3 Common Onboarding Mistakes to Avoid

Get Your Onboarding Process Right

The first few days and weeks on the job are crucial for new employees. Their future job performance can be determined by their ability to set up for success during the onboarding process. New hires should feel like they have been integrated into the company’s culture with a warm welcome and ample amounts of training. But for many companies, important training and onboarding details fall through the cracks as the result of team leaders and HR managers missing the mark. Here are some tips on how to get onboarding right with new hires, while avoiding these mistakes.

Don’t Wait Until Day One to Build Relationships

Your company’s culture, values, and expectations should be communicated from the moment your new hire sees a job posting. You should communicate these through early conversations, before even bringing someone on board. If you have not been presenting your company in this way during the first few interactions with prospective employees, it is time to reevaluate and make some changes. Your new hires should be able to walk into the office knowing what is expected of them so they can be confident in their ability to contribute to your team.

Skipping Details

A surefire way to make your new employee feel out of place is failing to mention some of the smallest details, such as where to park, where to store their lunch, or how to get into the building. Although it may seem like common sense to you, you have been with the company much longer. Be sure to give enough details and set expectations up front to help your new employee settle in.

Not Giving or Getting Feedback

Although performance feedback can be difficult at times to give to someone who is just getting their feet wet, it is crucial for the first few days and weeks on a new job. Feedback helps employees to adequately learn the lay of the land. It is best to build good habits of giving feedback on a regular basis early on, rather than waiting several months to try to correct course. It is also helpful to check in with new hires about their onboarding experience to determine whether you should make any improvements.

Examine your previous practices and creating a game plan to move away from any onboarding mistakes you may have developed. This will benefit your company by enabling your employees to start adding value from their first day on the job.