Onboarding is a critical aspect of any talent strategy. It is the first impression between an employee and employer and the transition between talent acquisition and talent management. According to our latest research, onboarding has a significant impact on retention, employer branding, and quality of hire.
Retention: Eighty-six percent (86%) of employers believe that new hires make the decision to stay at a company in their first 90 days.
Employer Branding: Three-quarters (75%) of new hires share their first day of work experience on social channels.
Quality of Hire: Eighty-three percent (83%) of employers believe managers know if a new hire is a quality hire within the first 90 days.
But, as companies prepare for the future of work and invest in talent transformation, onboarding is often overlooked. Companies are twice as likely to spend on talent acquisition and employee experience than onboarding, and 42% of companies do not have a dedicated onboarding solution. Only 26% of companies are fully automating the onboarding process. Lack of clear ownership, limited technology capabilities, and poorly defined metrics make it difficult for companies to adjust their onboarding strategies. If companies want to maximize their investment in talent acquisition and employee experience, onboarding must be a priority.
On August 11, I am sharing our latest research on this topic with Clickboarding. Here are some of the key findings:
Companies are not investing enough in onboarding. While 73% of companies have increased their investment in talent acquisition technology over the past year and 64% have increased their investment in employee experience, less than 30% are increasing their investment in onboarding solutions. Many of these companies are relying on traditional technology that does not support the future of work or changing expectations of new hires. This disconnect between the importance of onboarding and the willingness to invest in solutions results in a process that is inconsistent and transactional.
Onboarding is not orientation. Onboarding needs to start before day one and extend beyond 30 days. Unfortunately, for many companies, onboarding is still an orientation. One in five companies stated that they have employees that do not show up on day one, and half stated that they had new hires not show up on day two. These individuals are often deciding about an employer even before they start. Companies can provide communication, forms, and information before someone joins so they are engaged before day one. Additionally, companies must extend onboarding beyond the first 30 days. Forty-nine percent (49%) of companies only include onboarding for two weeks.
Technology can impact engagement and compliance. Companies using technology are three times more likely to improve first year retention and two times more likely to improve new hire engagement. When considering capabilities, companies focus more on forms and compliance when evaluating providers than the new hire experience. Companies should not have to sacrifice one for the other.
Automation provides consistency. Automation enables onboarding for everyone. Hourly workers and gig workers get the same personalized experience and dedication as senior executives and the same opportunities to receive communication and stay connected to their employer. 76% of companies believe automation would significantly improve the new hire experience, yet only 20% of companies are automating all aspects of onboarding.
I hope you can join us for the webinar on August 11. Everyone that attends will get a copy of the report.
