From the moment a new hire steps through the door on their first day, the retention process begins. First impressions matter, and new hires make quick judgements about their future with your company based on their onboarding experience. An uninspiring, disorganized process can leave them second-guessing their decision.
While many companies have already adopted technological solutions and have moved much of the onboarding process online, there are still challenges to overcome. It’s essential to create an engaging, motivating environment from day one, and this blog explores why onboarding matters, how to identify issues in your current process and what features to look for in retention-focused onboarding software.
Why Effective Onboarding is Non-Negotiable
There is much more to onboarding than filling out paperwork and getting a tour of the premises. It’s a critical first step in the employee experience and an opportunity to set new hires up for success. Research shows that companies with structured onboarding programs see up to 82% higher retention rates. This alone creates a compelling case for investing in a well-planned, software-supported onboarding strategy.
Key Ways Onboarding Impacts Retention
- First Impressions Matter: The onboarding process sets the tone for an employee’s full experience with your company. A seamless, welcoming approach fosters trust and engagement.
- Employees Feel Equipped and Valued: Onboarding software can be preloaded with all of the information, training and support that new hires need. It can be personalized to the individual’s role and presented in a way that is easily digestible and creates a sense of belonging.
- Reduced Learning Curve: A well-designed program minimizes the time it takes for employees to get up to speed, while also reducing the amount of time more senior employees need to devote to training. The shorter the learning curve, the faster new hires build confidence in their roles and work effectively.
Conversely, outdated or inefficient onboarding processes can undermine these benefits, leaving new employees feeling unsupported, disengaged and lacking the ability to do their jobs.
Red Flags in Your Current Onboarding Process
It’s possible that your current onboarding process is doing more harm than good without you realizing it. Here are some signs to look out for that indicate your approach might be pushing employees away rather than pulling them in:
- Low Engagement Rates: If new hires aren’t actively participating in onboarding tasks, it could be due to poorly designed systems. It’s not that they don’t want to learn about the business, but if they are required to use clunky, overcomplicated software to do so they may get frustrated. Watching hours of boring video can also lower their interest in completing the process.
- Lack of Personalization: Onboarding isn’t a one-size-fits-all process, even if every new hire needs to know essentially the same information. Generic experiences won’t resonate with employees who are looking for tailored guidance that aligns with their specific role and learning preferences.
- No Data Insights: Without tracking metrics like task completion rates, feedback scores, or time-to-productivity, it’s difficult to accurately assess your onboarding program’s effectiveness. Sure, you can get a general idea if you can see that employees are not completing the modules, but having hard data will make it much easier to identify concrete areas for improvement.
If any of these red flags sound familiar to you, it’s time to consider making changes to your onboarding platform in order to create a smoother, more engaging experience for new hires.
Must-Have Features for Retention-Focused Onboarding
The goal of the onboarding process is to introduce new hires to the ins and outs of the company and to give them the skills and knowledge needed to complete their tasks and fulfill their responsibilities productively. Done well, this process will set employees on the path to success and will encourage them to remain in their position for the long-term.
To create an onboarding process that encourages staff retention, there are a number of features to prioritize when looking for onboarding software. These features include:
- Automated Workflows: Manual errors and delays can be frustrating. Automation ensures that onboarding steps – from form completion to training schedules – are seamless and error-free. Employees can initiate the workflow and complete each section on their own time and at their convenience.
- Learning Modules: New hires don’t want to spend hours watching long videos or reading pages of text. Interactive, engaging training content presented in short modules help employees absorb critical information quickly. Modules can include videos, quizzes and simulations tailored to specific roles.
- Analytics Dashboards: Collecting data on how new hires are moving through the onboarding process is vital for identifying bottlenecks and tracking employee engagement. You can use this information to refine the process over time, making changes to adapt to the real needs of your staff.
- Integration Capabilities: Any onboarding tool that you choose should easily integrate with other existing HR tools such as payroll systems or performance management platforms. The cohesive seamless experience that matters to employees should also carry-over to the administrators who are responsible for managing the program.
Real-World Success Story
Egg Harbor Cafe operates 20 cafes across the USA, with 800 frontline employees. Prior to adopting Bites’ online training solution, the company was using MS Teams for corporate training sessions, including onboarding new hires.
This system wasn’t working well for Egg Harbor Cafe, as there was no consistency and no way to ensure that all employees were receiving the same information, leading to inconsistent service and high turnover.
Since switching to Bites, all Egg Harbor Cafe new hires receive the same high quality training and corporate massage, regardless of their location. They are also able to access the information on their own time, providing much-needed flexibility while also reducing the face-to-face training that managers were doing. Bites enables Egg Harbor Cafe to communicate with and train employees in a way which meets the company’s purpose and puts the employees first – a surefire way to ensure the retention of loyal, well-trained and highly-skilled staff.
Are you Maximizing Retention Potential?
Employee retention doesn’t happen by chance and cannot be taken for granted. It’s built through intentional strategies that begin on day one with onboarding. The right onboarding software empowers you to create an engaging, supportive experience that sets employees up for success and encourages them to stay.
Here’s how you can take action today to maximize employee retention:
- Evaluate Your Current System: Identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement. Ask your most recent hires for their honest feedback.
- Invest in New Tools: Look for software like Bites that automates workflows, personalizes experiences and provides data insights so that you can create the most effective onboarding process.
- Measure and Refine: The process doesn’t end once you set up a new system. It’s important to continuously track your onboarding program’s performance and adjust based on the data and analytics you collect.
Ready to enhance retention? Contact us to discuss transforming your onboarding process into a strategic asset and start building stronger connections with your employees from the start.
FAQs
What is onboarding software?
Onboarding software is a technological tool that helps streamline and enhance the process of integrating new employees into an organization. Rather than holding face-to-face training sessions, onboarding software puts the information online so that employees can access it on their own time.
How does onboarding software improve retention?
Onboarding software improves employee retention by creating personalized, engaging onboarding experiences. This helps new hires feel more connected, valued and equipped for success, reducing turnover.
What features should I look for in onboarding tools?
The most effective onboarding tools will include features such as workflow automations, analytics, personalization and interactive learning as well as seamless integration with existing HR systems.
Can small businesses benefit from onboarding platforms?
Absolutely! Small businesses can gain huge benefit from onboarding platforms as the added efficiency saves time, enhances employee satisfaction and fosters growth, regardless of company size. Small businesses in particular can benefit from reducing the amount of time managers and veteran staff need to spend training new employees.