Engaging and retaining talent is one of the top goals our clients have shared.

As a well-structured onboarding program has been shown to make 69% of employees more likely to stay for three years, let’s look at the top onboarding trends of 2020:

1. Preboarding

Competing job offers, counteroffers from current employers, nerves/anxiety, and concerned family members are common reasons new hires change their mind and fail to show up. A recent survey by Indeed found that 19% of respondents had accepted a verbal offer but then disappeared, and 22% had accepted an offer, signed the paperwork, and then didn’t show up their first day of work.

One of the best ways to engage new employees before their first day is with preboarding activities. These include a mobile-first onboarding experience, company swag shipped to their home, texts, and more which drive affirmation of the ‘yes’ to the offer. Actively starting the onboarding process the moment new hires accept your employment offer demonstrates your commitment to them and helps keep them excited about working with you.

A great example of this is how one of our clients sends company-branded gift boxes to their new employees. The box contains a welcome-to-the-team note, some company swag, and the company values. They also email a link to their new hires at the same time to kick off the onboarding process. Their new hires simply click the link and complete the onboarding paperwork from their phone, tablet, or laptop. This is a wonderful way to make new hires feel valued and connected with the company before they even start.

2. Personalization

A personalized onboarding experience helps calm new job jitters and accelerate new hire productivity. We recommend developing onboarding workflows based on role, seniority, and location to engage your new hires with an onboarding program that provides all the information they need to be successful sooner.

Best practices include embedding the following in their onboarding materials:

–          A day in the life video

–          On-demand learning opportunities

–          A who’s who guide of their team

–          Role and company policies, procedures, and guides

–          Communication guidelines

3. Socialization

A positive social network at work is one of the strongest indicators of employee happiness, engagement, and likelihood of staying with the company. 70% of employees have reported that having friends at work is one of the most important parts of being happy at work.

Our clients have had success embedding new employee socialization in their onboarding process. Common new hire activities include team lunches, work buddies, and mentors. We recommend developing this part of the onboarding process in a mindful way that feels genuine and true to your company’s culture and values.

If you would like to learn more about enhancing or automating your onboarding program we’d love to chat.

Our platform simplifies onboarding with the mobile-first experience your candidates expect. At Click Boarding, we work together to set up personalized workflows configured to your needs, so you can delight your new employees with a personalized onboarding experience.

In the 1994 holiday classic movie The Santa Clause, an unlucky dad hears Santa fall from his roof.

Rushing outside with his son, Scott discovers a lifeless Santa and a note in the pocket of his suit. In very fine print it reads, “If something should happen to me, put on my suit, the Reindeer will know what to do.” Scott slips on the suit and is whisked away to the magical realm of the north pole, filled with elves, toymaking, and all the wonder of Christmas. As the rest of the story unfolds, Scott bumbles through his newfound Santahood.

If only the elves had a great onboarding program for new Santa’s, Scott could have had a smooth transition into becoming the jolly man in a red suit.

Let’s review the onboarding lessons learned from the elves’ biggest onboarding missteps:

Lesson 1: Encourage questions

Unsurprisingly, after arriving in the North Pole Scott has some questions! Unconcerned, the elves in charge just hurry Scott along, not really answering any of his questions and certainly not proactively asking him if he has any. He ends up back home after his first foray in the North Pole certain it was all just a very strange dream.

All new employees have questions. Some feel comfortable to ask. Some keep quiet. Establish open lines of communication from the start and show new hires that questions are encouraged. It’s also a good practice to actively ask if anyone has questions about x, y, or z to get the questions flowing.

Lesson 2: Set clear expectations

Scott was alarmed when he started unexpectedly putting on weight and growing a long white bushy beard. He tried to combat it with the gym and razors, but this new Santa appearance was there to stay.

The elves could have saved Scott considerable consternation by simply telling him what to expect. Instead, he floundered, anxious and nervous about these surprising changes and expectations.

Help your new employees feel confident in their new role by setting clear expectations. Milestones, especially marking 30, 60, and 90 days, are great ways to establish reasonable targets and keep new employees on track.

Lesson 3: Prioritize learning and development

Scott received no training to become Santa. He was simply expected to know what to do when, where, and how. Fortunately, he had a bit of magic to help him but in the real world your new hires have no such luck.

Great onboarding ensures your new employees have all the knowledge, tools, and training to be successful in their new role. Furthermore, learning and development is one of the best ways to engage and retain your employees. LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce Learning Report showed that 94% of employees would stay with a company longer if the company invested in their career. Displaying your commitment to their long-term development through education is one of the best ways to demonstrate your investment in them and their career.

If you would like to learn more about enhancing or automating your onboarding program we’d love to chat.

Our platform simplifies onboarding with the mobile-first experience your candidates expect. At Click Boarding, we work together to set up personalized workflows configured to your needs, so you can delight your new employees with a personalized onboarding experience.