oiam white paper 23 july

Onboarding: From Recruit to Relationships of 9

Onboarding From Recruit to Relationship

The average U.S. company spends more than $3,500 per new hire in job-‐advertising costs alone, which culminates to about $124 billion annually.

Those dollars don’t take into account the time, energy and emotional widgets you invest on the hunt to find your right fit. In short, your recruitment resources add up, and they do so

quickly.

With that said, it makes sense to hold on to your unicorns once you find them. Not only is the cost of hiring talent high, but turnover and vacancy will hit your wallet as well.

The OIAM Team

At OneinaMil, our team brings a collective 50+ years of talent placement to the technology space, and we certainly stand by this statistic. With that said, proper onboarding is key for converting your new recruit into a long-‐term, loyal employee. We have witnessed onboarding done a million and five ways – wins, fails, and everything in between. In the interest of shared success, our goal is to help you hold on to your unicorns as those diamonds in the rough are hard to come by.

According to the Harvard Business Review, approximately

80% of employee turnover stems from mistakes made during the

hiring process.


Overview

What may surprise you is that an onboarding program should ideally begin during the recruiting process and seamlessly tie into lasting employee development.

The good news, creating a stellar onboarding process is relatively simple and should a fun, exciting opportunity to showcase your company’s culture.

If done well, not only will solid onboarding serve as an added value for attracting the best of the best, but it will also ensure you build a strong, successful relationship with your new recruit.

We are not the type to pitch a to-‐do you way without a game plan. This piece will outline how to successfully onboard your new employee along with suggestions on how to connect and engage your new talent from recruitment through professional development.

To keep this consumable, we will brake the battle plan down into Six Parts:

1. Start with Recruitment – convey culture that matters

2. Honeymoon Period – from official offer to start date

3. Start Date – warmest welcome while covering HR whatnot

4. First 30 Days – all about check ins 5. Day 90 – take one WITH the team 6. Onward and Upward – folding

development opportunities into the future


The Price of Turnover and Vacancy

In order to dive into onboarding, it’s important to know what all is at stake. If you are not yet convinced that onboarding needs to become your next priority, consider the cost turnover and vacancy can have on your company’s bottom line. Research by Corter Consulting sheds light on just how much may be spent replacing lost talent.

The firm found after surveying multiple entities in varying industries, the cost to replace an $8/hr employee ran between $3,637 (Coca Cola) to $11,609 (Cornell) with an average for the ten lowest being $5,505. More so, the average cost to replace a $30,000 salaried employee came to an estimated $4,800.

Riddle me this, how does the expense to replace an $8/hr employee compare so closely to one making $30,000 per year (about $15/hr)? Ultimately, there are many fixed costs with replacing employees, and these are costs that most

organizations do not budget.

As you well know, the expense around vacancy doesn’t end with money; in fact, the impact on your team morale may be more taxing to your bottom line in the long run.

When jobs go unmanned, your employees must find a way to fill the void on top of their existing responsibilities. If the position remains vacant, your team may become frustrated with stepping up only to be rewarded with more work.

As time marches on, they might lose motivation to keep tackling the extra load without a light at the end of the tunnel, and resent you for not getting a handle on the situation. Worst case scenario, they begin to question your leadership and doubt the company’s ability to fill the role, which may lead to a problematic rumor mill.


Now that we’ve reaffirmed why you want to avoid turnover and how it pays to get onboarding right, let’s start at the beginning – recruitment.

Start With Recruitment - Convey Culture that Matters

Our mantra is to place talent based on culture fit first, aptitude second. We stand by this approach as we truly believe in the value of culture and finding people who suit your tribe. With that said, developing and promoting your company culture can be tricky. In the tech space, there seems to be a trend in rebelling against all things corporate – wear what you want, work from wherever, keep the beer fridge stocked… Gear down big truck. Although ping-‐pong tables in the break room are lovely, they do not necessarily convey a culture that breeds loyalty. Take a moment to sit down with you team and talk through core values. Understand what motivates them and makes them want to show up to work for you every day. Then introduce a little marketing 101 – know your audience. Who are you trying to attract and what will speak to them?

For instance, research conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management found that nearly three in five (58%) of Millennials and a comparable rate of Baby Boomers (62%) cited “compensation/pay” as a critical factors in determining job satisfaction. Job security also topped the list for both groups. Conversely, Millennials strive more for grandiose significance and are attracted to unique approaches to innovation; whereas, Baby Boomers tend to appreciate classic business values and corporate structure. The moral of this story, wrap your head around who you are (culture) and who you want to join your team (culture fit). Then ensure all your recruitment efforts, from job post to interview, align with and convey your company culture. Parting note: be genuine. Manufacturing a false culture will catch up with you sooner rather than later. Be proud of your company and be honest on what all it has to offer new talent.

The Honeymoon Period - From Official Offer to Start Date


Get excited! You found your unicorn and -‐ Hurrah! – he or she has accepted your offer. Now it is time to really roll out the welcome mat. However jazzed you are, multiply that by about 10 and you’ll get somewhere in your new hire’s stratosphere – embrace that enthusiasm and make a big deal about him/her joining your team. To start, have your Hiring Manager call (yes, pick up the phone, engage vocal chords…) the candidate to congratulate the new hire and share next steps, such as how to dress on the first day or what they should bring for HR whatnot.

Then, send an email to the whole company featuring your new hire with a picture, a brief bio, and explanation of what role he/she will fill. Icing on the cupcake, one week after the offer is accepted send your new hire a gift box with company swag, such as a logoed coffee mug/notebook or a T-‐shirt, and a handwritten card from the new hire’s supervisor welcoming him/her to the family. In parallel, assign an internal champion or ally to guide the newbie through their first week. We recommend that this Ally NOT be on the same team as the new hire as that will help your newbie branch out and meet new people. Have your Ally call the new hire, welcome them, and coordinate a lunch for the first day. Finally, create an agenda for new hires’ first week and send to him/her a few days before their official start date. Everyone likes knowing what they’re about to walk into.


Start Date - Warmest Welcome While Keeping HR Covered

First and foremost, we always recommend starting new hires on Tuesdays. (Mondays are hard…) Little things will mean the world. Consider putting a sign up in the front lobby welcoming your new team member or even paint a welcome message on the front door. Ensure your receptionist and leadership team know the name of your new hire and when they will arrive. Help everyone avoid an awkward introduction. If you have more than one new hire starting on the same day you can do a fun, interactive icebreaker to excite your crowd. Get them excited about their choice. Create a slide deck or video showcasing your company culture highlighting your core values. Have your leadership stop by orientation, introduce themselves, and share a story about why they came to your company.

If you have not already, give your new hire a full tour of the building pointing out people they should know, where the break room is, where bathrooms are, etc… Of course there will be paperwork. Try to have all the new hire’s paperwork pre-‐populated with basic information for them saving time and stress widgets. Again, details matter. When you leave your new hire at their desk, slip a handwritten note inside their laptop welcoming them to the company with a goodie, such as a lottery ticket or gift card.


First 30 Days – All About Check Ins

Check In # 1 -‐ with the Ally to ensure they have spent time

with the new hire reviewing all of the information and making sure the newbie is getting acclimated.

Check In # 2 -‐ with the team lead to ensure the first week agenda has been followed and the new hire is finding where they need to be.

It ’s completely ok to over communicate. Moving on…

Check In # 3 -‐ with the team lead to confirm the team lunch took place and attendance was stellar.

Check In # 4 – with your new hire’s supervisor. This should be a one-‐on-‐one session.

Check In #5 – with whomever coordinates all company events. Make sure your newbie is “in the know” and has been included in your company’s social calendar.

Check In #6 – with HR to make sure T’s are crossed and an official 30-‐day check-‐in (technically #7) has been scheduled with the new hire.

How are you feeling today?


Day 90 – Take One WITH The Family

This step is fairly straightforward. Every 90 days throw a themed gathering that allows your entire team -‐ leadership, new hires, and their families to come together and meet one another. A few ideas:

• Casino Night

• Flag Football Tournament

• Masquerade

• Paddleboarding

Here is where new hires will learn about the company history, spend quality time with fellow team members, and embrace the company culture after hours.

Onward and Upward – Folding development opportunities into the future

At this juncture, your hire is not so new, and will likely appreciate a conversation about their long-‐term role at your company.

Schedule time to have this conversation. It’s probably the most critical of all our onboarding suggestions.

Ask your unicorn about their professional aspirations. What are they doing to get there today? How can you help them get started?

If they have specific asks in line with your company mission, write a wish list together and discuss a development plan. Make sure the meeting ends with commitments from both sides on how to achieve these professional goals, and a timeline for making it happen.

This point is the conversion from new recruit to relationship. If you can show your new hire that you are genuinely interested in their success and investing in their potential, you will nurture ironclad loyalty.


About OneinaMil

If you are looking for that 'one in a million' hire, we have you covered. OneinaMil hires on culture first, and will only bring you top talent.

When you are looking for that hidden gem who can help scale your organization and take it to the next level, we will get you there. We

are a one-‐stop-‐shop for all your talent discovery and development needs from tech recruiting to personal branding.

OneinaMil has a special love for start-‐ups and entrepreneurs which inspired us to create a comprehensive solution with the sole purpose of helping you get your business off the ground. Our team of experts handle the details, including HR compliance, accounting, and marketing, so you can focus on what you do best – run your budding business.

Are you ready for our talent ninjas to rock your world? Let’s rol l .

Lee-Anne Scalley, OneinaMil CEO

Why Charleston? There is a side of this city that market research cannot possibly do justice. As a Boston native, when I first visited Charleston 10 years ago, I knew I had to find my way back. I deliberately chose Charleston knowing I could go to Austin, Silicon Valley, or anywhere.

While those established markets speak to some, I fell in love with how Charleston embraces entrepreneurs and new ventures.

The picturesque city, foodie paradise, and fabulous beaches aside, Charleston offers an opportunity prime for the innovative and hungry professional. Si l icon Harbor is real, it ’s r is ing, and it ’s hir ing!

oiam white paper 23 july

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