Onboarding for Success: How to Transform New Hires into Thriving Employees
Employee onboarding is much more than just paperwork and introductions. It's a strategic process that can make or break a new hire's success, impacting everything from productivity and engagement to retention and your bottom line.
Think of onboarding as the foundation of the employee experience. A strong foundation leads to a sturdy, well-built structure, while a weak one can cause cracks and instability.
The Financial Impact of Onboarding
In today's competitive healthcare landscape, losing an employee can be a costly setback. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) estimates that replacing an employee can cost anywhere from 50% to 200% of their annual salary. This includes the costs of recruiting, hiring, training, lost productivity, and the impact on team morale. This means you are losing anywhere from $10k (on the very low end) to $100k in lost revenue, indirect costs, and direct costs for EACH person you lose — and that’s just for your hourly, front-line employees like Medical Assistants, Receptionists, and Medical Billing staff.
In my experience, half of your employee turnover is made up of employees who leave within 6 months of hire. This means a lot of revenue is walking out the door every year because of poor onboarding.
When employees feel welcomed, supported, and prepared, they're more likely to hit the ground running and contribute meaningfully to your practice. Research shows that organizations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.
Then, imagine the cost of having an employee STAY working for you who is slow to get up to speed or who never starts performing optimally because of their onboarding process. That adds even more to the lost revenue and increased costs.
Effective onboarding can significantly reduce turnover by creating a positive first impression, fostering a sense of belonging, and setting new hires up for success.
Why Does Onboarding Fail?
After 20 years of leadership and HR experience, I’ve seen poor onboarding fail in the following ways:
Employees fail to understand their jobs
Leaders don’t help new hires feel welcome
Coworkers mistreat new hires
Managers aren’t patient with new hires
New hires have the wrong idea about what is expected, so they get fired or quit when they feel unsuccessful
Leaders fail to encourage and praise the new hires, so they lose energy
New hires receive poor training after the initial onboarding, and they never speak up
New employees never connect with their managers, and they feel adrift
All of the above leads new hires to quit, get fired, perform poorly, or take on the behaviors of the most toxic employees within your culture.
Key Elements of Successful Onboarding
1. Have a Plan
Don't leave onboarding to chance. Develop a structured plan that outlines the key steps, timelines, and responsibilities involved in integrating new hires into your practice. This ensures a consistent and comprehensive experience for all new employees.
2. Welcome Warmly
First impressions matter. Create a welcoming and supportive environment from day one. This could include a welcome message from the CEO, a small welcome gift, or a team lunch to introduce the new hire.
3. Culture Trumps Policy
While policies and procedures are important, don't overwhelm new hires with a mountain of paperwork on their first day. Instead, focus on conveying your practice's culture, values, and mission. Share stories, highlight achievements, and introduce them to the team.
One fun game I like to play with new hires is called New Hire Bingo. I’ll have an HR Generalist take the new hire(s) around the office and see how many fun facts they can uncover about about their new coworkers other along the way. Sort of like a scavenger hunt where they try to find people who meet certain criteria like “find someone who was born on New Year’s Day” or “find someone who’s a Harry Potter Fan.”
4. Build Relationships
Foster connections between the new hire and their colleagues, their manager, the HR team, and company leadership. Encourage informal interactions, team-building activities, and mentorship opportunities to build rapport and create a sense of community.
I like to ensure that new hires meet their manager on Day One as well as include a live presentation by the CEO. It’s also important that they know the folks in HR in case they have questions about their benefits in the future.
Another thing that can help is creating a Buddy system for the new hire by designating a person who can be a go-to resource for new hires. This could be a trainer or just a dedicated mentor. Make sure it’s someone who represents the culture well and is passionate. These relationships often fall apart due to lack of energy, so picking a person who is committed is key.
5. Set Clear Expectations
Clearly communicate expectations regarding performance, conduct, and workplace norms. Provide a detailed job description, review key responsibilities, and establish clear goals and objectives.
I like to talk about the values of the company in detail and tell stories of how those values came to life. I like to pain a picture of what success looks like in the company and in their job. Train your managers to emphasize expectations, as well.
6. Provide Ongoing Support
Onboarding isn't a one-time event; it's an ongoing process. Provide regular check-ins, feedback on how they’re doing, and opportunities for professional development to support new hires as they grow into their roles. Failing to provide support makes new hires feel adrift, unimportant, ineffective — and ultimately makes them want to leave.
7. Survey for Feedback
Gather feedback from new hires throughout the onboarding process. This helps you identify areas for improvement and ensure your program is meeting their needs. This is a powerful way to identify where the process could be breaking down and it helps you intervene in problems before they
I like to set up 7 day, 14 day, and 30 day checkpoints. Ideally these are electronic and auto-triggered surveys that come from HR, which can use its role as a third party to create more trust. I’ve seen many new hires share feedback in these types of surveys which allowed us to help retain an employee who was losing their way.
8. Leverage Technology
Utilize technology to streamline onboarding tasks, such as electronic paperwork, online training modules, and virtual orientation sessions. This can save time, reduce administrative burden, and enhance the onboarding experience. Don’t overuse these, but instead use them to help you spend less time on paperwork and more time providing support.
9. Celebrate Successes
Recognize and celebrate wins and achievements to boost confidence and reinforce positive behaviors. This could include a shout-out in a team meeting, a small reward, or a handwritten note of appreciation.
10. Don't Forget the "Why"
Connect the new hire's role to the bigger picture. Explain how their work contributes to the practice's mission, values, and patient care goals. This fosters a sense of purpose and belonging.
Conclusion: Invest in Your Foundation
By investing in a comprehensive and engaging onboarding program, you can transform new hires into thriving employees who contribute to your practice's success. Remember, a strong start sets the stage for a long and productive relationship.
If you'd like expert guidance and support in building a robust onboarding program that sets your new hires up for success, contact Seasoned Advice today. We can help you create a customized onboarding experience that aligns with your practice's culture, values, and goals.
