The hiring process can be a marathon, but it’s a mistake to assume that the work is done once a contract is signed. The reality is that 86% of employees will decide whether or not they want to stay with your company within the first six months. With the break-even point for new hires averaging right around that length of time, what happens in those critical first few months can be the difference between a long-term success and a costly hiring redux.

That’s why having an excellent onboarding process that welcomes and supports new employees is crucial to turning the perfect candidate into a long-term revenue-generating asset for the business. After all, with 89% of new employees feeling like they have plenty of learning to do as they settle into their role, you’re probably going to be making some training investments on top of recouping the cost of the hiring process.

That’s why it’s vital to set your new employees up for success by regularly checking in and making sure they’re supported. Here’s the ideal way to handle your onboarding process to ensure your new hires become enduring, valued members of your team.

The Lead-Up to Day 1

Everyone’s first day at a new job can be stressful, and it’s an employer’s responsibility to make sure the introduction to the company is as smooth as possible. That means reviewing your onboarding process, assigning staff to support the new person, and ensuring all required information is properly entered into your systems.

Here are some of the most important tasks to complete before a new employee arrives:

• Gather basic paperwork. This includes tax forms (W-4), personal information, employment eligibility verification (I-9), payroll documents, company policy forms, etc.
• Digital onboarding. This includes email, usernames and passwords, access points for restricted areas, relevant software platforms, and employee portals.
• Prepare Space. Make sure office space is allocated, cleaned, furnished, and equipped with any computer systems they will need.
• Assign a mentor. Every employee should have a designated contact who can help them navigate challenges at work and answer any questions.
• Transition logistics. If your company or recruiter can help with relocation expenses, you’ll need to work closely with your new employees to ensure they are able to successfully make the move.

A Few Days Before Arrival

It’s easy to forget that walking in the door for the first time can be an intimidating experience—especially if you’re in a completely unfamiliar city. A few days before a new employee arrives, it’s time to focus on the basic flow of their first day. The following things might seem simple, but any one of them could contribute to your company making a bad first impression:

• Directions and parking. Don’t leave it up to Google to get your new hire to work the first time—send them directions along with a cheerful welcome and some contact information. Also, the last thing anyone wants is a ticket or a hassle in the garage, so include details about parking.
• Building entry. Even if they’ve been to your business before, it’s nice to be clear about which entrance they can use. Also, if there is a security point or they have to gain access to enter, make sure they know how to do that and the front desk is expecting them.
• On-Site Contact. Whether it’s their mentor, you, or another employee, a new hire should know who to ask for when they arrive.

Day 1 Check-Ins

New employees will meet a lot of people on their first day, and these interactions will speak volumes about your company’s culture and environment. It will be busy and there’s a lot to go over, so you’ll want to prioritize two main touchpoints throughout the day to ensure they feel welcomed and supported.

Lunch

This will be the first breather a new employee gets, and it’s a chance for you or another employee to sit down and ask them how things are going. It’s also an opportunity to field questions they might have and alleviate any anxiety they’re experiencing. And if things are going well, then congratulations! It’s a great time to get to know them better and build a relationship.

End of Day

When it’s time to clock out, make sure you take a moment to shake hands and remind them you’re glad they’re on board. This not only builds confidence and reinforces a positive work environment, but it’s a chance to find out if they have any concerns you can address to make things easier moving forward.

Week 1 Check-In

Employers should schedule a meeting with new employees at the end of their first week to gather information about how things are going and deepen rapport. Although it will likely fly by, the 1-week meeting is a crucial moment for onboarding and retention. They’ll have started to relax by now, and you’ll be in a position to begin building the working relationship you’ll share for years to come.

Ask them how they are feeling in their role and what support you can offer them for challenges they’re experiencing. If there are problems or concerns, you’ll be in a position to address them early and reassure them about their place on the team. It’s also possible that some friction may start to evolve with another employee, and the 1-week check-in is a great time to offer some strategies.

Finally, this is an opportunity to discuss medium and long-range company goals and how they fit in. Depending on the position, you can start gathering information on how they might be best deployed to support them.

One-Month Check-In

This formal meeting is when employers begin assessing how new employees are adapting to company culture, workflow, and overall strategy. Even though it’s been 30 days, this is still part of your onboarding process. It marks the point where an employee transitions from “new” to an experienced member of the team.

You will likely be sharing performance metrics as well as delivering any feedback you have. However, it’s important to remember that this meeting is fundamentally about them—you’ll want to ask how they are feeling, evaluate their workload, find out where they might need more support or training, and give them a chance to ask any questions they have.

Also, this is a good moment to check in on their personal experience and ask if there are any issues you can help them address. For instance, if they love their job but their children are struggling at a new school, that alone could be enough to ruin your investment. You may or may not be able to fix it, but being aware of at-home problems could help you support them at work.

This is also the ideal moment to ask them questions about your onboarding process as well. Any areas they feel could use some improvement could be the difference between retaining and losing future employees early in the game.

90-Day Check-In

After three months, an employee should be relatively established and settled into the rhythm of your business. You’ll know their strengths and weaknesses and be in a position to start deploying them in ways that maximize their potential.

At this point, you should be able to give them specific feedback about the nuances of their work and solidify the working relationship. Areas to highlight include:

• Skills. Are there any areas where they could use some more training? What, if any, adjustments do they need to make to help the team?
• Questions and concerns. Now that they are working largely independently, is there anything else they feel they need to know or would like to improve?
• Team dynamics. Is everyone getting along, and are working relationships productive and supportive?
• Any other outstanding issues. If there are personal issues surrounding the new job or other lifestyle challenges, how are they going? Is there any support you can offer?

Make Your Onboarding Strategy a Winner with V20

As you can see, successfully onboarding and retaining a talented new hire takes a lot more than setting up an email account and handing over the keys to an office door. Everything that happens in the first 90 days contributes to that employee’s decision to stay or leave, and it can be extremely difficult to run a business day-to-day while maintaining an effective onboarding process.

At V20 Recruiting + Consulting, we don’t just deliver the best candidates to our clients in the powersports, marine, RV, and outdoors industries. We make sure they have a great transition into their new role and are set up to be successful, valuable, long-term members of the team. That’s why Forbes named us one of the top executive recruiting firms—because we understand the entire hiring equation, including personal and professional goals, the specific business needs a client might have, and orchestrating a perfect fit in positions from sales through top leadership.

If you’re tired of searches that don’t produce lasting results, it’s time to supercharge your hiring and onboarding with V20. Contact us today and find out what V20 can do for you.