One of the best ways to improve employee retention starts on the worker’s first day with your onboarding process. To retain workers longer, ensure your onboarding program has these essential components.

Give them a dose of company culture

Start with a brief company history and lay a foundation you’ll build on during further training and staff meetings. By providing a snippet of the why, you’re beginning the transformation of a new employee to a seasoned worker.

Outline job tasks

Give your incoming employees broad and specific instructions on performing their jobs. While you can’t explain everything, you should give enough details to get the person started. Be sure to let them know who’s who or provide a company directory so they’re not scrambling to find out how to connect with their co-workers.

Provide additional training

If your new hire needs specific instruction to perform all or part of their job, let them know when and where that training will occur. Follow through during and after the training to see if they have any concerns. Let them know who to contact if they want a refresher course or additional training.

Express your gratitude

It’s also essential for the new hires to feel appreciated as they learn their job. Congratulate them on accomplishing tasks quickly and correctly. By being proactive in your praise, you let them know you value their work from day one.

Assign a work buddy

Train at least one or two workers in each department to be a new hire’s work partner for the first six months. This person should be the new worker’s first person to contact with questions about the job. The work buddy could also help the new employee navigate some of the social aspects of the job, like favorite nearby restaurants for lunch.

Have a check-in schedule

During the first months, you should regularly meet with the new hire to ensure they get the hang of things. It can be a quick hall chat or a more formal sit-down meeting. Use these check-ins to provide more context about the company culture and expectations while providing additional support for the day-to-day tasks.

A successful onboarding program does more than introduce the new employees to their job duties—it welcomes them to the company and gives them the why behind their paycheck. If you need help finding the perfect new hire for your company, contact Beacon Staffing. We’re here to assist you in finding the right people for your open positions.