In order to attract people to apply for and accept positions, an organization must emphasize the positive aspects of a job. When employees discover their new job also has negative elements, they sometimes regret their choice and leave soon after they are hired.

• How can orientation and onboarding programs improve employee retention?

 

The biggest challenge for the companies today is not recruiting the employees but is to retain them. Every company wants to work with talented and skilled personnel, so it is also important for them to retain the top talent in their company. No matter how effective your recruitment process may be, but retaining the employees is crucial for the success of the company. Many employers have the traditional mindset and mentality that does not go well with the new talent. An effective onboarding program is required to successfully integrate the new talent into the culture of the organization. Let us see the ways in which orientation and onboarding programs could improve the employee retention.

1. Engage before the actual day one : It has been often seen that when a contract is being signed, the company disengage with the new hire. It leave the person in total dark until their start date. Companies need to understand that it is important remain in contact and keep them engaged until the actual work getting started. An organization must not forget that new offers are still open to the candidates and they could apply as well. So it is important to keep them engage and answer their queries related to their position to keep the excitement among them.
2. Collaborative Partnership : When a new hired employee is paired with the seasonal employee, it help in easing the work for the new hires. The new hire could rely on this collaborative partnership. It helps in getting them proper job introduction, hands on job training, etc which helps them integrating with the organization culture well. When a workplace partner is assigned to the new employed hires, then the new employee learn about the popular lunch spots, cultural quirks and any additional tricks that have been learned by the seasoned employees along their way.
3. Welcome with excitement : When a new employee is being welcomed by the organization with excitement then he feels valued and a part of the organization. If a new employee does not feel valued then he is more likely to leave the organization when he gets a better opportunity. By giving a warm welcome on the first day of their work gives them a sense of acceptance. When a new employee feels welcomed by their colleagues the level of their excitement increases. So first impression on the part of the companies is always crucial to show that you are equally excited to have them on the board.
4. One to one time : Here the role of managers comes forward. If the employees are provided one to one time with their manager then it will gave them a good on board experience. It gives a chance to the manager to make a good first impression by dedicating some time to the new members of the organization. It is vital for the new employees to know that whom them need to address and report their work. It is the duty of the managers to prioritize some time from their busy schedules to the new employees.
5. Future opportunities : When a employee does not see any future challenges and opportunities in the organization, then they are more likely to leave that place. It is the duty of the organization to map out the goals and expectations from the employees so that they feel motivated. By mapping out their future carrier goals and opportunities, an organization could retain them for longer time. New talent often require such work that is challenging and gives them the option of thinking out of the box rather than the monotonous task everyday. A clear understanding about the goals gives the option to the employees to improve their skills for future prospects.
6. Try to eliminate stress: We all know that nervousness is normal when we start our new job. Companies should prepare the arrival plans for the new employees so that they don't feel stressed at the workplace. Companies that lack such structured arrival plans for the new employees increases the anxiety of the employees and adds up to the already stressful situation. They started doubting their decision of joining the organization as it shows that company didn't value their new employees much. It is better if every single detail is provide to the employees as and when needed so that they don't feel stressed.
7. Check-ins and feedback : Timely check-ins and feedback sessions help the employees know that the company values them. When ever a new information is being received by the managers, then it is important for them to take desirable action on it at the earliest. It helps in knowing the new employees that their voice is valued in the organization. Providing timely feedback helps the employees to accomplish their goals on time. It helps in strengthening the relationship between the employees and the management.

So we could see that how employee retention could be improved. There are various ways among the above mentioned like automating the process, Spreading out the program through out the year, commitment to the new employees, future opportunities, challenges, etc, which helps in retaining the top talent among the organization. It helps in emphasizing the positive impacts of jobs and helps in reducing the negative elements which helps them trusting their decision of joining the organization completely.