Onboarding new employees is a challenge that every company must face. A recent survey shows how companies are implementing their onboarding in 2019 – and what problems they are experiencing. We summarize the three most important results.
Sometimes a handshake determines how the relationship between two people develops. Between companies and their employees, onboarding takes over this function: The first impression! Onboarding affects several levels of the employee-company relationship:
Professional integration into the workspace and processes
Personal well-being and first contact with new colleagues
Emotional commitment to corporate goals
The Onboarding Survey 2019 (free download from Haufe) shows that there is room for improvement when onboarding in many companies – and at several key points at once. The three most important results at a glance:
Own illustration: Companies barely provide onboarding budgets and rarely use digital tools – those responsible see great potential for improvement.
(1) Barely any budgets available for onboarding
In theory, the picture is still very positive: Over 90% of HR managers believe that professional and social integration is improved or accelerated by their onboarding. More than half of those surveyed are also convinced that better onboarding can reduce resignations in the first year of employment.
In practice, however, it is often the case that the company strategy cuts back on the important onboarding process: Just 12% of companies provide a budget for onboarding.
Excerpt from own illustration: Only very few companies provide budgets for onboarding processes.
A critical result, since good onboarding involves costs in both planning and implementation: The working time of HR managers is only one of many factors here.
(2) Onboarding is rarely supported digitally
The lack of budget for onboarding processes could be one reason why digitalization has not yet arrived in onboarding: 88% of companies will still rely on analog processes without digital tools in 2019.
Excerpt from own illustration: 9 out of 10 companies do not use digital tools for onboarding processes.
Interestingly, this number corresponds exactly to the proportion of companies without onboarding budgets. A connection here can only be assumed. It is undisputed that digital tools cause costs that must be planned for in the company – at the same time, tools save time (and consequently money).
(3) Those responsible see potential for improvement
The results of the survey regarding budgets and tools are sobering: There are widespread problems with the financing and implementation of onboarding measures. However, HR managers are obviously very aware of these problems: 77% of those surveyed see potential for improvement in their own onboarding.
Excerpt from own illustration: A majority of HR managers see potential for improvement in their own onboarding.
The previous results clearly show where companies need to start to improve their onboarding:
Companies must support their onboarding better! This also means providing specific budgets for processes that help with onboarding and retaining employees.
Companies must make greater use of digital tools for their onboarding! These tools relieve the burden on those responsible, improve the learning effect for new employees and thus speed up onboarding.
Conclusion: A simple solution for digital onboarding
Successful onboarding does not require complex processes, but good preparation, digital support and sufficient time so that new employees can arrive professionally and personally in the company.
Perhaps you recognize these results from your own company – there is a lack of money and support for training new employees. A possible solution for you and your employees is called Blended Onboarding – training in a mixture of online courses and personal sessions.
We at blink.it have been using this method for all new employees for years – with great success! You can find out how you can also implement Blended Onboarding in your company in the free guide: Blended Onboarding in Companies.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Why is onboarding so important for companies?
Good onboarding supports new employees professionally, socially and emotionally when they start at the company. This increases orientation, motivation and long-term employee retention.
Why do many companies have problems with onboarding?
Often there are no clear budgets, structured processes or digital tools for onboarding. As a result, onboarding is often organized on the side instead of being strategically planned.
What advantages do digital tools offer in onboarding?
Digital tools facilitate the structured provision of information and learning content. New employees can work through content flexibly and those responsible save time on recurring onboarding processes.
What is meant by Blended Onboarding?
Blended onboarding combines personal training with digital learning formats such as online courses or knowledge platforms. This allows information to be conveyed efficiently while at the same time strengthening personal contacts.
