What’s Wrong With Onboarding – and 3 Ways to Fix It | 2-Minute Video

Let’s talk about onboarding – and how awful it can be.

Yes, you can do things well, but the bottom line is those first few days — or weeks — can feel like an annual doctor’s visit – paperwork, uncomfortable conversations and a lackluster day at the office.

That’s not the experience you want employees to have. (And you probably don’t want to have at a doctor’s visit, much less at work.)

So let’s get better at bringing in new employees.

What’s Up in This Episode: Fixing Onboarding

In this episode of HRMorning’s 3-Point, our expert, Kiran Menon, Senior Director of Product, Phenom, first explains what’s wrong with onboarding these days. Then he gives us tips and tools to build a better experience for new employees

Click, watch and listen for more details on how to bring on new employees so they have a great experience and start their careers with your organization engaged and enthusiastic.

Transcript (edited for clarity):

Kiran Menon, Senior Director of Product, Phenom: Those compliance processes before Day 1 are really what set the ground for an impersonal, monotonous, soul-sucking experience.

No one wants that! Not a new employee. Not a hiring manager. And not an HR professional.

And that’s what can be wrong with onboarding – the soul-sucking, paper-pushing, this-is-how-we-do-things kind of day – or worse – week. More than 60% of new employees find onboarding unclear. A third call it outright confusing.

So how do we fix a broken pattern with onboarding? Phenom’s Kiran Menon has ideas.

Menon: It needs to start from the day you accept the offer because that’s the bond you’ve kind of kicked off. You’ve created a relationship. You agreed to a relationship with the employer. The employer has agreed to a relationship with you.

So there’s the first key. Start bringing them on board way before the first day on the job.

Menon: If you think about onboarding, it can’t be cookie-cutter. It can’t be the same process for everyone. I’m joining as Sales in New York. And you’re joining maybe in the HR team in the same team. Two very different roles!

Menon: The moment you’re able to speak to the individual as an individual, rather than a cluster or just a faceless name, that’s where the sense of belonging starts getting established.

And the sooner new hires feel a sense of belonging, the sooner they adapt to the role and company. Productivity and engagement follow. So to improve your onboarding process:

• Start sooner. Consider the day they accept the job as the same day you start bringing new employees on board.
• Customize the process. Sure everyone needs to sign the same paperwork. But you want to personalize the experience for every role and every person.
• Create belonging. Through an individualized approach, you can make every new employee feel like they’re the most important hire.

Onboarding sets the stage for every new employee’s job experience. You can’t afford to give them anything less than the best.

More Resources for Better Employee Experiences

This subject is a big deal for our readers every day and every year. We know it can be a soul-sucking, time-consuming event for both managers and new employees. That’s why we’ve covered it extensively in the past on HRMorning.

Here are more resources for you and your team:

• A Guide to Onboarding: Set up a Great Employee Experience.
• Why the Best Onboarding Happens Outside the Conference Room.
• 9 Best Practices for Onboarding New Employees.
• Everboarding: 3 Keys to a New Generation of Onboarding.