With the median number of years a U.S. worker holds a job hovering at just over four years, it’s critical to retain the cream of the crop by actively engaging bright, new recruits as quickly as possible.
In the same way that your company invests time and effort in nurturing relationships with new clients, your organization needs to cultivate relationships with new employees. The best tech companies engage employees from day one, forging connections that are designed to help them establish a mutually enriching relationship with the company.
By engaging new employees from the beginning of the onboarding process, the company gives new recruits an early stake in the organization. Although the hope is that the individual’s relationship with the company will continue to grow over time, early experiences set the tone for the employee’s entire career with the organization.
But here’s the catch: Meaningful employee engagement means much more than walking the individual through HR procedures and hosting an office meet-and-greet at the end of the first day. Instead, effective employee engagement occurs in the context of a carefully developed onboarding strategy with touch points before and during the initial orientation.
Initiate Dialogue Before Orientation
Frequent communication during the pre-orientation period is a hallmark of a successful onboarding process. Depending upon the company’s hiring practices, there can be a significant time lapse between recruiting and the first day of work for freshly graduated college alumni. Young talent and experienced hires alike will benefit from proactive engagement opportunities initiated by the company.
In addition to helping new recruits coordinate travel, relocation, or other logistical concerns, tech agencies need to initiate dialogue with recruits during the days, weeks, and possibly even months leading up to orientation. Personalized emails and phone calls are nice, but face-to-face meetings and meals with recruiters or other key staff members are a better way to open two-way communication channels.
New recruits should be included in distribution lists for company newsletters and other publications as soon as they commit to the company. The more information you share leading up to orientation, the more excited they will be to participate in orientation and the more quickly they will become invested in the company’s success.