Retail – New Hire Onboarding Program Handbook For Leaders FY

Onboarding benefits companies by creating more engaged and productive employees while significantly reducing turnover costs. Difference between employee onboarding and orientation. Many companies confuse employee onboarding with new employee orientation. Orientation is a procedural process that lasts a day or two (filling out paperwork, badge photo, employment policies and handbooks, etc.). Orientation is about making sure employees have completed their paperwork and reviewed company policies. This is to be completed by someone from store leadership, prior to first day of onboarding. Onboarding is a process that is designed to better equip new hires to be as productive and engaged through planned activities, shadowing and then doing the job for themselves, all while having a clear understanding what is required and asked of them. What is needed for an employee’s first days of onboarding? A n employee’s first days of on boarding should focus on setting them up for success in their new role. Think of the first day as “Welcome meet and Greet”, introductions to employees, what has to come and to their job. Employees do better when they have clear expectations and responsibilities that they will oversee . Their role needs to be clearly define while providing a specific job description. It is also important to review the job role and responsibilities with the new hire and their co-workers. (Have it printed for a training committee member to review with them). Employee Training in the First Week: A new employee’s first few days on the job can either set them up, success, or make them second-guess their choice to join the company. A recent survey by Bamboo HR identified the top items employees want from their first weeks of onboarding: • On-the-job training • Review of company policies and procedures • An 1-2 employees or mentors to shadow and show them how to do their job and what is required in their day- to-day (Onboarding Leader & PEER-TO-PEER “aka- Shadow & Show learning)

• On-the-job training is the key for getting employees up-to-speed on the tasks they need to complete and the systems/process they will need to use. Many employees struggle to retain the information they learn from classroom training sessions. • Planed out and scheduled one-the-job training helps employees learn as they go.

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