Lancashire recruitment specialist says good onboarding is the key to retaining staff

The definition of onboarding is “the action or process of integrating a new employee into an organisation.”

Yet Walmsley Wilkinson says, many individuals join businesses and feel far from integrated, complaining of a lack of information, lack of available tools and support to complete the work and on occasions not even an induction plan or a friendly welcome.

According to the 2022 Job Seeker Nation Report by Employ, one in every three new hires will leave a job in the first 90 days and worker confidence is at an all-time high, with 35 per cent of job seekers believing it’s easier to find a job this year than the previous year and one-third feeling comfortable quitting a job without having another lined up.

Taryn Wilkinson, of executive and management recruiters Walmsley Wilkinson, said: “Let’s face it candidates have lots of options in the current marketplace. It’s key that employers avoid unravelling all the great recruitment activity they have undertaken and the significant investment they have made to attract talent into their organisations.

“Over the years we have heard many tales of woe when it comes to onboarding experiences – individuals waiting up to five weeks to receive their company laptop and systems access, work backlogs and lack of resource with the expectation that the new hire should be working extra hours in their evenings and weekends, lack of interaction from their new boss or the allocation of a work buddy or mentor who is demoralised and unable or unwilling to share information effectively.”

She said that the ability to retain new hires, dramatically improves with the implementation of a welcoming, supportive and inclusive onboarding strategy and that the hiring process is not completed when the new employee starts work.

The welcome and support they receive within the first few days, sets the tone for their employment, demonstrates the company values and efficiency and hopefully backs up the expectations gained from the interviews, she added.

This new hire may have left a situation in which they were highly valued and the ‘go to’ person for information and advice and could now be feeling vulnerable and outside their comfort zone.

A detailed induction plan, dedicated time from line managers and colleagues, relevant training and efficient ordering processes that ensure vehicles, IT equipment, mobile phones, are available from day one, should be the minimum expectation.

Taryn added: “Employees who feel connected to their co-workers and the business they have recently joined, will be more committed and with all the right tools and support in place, they will also be productive.

"Organisations that tolerate poor onboarding will be the losers when it comes to retaining talent.”

Walmsley Wilkinson, owned by partners, Linda Walmsley and Taryn Wilkinson, offers professional solutions for executive and management recruitment needs.