from the Turning Good People Into Top Talent blog series
By Bob Moore, CMC, Managing Principal, Talent Management Institute
Do you remember your first day on the job? Was your desk or work space ready for you – clean, tidy, and all equipment and supplies on hand? How were you greeted? Did you have a meeting with your manager to begin to fully clarify the expectations of your new role?
Onboarding is one of the most important elements in a talent management system for employees because it is the starting point, sets the tone and begins to reveal the company culture. Studies consistently reveal an employee’s first 30 to 90 days will determine how successful they will be in their new job. Early engagement is particularly important to top talent millennials, which now make up the majority of the workforce.
Numerous surveys consistently indicate that high levels of employee turnover and disengagement are a primary concern of CEOs across all industries. The work environment and the effectiveness of the manager are the most significant influences on both of these concerns. Frequently, managers make their biggest mistake with onboarding by not setting clear goals and expectations. Top talent, or those employees with the potential to be, expect to have clear expectations and measurable performance metrics.
Onboarding also needs to seamlessly integrate with the training and development process. Additionally, providing employees with adequate training that involves the manager before and following the learning experience, can help to assure that new employees will be successful.
If onboarding is so important, why is it so difficult to get it right? It could be that the manager is experiencing overwhelm because they may be filling a vacancy that left them short-handed. They could be a new manager who has never hired anyone before.
Regardless of the reasons, before beginning a hiring process, all hiring managers need have a thorough onboarding process in place. We have all heard there is only one chance to make a first impression. Proper preparation can assure that it will be a positive impression that will result in fully engaged top talent.
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Bob
Bob Moore, CMC
Managing Principal