Employee onboarding is an instrumental part of the employee experience, and one that can determine the retention of that employee. With most employees who leave a company doing so within 12 months of being hired, onboarding is one area that can help employees get a good start so new hires are more likely to make it past that 12-month window. Onboarding Techniques To Encourage Retention Having an effective onboarding process means giving new employees the information they need to succeed at your company. Information about policies, rules, and procedures is necessary, and making that information palatable for employees to learn is no easy task. Even more important is the information that does not appear in a policy manual; information about the culture and unwritten rules of the company can make the difference between a positive employee experience and an uncomfortable one. Assigning Mentors Mentorship programs can be a way to give one-on-one instruction and guidance to new employees on a day-to-day basis. A mentor can teach the new employee the ins and outs of the job, the skills needed to be successful, and how things work in the new position. Mentors can be a great help in integrating a new employee into the company successfully. If a full mentoring program cannot be funded or accomplished, another good option is to assign a “welcome buddy” to introduce the new employee to the group and make sure the employee feels welcomed, answer any questions, and help him or her get to know others in the organization. Setting Goals New employees are more successful and productive when they develop clear goals and objectives. Along with goal setting, which should involve the employee actively as part of the process, employees need to be given tools needed to achieve these goals. They also need feedback regarding how they are doing and positive reinforcement when they do a good job. Involving the Entire Team “First 90 Days” programs take new employees through each part of their job in great detail, as well as teaching them about company culture and the mission of the organization. This program involves many people within the organization, from the CEO to fellow team members, to ensure that the first 90 days of employment are positive and helpful to a new employee. Employees who understand their organization’s culture and have been integrated into it are less likely to leave the organization. Likewise, employees who have learned and accepted the mission and vision of the organization are more apt to stay put. Spending time during the onboarding process to help employees connect to the organization and other employees, as well as ensuring that they understand the expectations of the organization for their position, will go a long way toward improving retention. Thrive TRM can improve your organization’s onboarding process by setting up goals and milestones, then tracking them to be sure they are met in a timely manner for each new employee. Documenting the onboarding process can seem like just one more thing to do when you are already pressed for time, but Thrive TRM can make the process easy to document and track so you will be sure you have given your new hires the best chance to thrive within your organization and given your organization the best chance of keeping new hires. Discover our hiring solutions to see how Thrive TRM can make all the difference in your onboarding process.