The new hire. The first days and weeks in a new job are exciting for the employees and the organizations bringing them aboard. But too often, the transition isn’t as smooth as it should be. Clumsy onboarding can leave employees with a lingering negative impression of their role, manager, teammates, and the company’s culture. And those stumbles can reflect poorly on the new hire.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 5 million people a month started new jobs in 2023 — but in most months, a nearly equal number left their positions.
Many factors go into that startlingly high turnover rate, of course. But in my long experience as a HR professional — including my current role in a company with more than 3,000 employees across 100 countries — I know that a stumbling start in a new job can reduce the chances of a rewarding long-term relationship between employee and employer. This is especially critical in our remote work environment.
As people managers look to conduct a thorough and thoughtful onboarding process, here are some common challenges to be aware of and avoid:
Lack of Role Clarity
Showing that the company cares about a new hire’s well-being starts with a welcoming onboarding journey that encourages the person to openly ask questions and thoughtfully trains them on their new role and responsibilities.
Before the new hire arrives, share role-specific materials to familiarize them with their responsibilities and team. And make introductions to key team members via email, virtual meetings, or even in-person get-togethers if those people are in the same locale.
On the first day, plan and provide a thorough orientation. Share an overview of the company and its role. Make sure this includes the company’s mission statement and ethos. People, especially younger employees, are often seeking purpose in their roles.
Information Overload
Being new can be overwhelming. There’s so much new information to process. So, provide a clear onboarding schedule and concisely convey the “why” behind the meetings. Be sure to include a one-to-one touchpoint with the manager and key team members.
One of my most significant pieces of advice is that managers should be as engaged as possible with their new hires’ onboarding to answer questions, provide resources, and ensure they understand all the new information being shared. Managers should be the constant presence in a new hire’s first few weeks; it’s essential to establish trust from the onset.
Be sure to assign a team buddy and include that person in the day-one schedule. That gives the new hire a peer they can go to right out of the gate with any questions about the work, processes, and company culture (particularly those they may be hesitant to address with a higher-up).
Insufficient Tools and Resources
The new person’s tech should be set up and awaiting them. You don’t want a new member to spend half their first day on the job dealing with IT issues. That setup should include onboarding software, which can automate many basic steps.
You’ll also want someone to walk the new employee through the organization’s other software platforms. Here are some key ones to include:
- Communication tools like Slack
- Video conferencing (e.g., Google Meet, Zoom, etc.)
- Learning management system for trainings (e.g., Cornerstone)
- Company wiki with company and team-specific documents, resources, and information
Don’t assume that the new hire knows how to use your company’s systems and platforms, even if they feel like they’re ubiquitous. Ensure the training and support are there to ensure they’re up to speed.
Unrealistic Expectations
This is a big one. You want new team members to feel empowered and supported when they start. The new hire has the best chance of success if you ensure early alignment of realistic goals and objectives for the role.
Setting up ongoing manager check-ins should be part of the process. But be sure to coordinate additional one-on-ones with key stakeholders and additional training sessions throughout the first week, month, and beyond. It’s crucial to continually align with the new hire in the early stages to answer any questions or concerns they have. Make sure that any issues regarding expectations are openly discussed and addressed – don’t let things snowball until it’s too late.
The Inevitable Mis-Hire
The organization has tried its best to recruit, assess candidates, and select the ones who seem like the best fit for the team. The onboarding was thorough and thoughtful. And yet, there are cases where the new hire isn’t working out. And this is ok, and it happens, but it’s important to address it swiftly.
Often, troubling signs emerge within the first 90 days or sooner. Managers must continuously monitor and manage performance to ensure that their new hire is the right fit for the role. Should this evaluation process conclude that the new hire was a mis-hire, it’s crucial to act quickly to manage the person out of the organization. Sticking with a weak performer can demoralize an entire team and lead to poor business outcomes.
When hiring globally, there can be several compliance risks, including notice and probationary periods, employment protections, and local legislation, making offboarding mis-hires tricky and complicated. I strongly recommend that the people manager work with their HR Business Partner to identify and act on mis-hires and leverage HR and Legal’s advice and approach. Usually, there is lower risk when terminating team members sooner into their tenure.
The Broader Benefit
An exemplary onboarding experience is vital, so team members feel motivated, comfortable, and excited about their new role.
And it’s not just about the individual. Ensuring team members are engaged throughout their entire employee lifecycle — from candidate experience through new hire onboarding and during their tenure at an organization — is critical to cultivating an engaged and motivated workforce.
Nadia Alaee is Senior Director of Human Resource Business Partners at Deel.