Employee Onboarding: The Mistakes you Need to Avoid

Every IT company’s goal when hiring a new employee is to choose one that fits in well with the rest. It’s vital to the business that the new team member doesn’t shake up the company morale and has a smooth transition into their position. The Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at the University of California conducted a study that determined the 50% of new employees that don’t stay with their new company for more than a year cost the company around 150% of that new employee’s salary.

It’s safe to say that hiring the wrong employee can be detrimental to your business in more ways than one, especially if you’re in the IT industry. IT staffing agencies provide you with the correct candidate for your business through their experience, research and knowledge. They’ll be able to decide which candidates will fit well with your company and which to stay away from.

Once IT staffing agencies choose candidates for companies, it is up to that company to create a successful and informative onboarding process for their new employee. This is where things can take a turn for the worse because of common mistakes that most companies make when introducing their new team member to the business and how it works.

Here are some onboarding mistakes that you must avoid:

Not having a program in place

Many companies make the mistake of not creating an onboarding program because they only think it should last a few days. It is going to take a few months, usually around three, before the new hire is fully equipped with the knowledge and ins and outs of the company, especially for a high tier position.

A successful onboarding program includes everything from introductions to team members, to vacation policies to client communication regulations, etc. The last thing you want is your new employee affecting the way a client looks at your company because the new member was unaware of the process and caused things to get unorganized. Everyone from the HR department to the future manager of the new hire should contribute to the onboarding program.

Too much to take in on the first day

The first day for a new hire is crucial. By the end of the day they usually have their mind made up about whether or not this new position is going to be long term or not. Bombarding them with rules, tasks, and responsibilities that they receive no direction for will most likely cause them to possess negative feelings about their future at the company.

The first day should consist of building relationships with co-workers, getting introduced, but not thrown into, the company processes and minimal tasks that they receive feedback on. While the new hire shouldn’t be overwhelmed with unfamiliar tasks, they should be given some in order for them to pick up on the process, as well as boost their excitement for the future of the position once they receive positive recognition for the work they’ve done.

Failing to inform them of their role and responsibilities

Many employers allow the IT staffing agencies to find the right candidate and then they just throw them right into the mix. The new employee doesn’t remember every responsibility the job description had, nor will they know how the company would like them to be completed. It is the job of the employer to inform the new member of their job duties, as well as show them how it should be done. If they come into the new position and don’t know their roles, significant damage can be done to the company as a whole, including employee morale and relationships with clients.

Explaining and showing the new employee how to complete their responsibilities should be covered over the three or so month period of the onboarding process. They should be monitored with positive reinforcement in the beginning, and then he or she should receive more freedoms as the time goes on.

 

IT staffing agencies can also agree that once they do their job, companies forget to address their business’ culture when a new team member comes on board. Failing to do so can create issues among coworkers, as well as makes it difficult for the new employee to fit in. If the new member doesn’t feel comfortable working, a company could potentially lose the perfect candidate to fill that position within months of them starting.

If you would like to learn more about the right employee onboarding program for your business, contact InfoVision today.