Congratulations on being at the spot in your business where you are preparing to bring more members on to your team!!! This is such an exciting milestone to hit as a business owner and I couldn’t be more excited for you!

On-boarding is so essential because it increases early-on productivity of your new hire and also increases their retention. Both of these lead to not only financial savings, but also save you a ton of time. A study done by Urban Bound shows that organizations with a standard on-boarding process experience a 54% greater new hire productivity, along with 50% greater new hire retention. That’s amazing!!!

Now, on-boarding can often be a (understandably) daunting task as a small-business owner. When you don’t have your own HR department or maybe have never even had to walk someone through the entire behind the scenes of your business, it can quickly become overwhelming. If this is the case for you, check out our On-boarding 101 system in the shop for weekly meeting documents, new hire paperwork, and a set on-boarding schedule for your new hire.  

In the meantime, here are a few tips and tricks on how to successfully onboard someone into your business:

1. Over-communicate - This is so important! Try not to make assumptions about what your new hire knows about you or your business. It is vital that you communicate openly and often about your desires for the position, how communication looks, and what kind of schedule/timeliness you desire. When you over-communicate, it opens the door for your new hire to do the same which will help prevent big mistakes.

2. Prepare your business - Before you bring someone into your business, it’s important that you have your most used processes and workflows in your business documented and laid out. This will not only save you and your company more time, it will improve the on-boarding experience and save you money as you bring on more employees!

3. Extend the process - It is proven that longer on-boarding programs are far more effective than on-boarding programs that are two weeks or less. The recommended length is about 6 weeks. This may seem like a long time initially, but you will be amazed at how quickly it goes by! The goal is that by the end of the six weeks your new hire feels fully equipped in their new position.

4. Welcome them into your business - This is huge! The initial impression your new hire has of your business is crucial. Make them feel welcome and appreciated from the get-go to help increase retention and attachment to your company culture.

5. Set designated meeting times - This is one of the most important steps! Set aside a time each week to check in, answer questions, and see how things are going. This will help ensure that all questions are answered and that you and your new hire are on the same page.

Don’t forget to check out our shop for our 6-week on-boarding schedule and system complete with prep questions, weekly meeting agendas, and new hire paperwork! Happy on-boarding!