So, you’ve found the perfect new hire to join the team – great news! They are keen to start and eager to learn, but they probably won’t be very productive…not for a while at least.
Luckily, there are ways to fast-track productivity in new hires. Keep reading for 5 quick tips!
1. Good planning is key
An organisation must put its best foot forward to win the hearts of new employees. It must demonstrate professionalism and effective management through onboarding, otherwise, a new hire may conclude that their new employer poorly manages their people and operations. Considering nearly one-third of all new hires quit their jobs within the first six months, bad planning can be pretty detrimental.
An onboarding program that is well mapped out can boost new starter productivity because there is minimal wasted time. This could be as simple as preparing their desk ready for their arrival and introducing them to their new team on their first day! Also, ensure you outline the key steps involved in the onboarding process, so your new hire knows the plan.
2. Set the right targets
Your new starter is talented at what they do – that’s why you hired them! Let them show you what they can do by setting them targets to aim for and telling them how they can best reach those targets.
They may not be big projects at first, but they will help the new starter settle into their role, familiarise themselves with other team members, learn how programs and tools work, and understand how they impact the wider business.
3. Careful distribution of information
One aspect of onboarding that organisations struggle with is how much information to relay to new starters. There is fear of overwhelming a new starter by throwing them straight into the deep end, but on the other hand there is concern about not providing enough information to ensure productivity. To ensure progress is sustainable, employers must be careful to drip-feed information throughout the onboarding journey. To find out which pieces of information should be distributed and when, read HROnboard’s blog here.
4. Training
Set the new employee up for success by exposing them to training and development during onboarding – especially role-specific training. To avoid information overload, you may schedule bite-size learning sessions in the first weeks of employment and increase learning initiatives along the employment journey. Investing in employees’ growth from the outset both maximises the employee’s productivity in their new role and sends the message that you’re an employer who cares about their future. Towards the end of the onboarding period – however long that lasts – chat to your new hire about their career aspirations and cover the development options open to them to help them achieve their career objectives.
5. Leverage technology
All the above can be best achieved with the help of technology and automating processes. Having a standardised onboarding process can result in 50% greater new hire productivity for organisations, because it enables organisations to follow onboarding best practices to ensure new hires get up to speed as soon as possible.
Not only does onboarding software boost new starter productivity, but it also boosts the productivity of managers, who can stay up to date on their new recruit’s onboarding status, and the productivity of HR, who can regain time due to tasks being automated.
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. For more information about this blog or on HROnboard, contact us.
ELMO Software offers end-to-end solutions for the entire employee lifecycle, from ‘hire to retire’. This includes recruitment, learning, performance management, payroll, rostering / time & attendance, and more. For further information on ELMO, contact us.