While most people enjoy a long tenure in their jobs, 1 in 10 Brits have never stayed with an employer for more than a year. Of those surveyed, 15% of people cite that the reason they leave their posts is because they feel unmotivated. So, what can employers do to ensure that people enjoy many happy years in their roles? It all starts with onboarding.
Onboarding is the structured process of supporting new employees into your company, introducing them to everything they need to know - from your values to your people, to how things are done on a day-to-day basis. It’s more than just giving an offer and setting them up on a laptop. Onboarding, when done right, is the catalyst to arming a new employee with the tools and skills to thrive in the workplace.
What does good onboarding look like?
Good onboarding starts with good recruitment. It’s not enough to desperately put a bum on a seat; instead, the recruitment process needs to be thorough and considered while also being balanced with speed. Too slow and you’ll lose great candidates, too quick and you may end up employing someone who isn’t competent. Finding the right balance means you’ll find a candidate who is a great fit for the business, can do the job properly, and prosper in the right environment. And that right environment stems from a positive onboarding experience.
I have a mantra when it comes to onboarding. The three Es: ‘Expectation, Enable, Empower”. If all three Es are achieved by the end of the onboarding process, which takes about three months, then it would have been done well.
You start with expectation. That’s ensuring that expectations from both sides (employer and employee) are explained with utmost clarity. Each person feels heard and seen, and what is required from them both is fully understood. This usually comes first in the onboarding process as you explain to your new employee about the culture of the company, the values, the work ethic required and so on.
Then comes enable. This next part of the onboarding process ensures that the employee can raise where they need further support which will enable them to do their job to the highest standard. This might be further information, training, or potentially speaking with the wider team to gather greater understanding of certain elements of the business.
Finally, a properly onboarded employee will feel empowered to succeed in their role. They will have all the information they need and will feel confident in their ability to live up to the values, vision and mission of the company. This step takes time and by no means will be reached on day one, week one or potentially even month one.
The three Es is where the real retention payoff lies. An employee who has moved through expectation, enable and empower isn't just good at their job, they feel genuinely invested in, and that investment is reciprocated. They understand what's
expected of them, they know they can ask for help without judgement, and they trust that the business has given them a real chance to succeed rather than throwing them in and hoping for the best. That combination builds loyalty; people rarely leave jobs where they feel seen, supported and set up to do well. Instead, they leave jobs where they feel lost, undervalued or like an afterthought from day one. Get the three Es right, and you're not just onboarding an employee; you're building the foundation for years of retention.
But the three Es don’t happen on their own. Employers need to take the time to meaningfully engage with their new employees, or the process can fall flat.
Time is your best ally when onboarding
Understandably, businesses are busy and they, usually, need someone to come in and hit the ground running. But this mentality will damage any relationship you’re trying to build and can lead to poor retention.
The cost of getting this wrong is far greater than most businesses realise. Recruitment fees, advertising, interview time, and the hours spent training someone up all add up. Estimates suggest that the cost of replacing an employee is around £25,000 per worker, and between £40,000 and £100,000 for senior or specialist roles. And this doesn’t account for other expenses like lost productivity, training costs or having to bring in temporary workers while you find a new full-time employee. In a small jurisdiction like Jersey, where the talent pool is limited and competition for good people is fierce, this cost is amplified further; a poor reputation for staff turnover doesn't stay quiet for long on an island this size, and it can make your next hire even harder to find.
Without a positive onboarding experience, new employees can be left feeling demotivated. They may feel unsupported, left without direction and overwhelmed. The remedy is straightforward, though. All it takes is just 15 minutes a week to check in with your new employee, giving them the time to ask questions, feel comfortable and feel respected in their new role. That dedicated face-to-face interaction can be the difference between an employee who stays for years and an employee who leaves within the year.
Ultimately, onboarding isn't a box-ticking exercise to get through before the "real work" begins, it is the real work. Get it right, and you'll build a team of loyal, motivated employees who stick around for years rather than months. Get it wrong, and you'll find yourself back at square one, recruiting all over again.
If you'd like support reviewing or refreshing your onboarding process, get in touch with our team today. We'd love to help you turn your new hires into long-term success stories.