive lasting impression.
About the Author:
Written by Peter Forbes CEO and Founder of HROnboard.
