Webinar slides presented by Steve Boese for the Allied HRIQ Webinar on Onboarding and Retention trends in November 2013. For more information on the research see www.allied.com/HRIQ.

1. Stay for Awhile…
What you need to know about
Onboarding and Retention
Steve Boese– November 2013

2. Presenter Info
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Steve Boese
Co-Chair HR Technology Conference
HR Exec Magazine Technology Editor
Host of HR Happy Hour Show and Podcast
Blogger at Steve’s HR Tech
BBQ Aficionado

3. For 2 years, Allied Van Lines has championed a
research project, Allied HRIQ, aimed to provide
business professionals with data on current
workforce trends.
Today, we’ll discuss some of the onboarding
and retention trends.
Learn more about the study and see results at:
www.Allied.com/HRIQ

4. Agenda
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Onboarding Practices
Onboarding and Performance
The role of Retention
Pulling it all together
Wrap-up, Q&A

6. Onboarding Practices
<Your desk is over there, the
restroom is down the hall,
lunch is at 12:30. Got it?>

7. HR: The owner of Onboarding

8. But there will be no money for you

9. Interestingly, those reporting highly
successful onboarding programs
do not spend an inordinate amount
of money.
In fact, they spend less than those
companies with moderately
successful onboarding (but about
twice as much than companies with
unsuccessful onboarding)

10. Onboarding can be disrupted
• Innovative technology solutions
are shaking up Onboarding and
turning it into an interactive
and social experience
• Connects people with
resources, mission, and people
they need to succeed in their
new role
• Leverage video and usergenerated content to share
knowledge and welcome new
employees
• cFactor Works Virtual Day 1

11. Songs in the key of Onboarding
• Most successful Onboarding
programs incorporate the
following elements:
• Set and communicate clear job
expectations
• Incorporate coaching and
mentoring elements
• See the program as ‘long-term’
• Involve leadership and
management in the program

13. The link (or missing link)
between Onboarding and
Performance
<60% of surveyed companies care
about performance 100% of the time>

14. It seems that there is a pretty
clear connection between
successful onboarding and a
successful employee.
Yet, many companies are not
making that connection, or at
least measuring the outcomes
of their programs.

15. Remember, no one is a star on Day 1

16. How to tie Onboarding to
Performance from Day 1
• Keys to realizing performance and
retention rewards from the most
successful Onboarding programs
incorporate the following
elements:
• Formally measure the productivity
and success of new employees
• Incorporate coaching and
mentoring beyond the ‘official’
onboarding period
• Reinforce key Onboarding
messages for the long-term
• Ensure relocation is managed

17. Onboarding and accountability

19. The Role of Retention
<Or, would you rather start the entire
recruiting process again?>

20. Why should you care?

21. Churn, churn, churn

22. Retain don’t Recruit
• Recruiting – Estimates vary, but it can cost up to 200% of an individual’s salary
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to find, hire, and train a replacement
Learning – All that time you spent getting the last new hire up to speed? Be
prepared to do it all over again. And we know how much experienced staff
LOVE training newbies
Workforce Management – That important project you committed to deliver in
Q4 once your team was staffed up? Well, the boss STILL needs it delivered in
Q4.
Culture – Remember all the ‘unwritten rules’ that the new guy needed 6
months to figure out? Well, the latest ‘new guy’ doesn’t know any of them
either.
Employer Brand – Excess turnover often sends a message to the market – ‘That
is a messed-up place to work.’ People naturally will second-guess an employer
that seems to be leaking talent.
• What are some of the ways that employers can strengthen these parts
of the Talent process, and help build a Talent and Leadership pipeline?

24. Pulling it all together
<Retention has to be easier
than recruiting, right?>

25. Five Closing Thoughts…

26. That all start with ‘M’
• Managers – You simply can’t underestimate the importance of the manager as
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it impacts employee retention and success. Spend time and more time with
managers to make sure they are involved, providing clear direction, and
feedback.
Mentors – One of the best ways to help new employees feel welcome, and less
overwhelmed is to connect them with formal and informal coaches and
mentors. Expand the ‘buddy system’ to encompass more elements of the new
employee experience.
Momentum – Look at Onboarding as a long-term, year long program.
Remember the average time to full productivity is 8 months. Unless you want a
lot of sinking, ‘sink or swim’ is usually not a winning approach.
Mobility – Understand the mobility ability and preferences of your best talent
and Hi-Pos. Don’t surprise an exec and say he/she needs to move to Shanghai
in order to progress and not know if they are ready for that move.
Mix– Mix things up, enable new employees to bond with each other inside and
outside the office, create an atmosphere that stimulates and inspires while
avoiding workplace ruts increase the chances that your organization will retain
a valued employee – and maximize the company’s return on its investment.

28. Let’s admit it seems
simpler and easier to try
and buy or rent talent
when we have a gap,
rather than work to retain
and develop from within
sometimes.

29. DEEP THOUGHTS:
How do you get your
HR organization and
your leaders to think
about talent and
people with a slightly
longer view?

31. steveboese@gmail.com
steveboese.squarespace.com
HRTechConference.com
Twitter: @SteveBoese
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveboese