“Pay attention to your culture and your hires from the very beginning.” – Reid Hoffman, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of LinkedIn

Well, the statement pretty well sums up the significance of a good onboarding process. When it comes to new hires, their first experience sets the tone for the entire tenure with your company. 

According to a Glassdoor survey, a positive onboarding experience can boost employee retention by 82%. But many companies fail to pay attention to this area. Fortunately, you can spot some red flags of things going wrong early and act on them to improve the process.

So, how can you tell if your employee onboarding process isn’t good enough? We’ve found these five signs to watch out for.

Sign #1- You’re struggling with high turnover rates 

Well, high turnover rates are the last thing business owners want. They can be a surefire sign that your onboarding process is not on point. You need not worry even more if new hires leave soon after joining. 

It indicates they’re not getting the guidance and support they need during their initial period with your company. Watch out and improve the process to retain good talent, business owners!

Sign #2- New hires take a long time to become productive

Slow time-to-productivity is another sign that your onboarding process is lacking. If it takes new hires to fail to become fully productive in their roles within a reasonable time, it’s likely that they’re not getting the necessary training and resources to succeed. 

By ensuring that recruits build the necessary skills and knowledge to hit the ground running, you can enhance productivity and drive business results.

Sign #3- You’re falling short of employee engagement

Engaged employees lead an organization toward success. But achieving employee engagement is easier said than done. In fact, the onboarding process can make all the difference in this context. 

You may definitely need to rethink how to onboard new employees if the new hires do not look engaged. Ramp it up to make it more engaging and effective, and you can win on the morale and retention fronts. 

Sign #4- Lack of cultural fit is a real problem

A lack of cultural fit is another red flag indicating poor onboarding processes. When new employees do not understand the company culture and values, it means you’re not giving them enough while bringing them on board. 

They may end up struggling to integrate with the team and contribute to organizational success. 

Sign #5- You often get negative reviews and feedback

No one wants negative reviews and feedback from new hires, right? They can seriously harm your employer’s brand and deprive you of good talent in the future. A poor onboarding process can be the key culprit. 

When employees do not start on a good note, they are likely to share negative experiences with their network. Watch out for them and get working on the process before the list of negative reviews gets longer.

What next?

A good onboarding process is critical to the success of any organization and its reputation as an employer. By watching out for these five signs, you can identify areas for improvement and ensure that new hires have the best start with your company. Get going!

Originally Published on https://www.breakfastleadership.com/

Michael Levitt Chief Burnout Officer

Michael D. Levitt is the founder & Chief Burnout Officer of The Breakfast Leadership Network, a San Diego and Toronto-based burnout consulting firm. He is a Keynote speaker on The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting and Burnout. He is the host of the Breakfast Leadership show, a Certified NLP and CBT Therapist, a Fortune 500 consultant, and author of his latest book BURNOUT PROOF.