How to Use Onboarding to Make Your Business Better

Understand why onboarding is so important to your business and take these 9 steps for success.

I’ve appreciated everything I’ve learned during my short time here but I just don’t think that I’m a good fit for your company.

There’s nothing worse than investing the time, money, and energy to find that perfect person for a job, then receiving a resignation. Almost every business owner has gotten an email or letter like this from a recent hire—because a staggering 30% of new employees leave a company in their first 90 days. 
That’s just one reason proper onboarding is so important. It not only gets new hires into the swing of things in an efficient way, it also immerses them in your company culture. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, it saves time and money to have an employee who can hit the ground running (at least as much as possible) and makes them more likely to stay on a long-term basis. 

But how can you do onboarding well so you can avoid seeing that dreaded email in your inbox?

Here are 9 steps you need to take in order to ensure onboarding is a success.  

1. Document your process – Use onboarding checklists to make sure you have everything covered. Use the checklist or a guide to make it a repeatable process so it’s easier on you each time a new hire comes on board.  

2. Lay the groundwork – A week prior, email the employee to welcome them, give them a schedule for the first week and ask if they have questions. Also, have them fill out paperwork in advance so they aren’t as overwhelmed with paperwork their first day.

3. Introduce the hire – This sounds obvious, but making personal introductions can help ease their anxiety on the first day. If possible, have a breakfast meeting—even if breakfast is coffee and donuts—to introduce your new employee. You should also encourage other employees to introduce themselves in a more in-depth way, which doesn’t always happen without a little push from you.

4. Create a positive first impression – On that first day, make sure you have everything ready to go. Does she have a workspace? Is her computer set up? What about an email address? A new hire will feel reassured that they’re joining a good company if everything is organized and running smoothly on the first day. Also remember that business space can tell a new hire a lot about your company’s culture and first impressions count during the onboarding process. Make your employee feel welcome!

5. Do an entry interview – Now that the employee is on board, find out more about what’s important to them and what they’d like to accomplish during their career at your company. Let them prep ahead of time so you can have a beneficial discussion for both of you.   

6. Create a shadowing program – Opinions differ on whether it’s best to shadow one person or many—and to be honest, it probably depends on how your business is structured. Whatever your decision, make sure that the person in charge of training is clear about what needs to be communicated and taught to the new hire. 

7. Meet one-on-one regularly – During the first 60 days, do quick weekly check-ins to find out what the new hires have learned and where they are struggling. When you’re juggling many tasks at once that seem more pressing to your business, this time can slip away unless it’s on the schedule. 

8. Immerse them quickly – Getting your new hire involved sooner rather than later in an active project is a great way to introduce them to the team, customers, and business operations.

9. Communicate frequently and concisely – The best way for your new employee to understand what exactly is expected of them is to communicate that often and repeatedly. Additionally, active and frequent communication is key to building relationships.

Onboarding is often overlooked but it’s important so both your employee and your company can succeed. Hiring a new employee takes time and money. To ensure your employees stick around, consider adding these steps into your onboarding process.

Verity Commercial’s advisors work with business owners to ensure their space makes a great first impression and conveys the company’s culture. Contact one of our experience business advisors to find how your space can improve your onboarding process.