Successfully onboarding and retaining employees

Travel together with confidence

“Onboarding is super important,” says Sandra. “This phase is meant to really get people to land. You can safely take about 6 to 9 months to do this. However, you still often see that the employee is expected to be fully aware of everything after 2 months. That is not realistic. You want the new employee to get to know the organization, culture and colleagues. With the 'way of work' and with practical issues such as the systems that are used, how the internal processes run, but also basic things like where the coffee is and where to get lunch.. Also give the new employee the space to discover the organization for themselves. See it as an opportunity to fulfill the promises you make as an (employer) brand. So that employees' expectations match reality. This allows you, as an employer, to distinguish yourself in a creative way.”

“During this period, as a new employee, you develop your own story,” Afra adds. “The story you tell on a birthday when they ask you where you work and what you do. How fast this goes also depends on the person. Where does someone come from? Is it a first job or is it someone with years of experience? Is there enough room to get used to and does it feel safe to ask questions and express expectations?”

Early relationship

A new employee comes in blank and depends on the information that is provided. Sandra states that it is good to be aware of this and to ensure that everything is well prepared. “The first day of work is often exciting for new employees. You often only know a few colleagues, everything is new, and you get a lot of information to process. By properly preparing all the preconditions such as laptops and logging in for systems, it is easier for someone to come in. As an organization, make sure that the new employee feels welcome, heard and seen. Check expectations regularly and ask what someone needs to do their job well and feel part of the club. Keep talking to each other about how things are going, whether someone's talents are being used enough and what someone needs help with.”

“And there are fun creative tools that can make getting to know and land within an organization even more fun,” she continues enthusiastically. “You can make it completely in line with your brand and company. For example, onboarding apps or a bingo card where onboarding activities can be ticked off. A playful way to introduce someone to the organization, colleagues and culture. Always choose a form that suits your organization.”

“It's like a fledgling relationship where you're both going to find out if you're really right for each other. And that requires the necessary time and energy from both the company and the new employee,” Afra responds.

_{Be seen and heard}

“Whether someone will eventually feel at home and want to stay longer depends on various factors such as involvement in the organization,” Afra continues. “That's why you should involve everyone as much as possible in all activities. You can do this by asking for input for activities. For example, ask what people want to do at the annual summer party. And create a collaborative music list. By involving employees, it will be a party for everyone and they will be more likely to come. We also notice it in the events that we organize for companies. Instead of a sports activity where the best wins, an activity such as Expedition Robinson is more often chosen, where more of everyone's qualities are used. Everyone wants to be seen and heard.”

All out of the closet?

As an employer, it's good to decide how far you want to go to keep an employee inside. Do you really pull out all the stops for this? It remains an exciting journey of discovery. “Always be aware that that journey is different for everyone,” says Afra. “Some people are fine with an employer for years, but there are also those - especially at the beginning of their careers - who switch more quickly. Is that bad? Nope! If someone wants to end the relationship, make sure you make that last month a party, just like the onboarding. Because you want employees to look back on their time with your organization with a good feeling and to keep telling positive stories about your brand and company.”

“Organizations are changing, and so are people's wishes and expectations,” Sandra concludes. “How nice is it if you can keep discovering together whether you want to keep going on the same journey and what it takes. So there is no one size fits all. It's always tailor-made with genuine attention to each other.”

What is Employee Experience?

Employee experience is the experience of a (potential) employee in all contacts with the organization and how this matches his or her expectations. Activities that give an employee a positive experience contribute to a good Employee Experience (source: Employee Experience, Heleen Mes and Gea Peper).

7 practical tips

1. Customized onboarding per function/team and person. As an organization, do you know what expectations a new employee has in advance? Ask and adjust the onboarding accordingly.
2. Make new colleagues feel welcome by sending a card a week before the start or make a short video where the new colleague can probably see the entire team. Invite the new colleague to lunch at the office or to a corporate event so that they can get to know some colleagues in advance.
3. Organize regular activities to stay connected and get to know each other in a different way. For example, consider an “over the line” workshop.
4. Talent development is important. Help employees understand, share and connect their talents to work. This contributes to happiness at work and thus also to the connection with each other and cooperation.
5. Celebrate successes together. Like the moment of signing or bringing into a new customer.
6. Make use of existing talents, even if they are not work-related. For example, a colleague with a sense of styling who is redesigning the office.
7. Offboarding; stay in touch with former employees so that they become ambassadors for your organization. Also consider organizing activities for former colleagues.