As we know, onboarding is one of the first touch points a new starter has with an organisation. When we consider that 22% of staff turnover occurs within the first 45 days of employment it’s clear that onboarding is a major retention driver – it’s make or break.
The problem is that onboarding is document-heavy and time-consuming by nature. This means it can be challenging at the best of times, let alone in a distributed working environment. In fact, roughly one in four HR professionals said that new starter onboarding/inductions take up too much of HR’s time relative to the value they deliver.
So, what can you do to ensure onboarding is both effective and pain-free? This is where technology comes into play. Below, we have identified five onboarding challenges and how HR technology can help to overcome them.
1. Lack of resources
Traditional onboarding can be time-consuming and document-heavy. There are several critical administrative tasks that must be ticked off in the initial onboarding stages, such as the gathering of employee banking, tax and superannuation details. But many organisations don’t have the resources to easily facilitate this.
Fortunately, with the help of technology employees can conduct their own onboarding autonomously. By logging into a portal, new starters complete relevant forms and access training modules, for example. This drastically eases the HR administration burden and the drain on department resources.
2. Not having a standardised process
A rushed, unstructured onboarding process can result in vital steps being skipped, leading to operational knowledge gaps and uncertainty. It also leaves employees feeling overwhelmed with information and unsure where their roles fit into the bigger picture. This is not a good start.
- Lower productivity (16%)
- Greater inefficiencies (14%)
- Higher employee turnover (12%)
- Lower employee morale (11%)
- Lower level of employee engagement (10%)
- Lower confidence among employees (10%)
- Lack of trust within the organisation (7%)
- Missed revenue targets (6%)
A technology platform that allows for built-in, customisable modules for policy acknowledgments, assessments and surveys will ensure each new employee gets the same experience, while still allowing some degree of personalisation.
3. Required input from a range of stakeholders
Another onboarding objective is to gather information. Hiring managers often must collate the information needed to drive onboarding activities amongst themselves, facilities, HR Payroll, IT and other departments to ensure it goes smoothly. But without a formal structure in place, it’s easy for activities to be forgotten or forms to go uncompleted. This can be a huge headache further down the line.
This is why automating certain tasks is totally necessary. It allows multiple stakeholders to seamlessly collaborate via an online portal and keep track of onboarding tasks in real time (removing the need for bothersome follow-up emails). It just makes sense!
4. Compliance headaches
There are plenty of time-consuming compliance boxes to be ticked during the onboarding process. Hiring managers must collect the previously mentioned information about a new employee (bank, tax, super details), as well as contact and health-related information.
With an onboarding solution, organisations can ensure employees are given the correct documents to sign, and that this data is then stored securely and submitted to the correct authorities in a timely manner. Easy, right?
5. High employee churn
Retaining new hires is a key area of concern for many companies, according to 90% of executives. According to a separate survey, one-third of employees who quit in the first month do so due to “a lack of proper onboarding”.
While employees are far less likely to look for a new role in a time of labour market uncertainty, employers mustn’t get complacent about how they treat employees. If employees have been treated badly during the tough times, don’t expect they’ll stick around for the good times.
We all know what it’s like to start a new role – it’s daunting! Armed with this perspective, it’s crucial that your onboarding program provides employees a sense of comfort. It should be standardised, easy-to-complete, and compliant. The right HR technology will help with all these things.
HROnboard, an ELMO company, offers a best-in-class software solution that reduces the amount of time HR teams and leaders spend securing the best candidates and undertaking the critical onboarding process for new hires. Our solution also helps manage internal employee role changes and can create a smooth and seamless process for exiting employees. To find out more, reach us here.
ELMO Software is a cloud-based solution that helps thousands of organisations across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to effectively manage their people, process and pay. ELMO solutions span the entire employee lifecycle from ‘hire to retire’. They can be used together or stand-alone, and are configurable according to an organisation’s unique processes and workflows. Automate and streamline your operations to reduce costs, increase efficiency and bolster productivity. For further information, contact us.