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ERIC ED536856: Planning for Employee Onboarding: Finding Ways to Increase New Employee Success and Long-Term Retention. Noel-Levitz White Paper PDF

2010·0.08 MB·English
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NOEL-LEVITZ WHITE PAPER Planning for Employee Onboarding Finding Ways to Increase New Employee Success and Long-Term Retention By Jo Hillman, Specialist in Employee Development for Higher Education Excitement! Anticipation! Sharing! Learning! Contributing! Are your new campus employees experiencing and acting on these positive feelings as they assume their new roles? Could you be doing more to build on these positive inclinations and motivations? And would expending extra effort to capitalize on the enthusiasm of new hires pay dividends in the long run? Well, yes, it would. Research says it does. Let’s explore how to do it. Onboarding defi ned Employee orientation programs are nothing new. No one questions the value of investing time and effort to make sure new employees are given a hearty welcome and “shown the ropes.” But employee onboarding is different. Onboarding involves a special, conscious effort to make a new employee quickly become a productive member of the organization, laying a solid foundation for a long-term relationship. At the heart of onboarding is careful attention to the success of desirable new employees over a period of time. Onboarding goes beyond orientation to provide an integration program that equips new hires with the resources to become fully engaged and culturally aware members of a productive workforce. Onboarding also includes a longer-term continuum of planned actions aimed at positive new employee experiences. These begin during the pre-employment phase of a prospect’s contacts with the employer and can extend to a period that lasts up to a year or more. The focus of onboarding programs is to quickly and fully integrate the new hire into the organization—its operating structure and systems, its physical facilities, its culture—and everything in-between. Finally, onboarding is made possible by a program that is designed to equip the employee with necessary business tools and strategies and a social network to accomplish the desired ends. Research is conclusive: Onboarding works! It is true that there are Research shows that how someone feels about his or her new job is a key factor in how productive ups and downs in the and how long-lived the relationship is destined to be. The fi rst 30 days matter the most. economy, and fi nding The Finnegan/Mackenzie Retention Firm investigated this topic. In one case they cite, researchers good team members at the University of Florida studied the employment longevity records of 1,000 accountants, IT is easy at times and professionals, and consultants across seven organizations. They found that these professionals harder at others. originally planned to stay an average of seven years. However, many left sooner, heavily infl uenced But one factor never by the experiences of their fi rst 30 days. changes: There is High-quality employees quit jobs because they can. Talented people know their competitive position always a cost involved in the employment marketplace, and they are on the quest to fi nd a place they like, not just one that in recruiting and hiring will have them. quality employees, and another cost Conversely, research has shown that the number one reason employees stay is for things they get in replacing them uniquely from you. The one unique thing all organizations can provide for each employee is a high- when they decide to quality relationship with one’s immediate supervisor. leave. So a modest Also worth noting is that research shows an important positive relationship between employees’ up-front investment in involvement within their institution and employee satisfaction. So building a quick and full onboarding—the best integration is of high potential benefi t. possible scenario for bringing new people on board—will pay 10 elements of a successful onboarding process long-term dividends. There are many different types of organizations, and their structures and cultures require many nuances. However, some basic content elements of successful onboarding processes apply to the majority of organizations. The following listing of key elements is designed to trigger discussion and development of local programs that can result in a comprehensive onboarding process with impressive benefi ts. 1. Develop a short- and longer-term plan for integrating the new employee into the organization. 2. Defi ne the job accurately and completely. The author, Jo Hillman, 3. Clarify the new employee’s role within the department and organization. offers more than 20 years 4. Introduce the new hire—within and across functional teams. of experience in employee development for higher 5. Explain and provide documentation on standard operating policies and procedures. Make sure education, serving both references and coaching are readily available. organizations ranging from large public 6. Provide a sequence of training and development opportunities to make the job easier and to universities to small enhance the employee’s career path. private colleges. Ms. 7. Clarify and provide documentation on emergency procedures as well as guidelines to empower Hillman is a frequent employees where appropriate. presenter on campuses as well as at national 8. Help the new employee understand your unique campus mission, vision, and service culture, conferences and as well as the employee’s vital contribution to campus success. regional meetings. She 9. Make the job manageable. is based in New London, Wisconsin. E-mail her at 10. Clearly defi ne performance standards and measurement. Identify formal evaluation milestones [email protected]. and, in addition, seize opportunities for frequent feedback. 2 © 2010 Noel-Levitz, Inc. • Noel-Levitz White Paper — Planning for Employee Onboarding An example worth considering One organization that has made onboarding • quick and full assimilation a priority is the University of Houston— • role within department; role of department Downtown. within organization What about Some key words and phrases found in the • systems, policies, procedures employees University of Houston-Downtown’s onboarding transitioning to new manual are listed below as food for thought. • human resources—benefi ts, training roles on campus? These provide a sense of the onboarding opportunities, performance appraisal process Engaging current program’s thrust. • campus tour employees in • pre-hire—fi rst impressions are critically critical pieces of • continuously engage new employees important the onboarding • coaching, training, and other developmental process can further • completion of employment forms programs their commitment • organization’s structure, vision, and mission • benefi ts—reduced costs, faster productivity, and broaden their • provide school-wide orientation (luncheon) return on salary and recruiting costs, and understanding. increased employee retention • departmental orientation • standardized onboarding process across • introductions departments • breakfast meeting to welcome into Clearly, this university has made onboarding department a high priority. After completing this ongoing • long-term process program of integration, its new employees are undoubtedly more likely to remain loyal and • phased implementation over time (one year) to more quickly and fully contribute to the • loyal and productive employee university’s mission. Conclusion It should be clear that there is a lot to think about with regard to the best way to help new employees become productive, long-term members of the campus. Employee engagement doesn’t just happen; it is dependent upon the attitudes and actions of the institution. A deliberate onboarding process that considers available research and emulates best practices can make all the difference in attracting new employees and keeping the good ones for a long time. Providing new employees with support and training so they can become the best possible employees creates a long-term, win-win scenario. References/additional readings Onboarding and Retention: Must-Have Tactics for the First 90 Days. IOMA Webinar, 2008. From http://www.ioma.com/recordings/. Branham, Leigh. (2005). The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It’s Too Late, American Management Association. Finnegan, Richard P. (2009). Rethinking Retention in Good Times and Bad: Breakthrough Ideas for Keeping Your Best Workers, Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc. Finnegan, Richard P. (2009). The Time for Retention Is NOW: Make Yourself a Hero. From http://www.retentioninstitute.com/pdf/shrm2009pres.pdf. Mistretta, A.J. (2010). 10 Steps to Successful On-Boarding. HR Tools. From http://www.hrtools. com/training_performance/10_steps_to_successful_on_boarding.aspx © 2010 Noel-Levitz, Inc. • www.noellevitz.com 3 Contact us at: 2350 Oakdale Boulevard Coralville, Iowa 52241-9702 For more information Phone: For more information on campus employee development including training 800-876-1117 319-626-8380 specifi cally designed for front-line campus staff, contact Jo Hillman of Noel-Levitz at 1-866-982-4244 or 920-982-4244, or e-mail [email protected]. E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.noellevitz.com Except where cited otherwise, About Noel-Levitz all material in this paper is copyright © by Noel-Levitz, Inc. Noel-Levitz is a nationally recognized higher education consulting fi rm that focuses Permission is required, in on strategic planning for enrollment and organizational development. Since 1973, most cases, to redistribute Noel-Levitz has served more than 2,600 colleges and universities throughout information from Noel-Levitz, Inc., either in print or electronically. North America. The fi rm offers consulting, custom research, benchmark data, Please contact us at ContactUs@ innovative tools and technologies, side-by-side plan development, and professional noellevitz.com about reusing material from this paper. development. To learn more, visit www.noellevitz.com. FFiinndd iitt oonnlliinnee.. This paper is posted online at www.noellevitz.com. Sign up to receive additional papers and updates. Visit our Web page: www.noellevitz.com/Subscribe 4 © 2010 Noel-Levitz, Inc. • Noel-Levitz White Paper — Planning for Employee Onboarding P029 0810

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