What could be more frustrating than your new hire walking away from their job, even before they start? It’s not as bizarre or improbable as it sounds. According to one recent study, more than 30 percent of new employees are already job searching during their first few weeks on the job – and an increasing number never show up at all.
As the economy continues to improve, in-demand candidates are continuously getting higher offers, even after they’ve accepted one. In addition, there is an ethics shift going on among millennials, who are now the leading population segment in both the workplace and the job marketplace. Fewer individuals feel a sense of guilt about walking away from an offer that they accepted only days ago.
The solution to this possible dilemma lies in preboarding: interacting with new hires and enabling them to assimilate with your company and its culture at the earliest possible stage. Research by IBM has shown that a preboarding strategy can increase first-year employee retention rates by as much as 80 percent.
Benefits of Preboarding
Preboarding offers you a chance to build a relationship with your new employees before they become overloaded with information as they fulfill their actual role at your company. From their perspective, preboarding allows them to:
- Understand their way around your business from both a physical and structural standpoint.
- Learn more about their new role and related expectations.
- Meet virtually or face-to-face with their coworkers and with other new starters.
As a result, new hires are more enthused about their jobs and feel more valued. From an organizational perspective, preboarding:
- Embeds new hires within your company culture more quickly.
- Enables onboarding efforts to focus on an employee’s role and responsibilities.
- Reduces attrition rates.
- Lowers time-to-effectiveness in new employees, helping them to contribute and achieve objectives more quickly.
Preboarding Steps to Take
One step to consider in preboarding a new hire is sending them a link to a video which illustrates your company and its culture. Other tools include:
- Bringing new employees into your social network: Early access to your company’s social media network can do wonders. If you don’t already have one, create a group on a platform such as LinkedIn as a means of introducing new hires to the rest of their team. This will give them a better sense of how their colleagues prefer to collaborate – and they’ll be ready to hit the ground running on Day One.
- Making search efforts easier: When your new hire looks for your company online, be sure that you’ve guided them in the right direction. Be proactive in providing links to blogs, news articles, announcements, policies and procedures, and company newsletters.
- Bring new hires in: Invite them to a team meeting prior to their first day of work. This will give them real insight into group dynamics. It also will enable them to become familiar with team priorities and go-to persons. If your new hire is not local, arrange for online participation.
For more ideas on best practices to improve your hiring process, contact the team of experts at Talent Bridge. We have a proven track record of success in designing custom solutions for sourcing and retention success.