How A New-Employee Orientation Program Will Reduce Turnover

Inevitably, employees will come and go from your organization. And each time you lose an employee, you’ll have to spend time and money marketing the position, interviewing applicants, and training the new person you hire. In short, having a high turnover rate can be expensive and damaging and can also lead to a company culture that breeds distrust and a lack of confidence.

For all these reasons and more, it’s important to invest the necessary resources to ensure that every new employee is excited and proud to work for your company. The happier an employee is with their decision, the more committed they will be to long-term success in their position and, in turn, the long-term success of the organization. Keep in mind however, employees don’t just walk in the door with a strong foundation for success. More often than not, the keys to success have to be taught and instilled in them during employee orientation program.

Here are some other ways a well-planned employee orientation program will help reduce your employee turnover rate:

—Makes employees feel welcome. One of the greatest benefits to any employee orientation program is that it gives you the opportunity to welcome new hires and get them excited about their position in your organization.

Think back to your first day at a new job. Remember how nervous you were about everything? Remember the hurricane of questions swirling around in your mind and the butterflies fluttering around in your stomach? Your new employees are going through all of this on their first day, too. They are filled with questions, nerves, and trepidation. You can easily turn all of that nervous energy into excitement and enthusiasm with a well-constructed employee orientation program that answers their questions and makes them proud to join your team.

Be sure to do everything you can throughout the orientation to help your new employees relax and feel comfortable in their new environment. For example, help them get to know you and their new colleagues a little better by offering everyone the opportunity to speak about themselves and what they will contribute to the team.

By going the extra mile with your employee orientation program, you will not only make your new hires feel welcomed, you will be showing them that you respect and appreciate them. That encouragement will go a long way toward fostering trust and loyalty to your company, which will in turn help to greatly reduce your turnover rate.

—Sets employees up for success. Another powerful way to reduce your employee turnover rate is to set your employees up to be successful in their new position. This is also accomplished through the employee orientation process and ongoing training.

Consider every aspect of your team’s responsibilities and what is required for them to be successful. Make sure your orientation content is tailored to meet their needs, answer their lingering questions, and give them an in-depth understanding of what is expected of them.

One of the best ways to do this is to allow or require new employees to spend time shadowing a top performer so they can see exactly how everything should be done. Also, to cut down on the potential for confusion, make sure your orientation content and hands-on training is consistent.

The more training you offer your new employees, the lower your employee turnover rate will be. Invest in them in the beginning to save in the long run.

If you can find a way to prevent turnover, you’ll save money and operate more efficiently. This process should begin on the employee’s first day of work—at new-employee orientation.