All companies, regardless of their size, spend time and money trying to recruit the best talent and want to turn them into productive employees as quickly as possible. According to The Boston Consulting Group, “Companies with strong onboarding programs see 2.5 times the profit growth and 1.9 times the profit margin than those that don’t.” In addition, research has shown that effective onboarding can have a dramatic effect on job performance and satisfaction, organizational commitment, and retention.

The purpose of this month’s Insights & Observations is to provide you with some thoughts as you consider implementing a “Onboarding Program” for your organization.

1. Most companies have a new employee orientation program that has been well established and reviews the HR programs, policies, procedures and employee benefits.
2. “Onboarding” is a more comprehensive process where you engage employees from day one and educate them on the company culture/values, orient them on their specific job tasks/expectations, move them from outsiders to organizational insiders, and successfully integrate them into your workforce.
3. As you design your Onboarding Program, here are some items you might want to include:
   1. Explanation of the company’s strategic objectives
   2. Training on the company’s products/services and customers
   3. Information about the company’s culture, values, organization structure, and locations
   4. Discussion of communication methods and approaches used in the company
   5. Guidance about how decisions are made in the company
   6. Assignment of a mentor, coach or buddy to assist in the employee’s transition into the organization

For more information on how Human Capital Consulting Partners can assist you in developing your company’s recruiting process, contact us.