With staff the lifeblood of a business, onboarding is the critical injection to get them set up in a company, working productively, meeting targets and getting along with coworkers.

For many employers, however, onboarding is likely just a buzzword. To ensure that staff remain with a business for the long haul, contributing value and not causing costly rehires, it's time to start understanding and utilising correct onboarding processes, and thinking about the benefits of training.

Why onboarding is so important

According to Impact Instruction Group, in their 'Onboarding Trends' report, almost 33 per cent of new hires within a company start looking for a new job within their first six months of tenure. A report by Allied found that a massive 23 per cent of new hires leave before their first anniversary with a company.

Why? Well, it's likely going to boil down to one or two key motivators, all of which lead back to the onboarding process.

For example, a new staff member might find they're not actually doing the job they signed up for, whether it's extra tasks they need to complete or perhaps a monthly trip they weren't aware of. In another instance, they could find they've been assigned to a different department, working under a different boss than they interviewed with.

In every instance, these are issues that can be cleared up during onboarding, and employers will likely find they're not altogether difficult to address.

Certainly, by taking the time to create effective onboarding processes, the company will find recruitment an easier undertaking, with staff remaining on board.

Could bad hiring processes lead to staff quitting?

What employers need to know

So what's the key to effective onboarding? Well, as with most business issues, there are a range of possible solutions. Recently, Huffington Post sought to shed light on a few, which have been outlined below. For companies without strong onboarding processes in place, these make a good starting point.

• Make sure employees know what the job entails: This is likely to be one of the bigger deciding factors in why employees leave, especially if they find they're doing tasks they don't enjoy.
• Acclimate employees: The toughest part of starting a new job is often the first day, so employers need to ensure that new staff are introduced to their coworkers, shown around the building and generally acclimated to the workplace.
• Check in with staff: Instead of plopping employees down at their desk and rushing back to respond to emails for the rest of the day, continually check in with them and ask if they need any help.

The role of training

While often not suitable immediately after starting a new position, employers may like to consider the value of providing training in a framework for staff members. By offering them the chance to take part in an IT security course, for example, they'll both feel valued (as you're investing in them) and the business also benefits from the skilled employee.

Feel free to get in touch with ALC Training if you'd like to learn more about the training courses we offer.