Employee Onboarding Training: The Pathway to Better Employee Retention

Employee onboarding training has taken on renewed importance over the past few years due to a keen focus on reducing turnover and retaining valuable talent. Unfortunately, in a recent Gallup study, only 12% of employees agree that their companies are doing a good job of onboarding new hires. This is compounded by the fact that most employee onboarding training programs focus primarily on processes and paperwork (with an average of 41 administrative tasks to complete) and completely neglect to introduce new hires to the culture or set the stage for longer employee retention at the company. 

Ensuring that you provide vital employee onboarding training is a powerful way to boost employee retention. Below are some strategies for moving beyond processes and paperwork to really engage new hires even before they begin working for your company.

Be Clear About New Hire Roles

Another Gallup study reveals that nearly half of all U.S. employees don’t know what’s expected of them at work. Being as clear as possible about policies, what’s expected of new hires, and how their role fits into the company objectives is critical, especially for training for the frontline worker⸺50% of hourly employees quit within the first 120 days at a new job. 

Better employee onboarding includes clear expectations and job descriptions as well as ensures that new hires feel immersed in:

• Company culture
• Understanding company values,
• Accessing all the tools and training they need to be successful

Make New Hires Feel Welcome

Being the new hire is intimidating, and this fact often gets lost in the employee onboarding training process. Introducing new hires to important contacts across organizations, giving them a glimpse into how things really work, and providing the tools to navigate that environment are all ways to demonstrate that they are welcome. This also helps new employees stay engaged, research shows that engaged employees produce better business outcomes than employees who aren’t engaged on the job.

Foster Open Communication

Effective onboarding that initiates open dialogue tends to boost employee retention. When employees are comfortable speaking up and asking questions from the first day of work, they feel like an integral, valued part of the company and are more willing to share their ideas with others. 

Using tools that enable mobile learning and feedback from the get-go is critical. According to Inc.com, frontline employees who feel heard by and connected to their company are five times more likely to do their best work, and to stay with their company. Communication should facilitate not only top-down but also bottom-up and peer-to-peer communication. 

Encourage Continuous Learning 

Taking a long-term view with onboarding means providing training and learning beyond the first weeks of the job. A company culture that encourages continuous learning can motivate employees to get better at what they do. It can add more purpose and meaning to the job, improving employee satisfaction across the board and employee retention. 

The trick is to provide on-the-job training and self-paced learning that’s accessible anytime, anywhere, and on any device, so that continuous learning becomes an on-demand activity, not a one-off requirement. Be sure to power up your employee onboarding training with us today!