HR 101: 7 steps for onboarding in a virtual workplace

Published 2 Min Read

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Millions of workers are continuing to quit their jobs this year, forcing employers to ramp up their search for new talent — but their recruitment and retention challenges do not stop once they’ve found a match.  

According to research and analyst firm Brandon Hall Group, organizations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. Yet, a Gallup survey found that as few as 12% of employees agree that their organization successfully onboarded new hires. A poor onboarding process leaves employers at risk for a high turnover rate, and the high costs that come with it; Society for Human Resource Management estimates it costs six to nine months’ worth of the replaced employee’s annual salary to get a new hire up to speed.

Woods advises every manager to call their new hires before their first official day on the job. The call offers new hires the chance to learn more about their role and what is initially expected of them when they log in or arrive that first day. More importantly, employees can ask questions before being overwhelmed by administrative work and training they have to tackle in the first few weeks, explains Woods. 

“There’s a misconception that by having that call, you’re asking someone to start doing work before they start,” he says. “That’s not the case. It’s a courtesy call, where you can build a sense of psychological safety for the new hire before they start.”

Deanna Cuadra
Senior Reporter

Deanna Cuadra is a senior reporter at Employee Benefit News. Her work covers healthcare, U.S. policy and reform, challenges faced by women and parents in the workplace and innovation in work culture … Read full bio


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