If you are running a small business, then there is no doubt that you understand one thing. Hiring the right people is of utmost importance, as it can basically make you or break you. If you don’t have a good team on your side, you are likely to have a lot of issues down the line. People still remain, and will always remain, our most valuable asset. Find out about some business ideas that could help you if you’re just starting out.
Now, if you’re in the process of hiring, you should know that the onboarding procedure is not just a formality. It is not simply about paperwork, although it may seem so at times. But, it is about much, much more. And you need to be aware of that in order to do things right and to avoid making certain mistakes in the process.
To cut right to the chase, it is about actually integrating a new hire into your organization, which is essential for long-term success. So, if you treat onboarding as an afterthought, you could definitely cause some problems along the way. You could waste training resources, experience high turnover rates, as well as have some frustrated employees to deal with, all of which is certainly not very good for your business.
What we are going to do right now, thus, is get you informed about some of the most common onboarding mistakes that small businesses often make, in an effort to help you avoid them. When you get familiar with those, you will surely keep them in mind during this procedure, and thus have higher chances of not repeating the mistakes yourself. Without any further ado, thus, let us check out those mistakes and thus help you ensure that your onboarding process is free of them.
This could be of some help as well: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/aede-0025
1. Thinking That This Is a One-Time Event
What most managers often assume is that onboarding is a one-time event, and that it can all be done on the same day, after which you don’t have to worry about anything anymore. This is just wrong. Your job is not done when the contract is signed, and when you hand the new hire a handbook and give them a quick tour of the offices. There is much more to do if you don’t want to leave the employee unsupported and overwhelmed, which is why creating an onboarding program that can last even a few months is always a better strategy. And, of course, don’t forget to include social integration to the program, because it is important of the new hires to meet with their peers as well, and not only the managers.
2. Overburdening the New Hire With Information
This mistake often stems from the above one. If you want to get things over with, you could easily find yourself spitting out information left and right, and leaving the new employee to try and remember it all at once. The policies, the workflow, the job responsibilities… There are so many things that you want the new employee to know, and you cannot expect them to get the perfect hang of it on their first day. So, pace all of this, and avoid overwhelming people on their first day.
3. Trying to Do Everything In-House Even Though You Lack the Resources
Small businesses often don’t have the resources to slowly and strategically onboard new employees. Yet, they sometimes still tend to try to do it, which leads to a high turnover rate, and to general dissatisfaction among the team. This is not what you want to happen, which is why you should think about using a highly effective and reliable solution for the issue – outsourcing the HR department and letting a third party worry about the onboarding process. They will have the time and all the other resources to do this successfully.
4. Partnering Up With the Wrong Company
The above, however, doesn’t mean that you should just partner up with any company that comes your way and let them do this work. If you click here, you will get a better understanding about how much outsourcing this part of your operations can cost, as well as what it is that you should expect to get from the professionals. Use those pieces of information during your process of choosing the right partner, because the idea is for you to, of course, get the best value for your money.
5. Not Giving or Asking for Feedback
To successfully onboard a new employee, you should take some time to regularly give them feedback on their work, thus letting them know what you expect. On the other hand, you should also do your best to ask for their feedback in return. This creates a good atmosphere and makes it clear that you are ready to hear about any improvements that need to be made, and that they can talk to you comfortable, which is sure to have a positive impact on the retention rate as well.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
