If you’ve been following the Baudville Blog, then you know that onboarding is a really hot topic. One so smoking that we did a whole issue of RecogNation on it! You can read it here, if you haven’t checked it out already.
Even though I completed my work on that project several months ago, I have been on high alert for more resources on the topic and have been squirreling them away for a big ta-dah moment, which turns out to be now! Of all the articles I’ve read, these five stood out to me—and each covers a different element of onboarding. Interested? Read on!
- Although many consider onboarding to begin on an employee’s first day, we, at Baudville, believe it should start even earlier: during recruiting. This article “Staffing Services: Get Beyond the Job Description" from Monster was written specifically for hiring consultants, but I found it to be relevant to any person in the position of hiring. Because it approaches the subject as if the consultant doesn’t know the company at all, it covers a lot of practices that might be considered “duh” to an internal person. However, that’s what makes it so great. If you’ve been at a company for a long time or feel like you know what you’re going for, you might feel comfortable skipping a lot of important stops on the hiring path. But, what if you did approach the process as if you were a stranger? What would you learn?
- Whether it seems like it or not, the job interview process is also a component of onboarding. Again, what happens before that first day can set the stage for how well day one and beyond actually play out. If it’s been a while since you updated your interviewing techniques, this article “How to Conduct an Effective Job Interview” is a great read with some smart tips.
- How do you know if you’re doing a good job with onboarding? Well, you can always ask! Glassdoor does just that: at the end of first days, they survey their new hires to find out what’s working and what isn’t. They use the information they gather to continually improve their program. Chances are, what works for them can work for you—or at least be a place to start until you can conduct your own surveys. Read their tips & ideas in the article “What Employees Really Want From Onboarding."
- Just as onboarding should start earlier than you think, it also should extend longer than just 90 days. Encouraging your new hires to seek out and secure a mentor is one way you can help them continue on a path of success at your company. Get some useful ideas on how to foster these relationships in Harvard Business Review’s article “Keeping Great People with Three Kinds of Mentors.”
- There is no shortage, it seems, of advice and best practices when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. Following all the DOs is definitely a DO, but have you thought about the DON’Ts? This article “12 Ways To Alienate A New Hire" offers a twist with what to avoid in your onboarding process.
So how do you feel now? Are you ready to elevate onboarding at your organization? Do you already have a good thing going? Share your ideas in the comments!
Allison is currently living out the elaborate fantasy she described to her now-former staff and colleagues in early 2001. With a hearty dose of courage and absolutely no plan of action, she abruptly left her middle-management job to become a writer—and today she is doing just that in her role as Baudville's Senior Content Writer. She's here to tell you everything she's learned in her 20-years+ professional life, plus a lot more. She's wordy like that!
