They Took The Bait, Now Hook New Hires With Onboarding

New jobs are intimidating. New people and an overwhelming amount of information can make anyone’s head spin. Piles of paperwork and mundane orientation sessions aren’t going to give your new hires an exciting impression of your company. A study by TalentWise showed that companies with an engaging employee onboarding program retained 91% of their first-year workers.

Here are six onboarding programs that eliminate first-day woes and get new hires settled into a company in nontraditional ways:

1. Pop some champagne: At TINYhr we celebrate new hires by popping open a bottle of bubbly on their first day. Why not? We want to show them how excited we are to have them. This makes them feel welcomed and appreciated.

2. Scavenger hunt: Who really wants to sit through an endless orientation with someone talking at them? At Bazaarvoice, new hires are sent on a week-long scavenger hunt. Through a series of tasks and company-related questions, they learn about the company’s history and culture.

3. Boot camp: New hires at Etsy shouldn’t get too comfy during their first week with their team. This company is nipping cross-departmental animosity in the bud: newbies spend four to six weeks cross-training with other teams.

4. Jump into the front line: At Rover, new hires don’t spend hours watching training videos. Right off the bat, they’re tasked out with an assignment. Employees feel as if they’ve made an impact their very first day.

5. All hands on deck: Any customer-oriented company knows that customers come first. New hires at RadioFlyer get a hands-on experience about the customers and products. They complete an audit of a customer's retail experience and even assemble products

6. Making connections: New hires at SnagAJob.com get a sweet surprise: a handwritten congratulatory note from the chief executive and a $100 gift card. On the first day, they’re assigned to a mentoring and networking buddy. Exposing newbies to the culture early will help them settle in more easily.

Onboarding introduces new hires to the important aspects of the company: values, culture, and people. So ditch the paperwork and use one of the examples above to make a lasting impression for your new employee. You’ll be able to create loyalty from the get-go and keep them engaged in the long run.

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