In a dynamic and fast paced world, it becomes essential for recruitment professionals to be on the lookout for the best candidates among thousands vying for jobs! Hiring top talent is a competitive process, and once an offer has been extended to a candidate, it’s important to maintain their excitement & engage them post accepting the offer and until the selected candidate joins the organization.
In various surveys, over 60% of the job seekers have indicated that they received poor treatment during their job search. In another survey, it was found that when job seekers have a bad candidate experience, 42% of them would never apply to that company again and 22% said they would tell other candidates not to work at that company.
In this article, we will explore some of the top onboarding strategies that organizations can implement to strengthen their employee engagement:
- Presenting a clear onboarding roadmap – Undecided and unclear instructions tend to make candidates anxious about their new roles. By providing on-point paperwork and schedules, laying down your expectations and goals, you can ensure that the candidates are well aware of and prepared for what is to follow. For example, Zappos, a shoe and clothing retailing company inducts its candidates with a short video highlighting the employees’ roles and experiences besides highlighting the company culture, making the onboarding effort innovative and personal!
- Personalized and timely communication – When employers provide updates on onboarding processes, relevant company news and answer questions for the new hires, it adds a personal touch to the onboarding process. 84% of applicants expect some type of response early in the hiring process even if it’s just an automated email. Netflix emphasizes on the importance of building a trustworthy rapport between the manager and selected candidates, with feedback being a highlighted necessity making Netflix’s onboarding strategy secure and communicative for the new hire.
- Resourceful pre-onboarding portal – A resourceful pre-onboarding portal ensures candidates have access to necessary resources and information. A detailed employee-handbook, blogs and company videos would give them a deeper understanding of the culture, values and goals of their future workplace. DB Schenker, a global logistics provider, found an invaluable tool, WalkMe™ that reduced onboarding time and training complexity. A system that once took about 8 hours to onboard employees, now simplifies the learning process into tasks via surveys, video assistance, Walk-Thrus and SmartTips.
- Virtual meet-and-greets – With ample online resources and platforms like Microsoft 365 Teams, Zoom and collaborative workspaces like Notion, meeting virtually would warm up the candidates to their colleagues and help foster communication.
- Building a Buddy or Mentor system – This practice goes a long way in efficient enculturation of the new employee. Apple’s iBuddy system has been successful in this arena. This system allows pairing up newcomers with existing employees in different teams, the cross interaction eases down the initial awkward phase for the new employees, answers their doubts about their role, company procedures and the workplace environment.
- Sending a personalized welcome package – A personalized welcome package creates an involved and positive impression of the company. Also, who doesn’t like surprises? This little gesture would only make the candidate feel welcome and show the company’s commitment to their success! PepsiCo has a unique practice of welcoming new hires; they are encouraged to try out the company’s products and their feedback is valued, making them a part of the process from the very start!
Making a memorable first impression is the first step to successful candidate engagement, integration and retention. Top notch onboarding experiences don’t only add value to the employee but also act as investments that are fruitful in the long run!✨
If these strategies are employed, it won’t be too long before turnover rates drop and better employee relationships are fostered!
When are you investing in these strategies to make meaningful candidate experiences?