Looking to Increase Retention Rates? Then Focus on your Onboarding Strategy

How’s your onboarding process? You’ve invested plenty of time and money into finding your new hires, so you’ll want to make plans to keep them around. Employee retention is related to how comfortable and happy an employee is in their job, and this can begin with proper onboarding. You’ll set your new employees on the path to solid, stable employment by taking just a few key steps. Here’s what you can do.

Five onboarding techniques to adopt

1. Be prepared. You should begin new employees’ onboarding prior to their first day. This means you’ll want to draft a schedule for them to start with, as well as prepare your other staff members for their arrival. You’ll also want to set up their work station with all necessary equipment so it’s ready when they arrive on day one.
2. Introduce them to colleagues. You can immediately help a new staff member feel comfortable by helping them get to know their co-workers. On a new employee’s first day, introduce them to all the colleagues they will be working with on a daily basis. You should never expect a new worker—who may feel awkward to begin with—to make their own introductions.
3. Lay the ground rules. During the first few weeks of work, you should give a new employee everything they need to know about the facility. This includes an employee handbook, rules and procedures, dress code, tax forms, benefits information, etc. Be sure not to overwhelm the employee with too much too soon, though. Go at a reasonable pace and always leave time for questions.
4. Don’t set them free too soon. After the first few weeks of an employee’s new job—typically considered the orientation period—it’s time to begin “ramping up” to full employment mode. Depending on the nature of the job role, some companies allow for anything from 30 days to a full year to complete the onboarding process. During this time, you’ll need to help the new employee build all the skills they will need to excel at the job. This includes cross-departmental training, manager observation, colleague mentorship and testing, if possible.
5. Base the length of onboarding on the individual. Some people learn quickly and others take a little longer. You should gauge an employee’s onboarding time based on their comfort level. After your standard onboarding period, does it seem like the worker is ready to be on their own? Or do they seem apprehensive or nervous? By tailoring the onboarding process to each individual, you’ll have a much greater success rate—and rate of retention.

It’s worth it not to rush

You’re looking for long-term workers, not those that come and go in a matter of months. So to help ensure career longevity, take the steps to develop your onboarding procedure into one that prepares your workers for success at your facility.

Are you looking for new medical staff?

You can rely on KTE Services. We place CRNAs, anesthesiologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals with best-matched positions. We’ll work with you for just the right staff to help you meet your short- and long-term business goals. To learn more, contact KTE Services today.