5 Onboarding Tips to Help Reduce Employee Turnover

The employee onboarding process is crucial for retaining employees. In fact, 69 percent of workers are more likely to remain with their employer for three years if they were engaged by a robust onboarding experience, according to data from an ADP Canada report.

An effective onboarding process can help employees be excited and engaged, which helps prevent turnover. Due to this, companies are encouraged to reflect on how the onboarding process is viewed by new hires. Some employee turnover will be natural at any organization, but taking some simple steps may help reduce the number of employees looking to leave during or soon after onboarding.

This article explores ways to adjust the onboarding process to help reduce employee turnover.

Workplace Strategies

An employee’s onboarding experience is crucial, as it accustoms them to the workplace culture. Therefore, the strategy must focus on the employee as a whole. The following five onboarding tips aim to help reduce employee turnover.

1. Be Prepared.

Throwing together a last-minute onboarding process or having nothing arranged for a new employee can make them feel unwelcome. It’s best practice to have aspects such as login information, database access, technology setup and account access ready before a new employee starts their onboarding.

2. Build a Sense of Community.

Feelings of isolation can be amplified for new hires. Building new relationships is crucial for integrating new hires into the workplace so they feel a sense of belonging. Employers can consider identifying a key group of people that a new employee can connect with to discuss their ongoing progress. This group might include supervisors or co-workers—anyone who can help enable the new employee’s success. Employees are more likely to be retained if they have a productive and positive first year.

3. Define Employee Success.

It’s common for new hires to feel a lot of pressure when first starting. Employers should create specific expectations for new employees so they avoid comparing their new career to previous ones. Managers can communicate expectations from day one, including accountabilities, success milestones and any available resources. Defining these expectations for an employee can help the worker onboard into company culture quicker and understand what success means in their new role.

4. Know Your Turnover Rate.

To improve employee retention, employers need to know their turnover metrics so they can benchmark their current state and measure onboarding improvements. Once an organization’s turnover rate is established, new onboarding methods can be implemented and the rate of improvement can be measured.

5. Be Flexible.

Flexible work options are a critical factor in why many employees either stay or leave a workplace. If the new employees are remote or hybrid, the onboarding process should be conducted accordingly (i.e., virtually for remote workers). When onboarding an employee, it’s critical to consider their overall experience.

For more employee well-being and workplace guidance, contact us today.