When recruiting for vacant roles within your company, a huge concern may be how to retain the talent you’re bringing in. Especially considering the research showing that 30% of new starters leave their roles within the first three months, and the financial impact of replacing them can be as much as £30,614 per research from Oxford Economics and Unum.
This is a great example of why a good onboarding program can play a huge role in the retention of top industry talent.
Caroline Gleeson, CEO of Occupop, a provider of industry-leading hiring systems, offers expert insight into making a positive impact on your business with recruitment and onboarding.
Introducing workers to the company’s culture
When hunting for new prospective hires, it’s important to find workers who fit your company’s vision for what it means to be a hard worker with the same goals and drive. Knowing they’re aligned on your values can be reassuring that they’ll work hard to meet targets.
You can also use the recruitment process to find out whether these new hires fit not only your company’s vision but the environment and culture that your workforce has cultivated. An ideal candidate would be someone willing to integrate into the team and get along with everyone while also being able to maintain their work-life boundaries.
Increased engagement and greater retention
Disengaged employees have been found to cost the UK economy as much as £340 billion a year. But how does a lack of engagement occur? One reason for employee disengagement is a lack of connection to their role and the business. If interpersonal connections to colleagues and management aren’t made, it can lead to workers feeling isolated and actively disengaging or looking for opportunities elsewhere.
This area could be significantly improved when addressed at the source. When recruiting new talent to the workforce, onboarding them effectively can help with long-term productivity, as they feel more connected to the aims and goals of the business.
According to B2B Assets, an in-depth onboarding process improves worker retention by 82%, proving that your recruiting and onboarding processes should be refined to ensure you’re retaining the top-quality talent within your staff.
Overcommunicate and leave no stone unturned
The recruitment process and onboarding can be highly formative for new starters to be made aware of exactly what their roles and responsibilities will be when they get to their workspace. However, research from Gallup has found that only 29% of new hires feel prepared and supported adequately to perform well in their new role.
This is why when you’re first recruiting new starters, it’s important to communicate the expectations and specifications of the role through interviews. Building out your interview processes can help you find the right prospect for the job and ensure you’re making a quality hire.
When you’ve filled the role, it’s important to help them feel confident in their new job by going above and beyond when it comes time to get started. Through onboarding, you can overcommunicate about the objectives and aims of the role through conversation and printouts they can keep while also keeping the floor open to questions. This way, they’re getting all the information they could possibly need to feel prepared to start.
