First impressions are important since they are impossible to reverse and set the tone for everything that follows. The first few months on the job for a new employee are typically the most difficult. New hires are unfamiliar with their environment, hesitant to ask questions, and looking to make a good impression with both management and coworkers. It’s no wonder that turnover of employees in their first year is often twice that of a company’s overall turnover. For these reasons, having an effective onboarding process is critical to improve employee retention.
Why is it important to check in with my new hires?
New hire check-ins help to ensure the success of your new hire by providing an opportunity for them to discuss expectations with their supervisor, which helps to build trust and creates a sense of loyalty and belonging. When you help new hires succeed, you also help keep early turnover at bay. We have found that organizations that conduct these check-ins at regular intervals can greatly impact new hire retention. A study of some of our largest clients revealed that employees who did not have a 90-day check-in were 1.37 times more likely to quit than those that did have it.
When should I check in with my new hires?
Timing is everything. To pinpoint the right timing of your new hire check-ins, you must first know precisely how long a new hire typically stays with you before deciding to leave. After analyzing your first-year turnover by day, take note of where the early turnover is spiking, and then make sure you conduct your check-ins before when those spikes occur. One client of People Element had partnered with us to conduct a 90-day new hire check-in. We analyzed their first-year turnover data and determined that their turnover was spiking at 60 days of tenure. The timing of this check-in was off and new hires were already leaving the organization before we could get gather their feedback. As a result, we adjusted their new hire check-in to be conducted at 45 days of tenure as a proactive approach to their retention efforts.
People Element New Hire Check Ins
Many of our clients use our new hire check-in program to compliment their existing onboarding process. They find that partnering with us gives their employees an opportunity to candidly and confidentially provide their feedback while also providing the organization a measurement of how their supervisor check-ins are going. We help our clients improve their onboarding process by identifying early disengagement triggers and obstacles inhibiting a new hire’s success.
Contact us to learn how our new hire check-ins will help you to assess the differences in expectations of employees versus the realities of their job experience.
