The Road to Long-term Success

The critical power of Orientation

and Onboarding

Orientation and Onboarding

“36 % of organisations lack a formal onboarding process”

“High millennial turn-overs costing thousands”

“Onboarding crucial to retention”

“46 % of rookies wash out in Their first 18 months”

“Is the length of your recruitment process turning off top talent”

Make a Good Impression!

• For many employees that first day experience will be carried with them throughout their involvement with the organization

• Hiring great people is only the first step in building a committed, successful workforce.

• Statistics indicate that 90 percent of employees decide whether or not to stay with an organization within the first six months

A Good Onboarding Program enables

an employee to be successful by:

• Reducing the anxiety of a new employee

• Creating a positive sense of belonging and pride to be part of this organization

• Sharing relevant organizational information and beginning the process of learning about the organizations values, mission and work.

• Empowering new hires with the tools to be successful

• Building relationships

Return on Investment

Getting Started – Preparing for the

new employee…

• Advise staff of new employee

• Arrange for equipment, supplies, workspace

• Email address, phone extension, cards, keys

• Prepare documents for the employee ( job description, policies, required documents, employ orientation binder)

• Contact employee with first day information- have templates prepared for new hire communications welcoming them, what to bring and what to expect on their first day.(parking, directions, who to ask for – anything to sooth the anxiety)

• Have an Agenda/schedule Plan.

• Set up the orientation team- the employee will have different relationships in the organization. Orientation is a team effort- who’s involved and when/ for what

• Are there training the new candidate can do in advance on line to prepare for the new job – tools to support the process ( quiz links WHMIS, Policies, AODA)

• A Welcome gift – build brand loyalty and help them feel part of the team (company t-shirt, work bag, pen)

• Appoint an “orientation mentor/ buddy”

Onboarding

One of the most important human needs your new employee-orientation program should satisfy is the feeling of pride in one’s work and one’s employer, you want to extol the virtues of your company. You want new employees to feel proud to be working for your organization

Appoint an Orientation Mentor

or Buddy

• Orientation process involves a team

• A buddy or mentor will help the new employee integrate into their new job with less anxiety.

• The buddy can help answer questions a new employee may feel uncomfortable asking a supervisor.

• By appointing a “buddy” the employee is building another relationship.

Onboarding is a Process

• Don’t overwhelm on first day – share enough information to equip them - set the stage.

• Have a formal process and apply discipline to it.

• What will happen on the first day, first week, first month, 3 months... This type of plan can be used for all new employees

• Walk new employees through the organizational chart

• Help new employees establish a network by introducing them to people in the company.

• Provide them with an understanding of the key of objectives of the organization

4 C’s of Orientation • Compliance • Clarification of Role • Culture • CONNECTION!

The Onboarding Experience

• Verbal phone Offer no other contact prior to start day

• Lots of paperwork

• Computer, phone, email not ready

• Manager/PC away at meeting

• Left to read organizational material

Poor Experience Best in class Experience

• Connection started at day of hire

• Pre-boarding for forms, paperwork opportunity, links to information

• IT and admin supports ready

• Schedule and plan to support the onboarding process

The Learning Process

• Process to continually learn and assess skills over the next 30 to 90 days and to keep asking questions and providing feedback

• A good onboarding program targets a year to 18 months.

• Setting job objectives for the first month, first 60 days and 90 days. First 30 days are critical!

• Performance review plans – quarterly objectives

• What type of training and who will provide it

• Feedback and coaching

• Important to support the intense learning curve of joining a new organization

Tools to support the process

• Hire Packages – what is included in/with a letter of offer

• Orientation Policy

• Orientation and Onboarding program

• Checklists

• Schedules and agendas

• Performance review program

• Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice

• Buddy’s and Mentor programs for employee development

• Using technology – survey monkey, eSchool, web-based time management, agency information, access to all policies, video training, on line links!

• Employee Satisfaction Survey

• Exit Interviews

Beyond onboarding - Continuing the

Development process

• Role specific learning Opportunities

• Coaching and Mentoring programs

• Shadowing Programs

• Career Assignments

• Stretch Assignments

• Internal training programs (see trainings developed by AFCCS)

• Leadership and skill development programs

• Team Meetings

• Professional development

• Performance review program- quarterly objective setting

Thank you!

Ronna MacPherson

rmacpherson@afchildcare.on.ca

Kim Hiscott

khiscott@afchildcare.on.ca