Thought Leadership Articles
Kenexa HR Thought Leadership™ articles are experience-driven pieces that discuss best practices in the Human Capital Management (HCM) space. These articles are written by skilled HR practitioners or technologists who initiate or provide new thinking on a specific component of HR. Kenexa HR Thought Leadership articles discuss strategies on new or existing HR topics and educate readers about future possibilities and considerations on those topics. The overall purpose of these thought leadership articles is to engage readers through original, innovative ideas that are supported by the knowledge and experience of the author.
Onboarding New Employees: An Opportunity to Build Long-Term Productivity and Retention
By Anne E. Herman, Ph.D., Kenexa Research Institute
Until recently, there has not been significant focus on the onboarding of new employees into organizations. Sure, most companies host new hire orientations where benefits are reviewed, codes of conduct are presented, and basic tools such as phones, computers and office supplies are ordered or confirmed. But for many new employees, this is where the efforts stop.
Now, however, many organizations are recognizing that onboarding is more than just processing paperwork and completing the checklist for a new hire to start. True onboarding involves making sure employees have the information needed to be effective in their jobs. This needed information often comes in the form of two efforts—training and socialization.
Training can involve formal classroom opportunities or can occur when employees model behavior, work with a more experienced colleague, or assist with small portions of larger projects while being “monitored” by someone with the end goal in mind.