Good onboarding can ease the effects of the Great Resignation. Our CSO, Colin Sloman, explains why and how Cognician can help.
The pandemic has prompted a transformation in how we work. Employees are no longer confined to the office, and leadership styles and strategies have adapted accordingly. After two years, perspectives on what defines a 'good job' have evolved. Beyond receiving a paycheck and standard benefits, employees now seek roles that accommodate their personal lives and fulfill their sense of purpose and belonging. In November 2021 alone, approximately 4.5 million workers in the U.S. abandoned roles that did not meet these criteria, contributing to the Great Resignation.
While the Great Resignation might appear to be a critical challenge for leadership, it presents an opportunity for organizations to reevaluate their employee value proposition and explore why so many are choosing to leave. Understanding employee retention is complex, with no single answer explaining departures. However, one factor plays a significant role in retention—the onboarding process. With numerous resignations, organizations will be engaged in onboarding as they replace key workers. Consider this: research by Glassdoor indicates that an excellent onboarding process can improve employee retention by 82%. Despite this, a Gallup poll reveals that only 12% of employees strongly agree their company excels at onboarding.
Effective onboarding is crucial for retaining new hires. It equips employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to function and, importantly, helps them feel they belong in their new organization. By engaging new hires, developing their skills, and integrating them into the culture, organizations can significantly impact their tenure.
Unfortunately, organizations often miss this critical opportunity by delivering a 'death by PowerPoint' approach. Instead of fostering a connection and inspiring new employees, many organizations overload them with generic presentations and paperwork focusing on policy and compliance. This approach shapes new hires' impressions of the culture and their future career. Will they emerge from onboarding inspired and prepared to excel, or will they be planning their departure?
Help New Hires Hit the Ground Running
Enhance your employee retention by revamping your onboarding program to help new hires hit the ground running. Cognician's award-winning onboarding programs can assist in achieving this. A few years ago, one of our clients noticed that new hires were not as productive or engaged following induction and orientation. They believed a better approach could improve time-to-competence and productivity using a Cognician 30-day challenge. This multi-day challenge effectively activated new employee behaviors. Hiring managers reported that new employees were more capable and prepared to deliver impactful project work. Key skills such as networking, collaboration, and self-directed learning notably boosted productivity by 5%.
Each challenge offered new hires opportunities to practice behaviors and reflect on their progress, reinforcing learning. Participants were encouraged to share and discuss insights, fostering cohesion and belonging. Compared to traditional onboarding, new hires showed measurable improvements in productivity and job readiness. They made over 1,100 new connections within the organization, enhancing their sense of belonging. This program's success has led to its continued deployment, now in its sixth year.
Is your company ready to transform the Great Resignation into the great onboarding?
Contact Cognician today to discover how our customized employee activation experiences can help you inspire and retain new hires.