By Tracy McCarthy
Feb. 23, 2012
SilkRoad technology recently conducted a survey, "The State of Talent Management: Developing the Agile Workforce, Driving Business Value," asking over 850 HR professionals a series of questions to uncover what they understand about aligning HR program goals with greater business objectives. One area of focus for the survey was onboarding – a good place for alignment to begin.
When asked to list their top three goals for onboarding, the majority (69 percent) of respondents answered, “Ensure that employees are engaged with and socialized into the company culture.” The second highest response, from 60 percent of respondents, was “Align employees with the priorities and goals of the organization.” With these objectives in mind, HR can begin to develop a strategy by which employees are continuously engaged, developed and rewarded.
Both acculturation and alignment are key ingredients to a successful onboarding program that will have a lasting impact. However, they also require moving beyond transactional necessities, which tend to overwhelm a new hire’s first day in the office. Does the process you’re accustomed to look something like: tour and staff introductions, paperwork, overview of policies, paperwork, lunch, paperwork? If so, you’re likely not achieving engagement, or long-term retention.
Day one, and even earlier, is not only time for a new hire to impress his or her new colleagues, but also the time for companies and managers to begin engaging and installing company values in their new hires. Here’s how:
Pre-hire preparation. If you’ve made the right hire you’re likely excitedly awaiting their first day, and they, in turn, are looking forward to becoming an integrated member of the team. That process can be kick-started in advance. Corresponding with an email that invites the new hire to connect with the team on LinkedIn, or other social sites the organization uses, enables personal connections. Forming those relationships makes the workplace environment sticky for its inhabitants, improving retention and engagement.
Giving new hires access to the profiles of their colleagues takes some of the edge off on day one. There will be less anxiety about remembering names during an introduction and more focus on understanding the relationship with and between their teammates. But the preparation isn’t all fun and games – it should also include gathering all of the required forms. The I-9’s, tax documents, emergency contacts, direct deposit and forms with signatures needed should be well organized, and ideally already populated with information if you don’t have an electronic system. This will help day one become less about transactions and more about setting the stage for the work environment at the company.