Think about the worst first day at a new job you've ever had. You wouldn't ever wish that upon anyone, would you? Companies rarely realize the impact a great onboarding process can have. It sets the tone for the entire relationship and is the professional equivalent of a first date.

If the dropout rate for candidates is high when the application process is long and complicated, couldn’t the same be said for new hires going through the onboarding process? Yes, they’ve already accepted the position, but if the new hire paperwork is exhaustive and a labyrinth of legal jargon you could be on the brink of a new hire exodus.

Truly, it’s all in the experience – the candidate experience. After all, if candidates can’t stomach getting through the initial paperwork, what does it tell them (and you) about your culture? How do your candidates see your organization? Their reality is your candidate experience. How will you change that mindset?

Automation doesn’t mean neglect

Candidates know the impact technology has on the business world – they live in a world inundated where everything from their physical fitness to what they watch on television is automated; from banking to dating, there’s an app for that. What they don’t want out of that automation, however, is a complete lack of human interaction. With onboarding, the human touch is critical. A general rule of thumb is to automate the boring parts to make more space for the interesting and relationship building interactions. 

The digital onboarding paperwork expedites the process allowing candidates to spend more time learning about their role, and less time filling out the legalities and signing on the innumerable dotted lines. Easing the burden of the paperwork process not only makes orientation easier for your new hires, but for you as well. Because 77% of new hires make their decisions to stay or leave during their first 6 months (moreover, 22% simply don’t return after a month and a half), it stands to reason that expediting the onboarding process to reach human interaction during orientation would retain more employees.

Why is an easier onboarding program important?

The simplicity of the automated and standardized process creates a quicker process for new hires and a more organized process for employers. In fact, organizations who standardize their onboarding see a 54% higher productivity rate in their newly hired employees. It eases the pre-hire burden for your HR department, and ultimately, post-hire performance redaction. 

Why is an easier onboarding program important for the modern business? It’s a fast-paced economy and talent marketplace, meaning your candidates expect the same expeditious involvement. Provide them with the tools and the support they need to get through the paperwork as quickly and accurately as possible.

Higher Retention

Purely digital and online paperwork strengthens your internal new hire program. Because the simple process entices employees deeper into the organization, well-developed and thought through onboarding program is more likely to have a higher retention rate. In fact, poor onboarding programs without simplified or automated processes (with a hint of human interaction) only retain 30% of their new workforce. 

In short – how you process the onboarding paperwork has a direct impact on employee satisfaction and retention. Keith Ferrazzi (@ferazzi), CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, said:

“Competition among the most innovative companies is growing ever more heated for one of the most highly-coveted resources on the market: talented employees. But sadly, too many new hires slip away because of a poor initial experience with their new companies.”

If onboarding is largely based on candidate experience, why has the paperwork remained so tedious and time-consuming? Although candidate information is necessary for your records, there are better ways for your new hires to fill out this information. Don't let thatfirst day nightmare come true for your incoming employees. Consider the importance of a killer onboarding process!

Bio: Christine Marino

Christine is the Chief Revenue Officer of Click Boarding, LLC, a company that offers employee onboarding software and solutions. She is responsible for the sales, marketing and business development strategies. Leveraging her 18+ years of experience in the Human Capital Management space, Christine drives company growth through strategic partner relationships as well new customer acquisitions across the small to large enterprise markets.