I quit my job 5 weeks after starting
7 proven onboarding strategies that will reduce high staff turnover
When Laura* started her communications role in a not-for-profit, she was slightly nervous. But she was also excited about the idea of working for an organisation that was helping society’s most vulnerable people.
On her first day, she found the people were friendly and welcoming, but it also felt disorganised. She spent a large part of the day talking to the external IT company trying to get her laptop to work and set up the various internal platforms and systems.
“I knew I would be the only person in the communications team and that my predecessor had already left,” Laura said.
“But I’m pretty thick-skinned and generally enjoy a challenge so I was okay with that. But there was no real onboarding — I was just kind of left to get on with it after the first half hour there, fumbling my way through. I often found out about systems and processes by chance just by chatting to different people from different departments at lunch or by the photocopier. Because my manager was so busy and also had no background in communications or marketing, I felt isolated and overwhelmed. He also went on leave the day after I started, and I found myself working five or six days a week in what was a three-day a week job trying to get up to speed while also getting all the social media posts, media releases and marketing collateral out.”
After several weeks Laura plucked up the courage to request a meeting with her manager.
“I let him know that I was working on my days off, that I was feeling overwhelmed and asked if we could have a meeting to work out how to manage this,” Laura explained.
“I had to remind him three times for that meeting. The day before we finally did meet, he handed me last year’s annual report and informed me that I would be responsible for putting together this year’s one, which was due at the end of the following month. It would require more than 80 pages of fresh case studies, interviews and content. At that moment I knew I would be handing in my resignation at our meeting. I’d only been there for five weeks, but it was clear that there was always going to be an uphill battle due to the lack of processes combined with unrealistic expectations — I would just get burned out and resentful if I stayed.”
The irony is that if the organisation had adopted a more structured onboarding system, not only would they have saved time and money by avoiding the whole recruitment process again in such a short space of time, they would also have retained a loyal and highly skilled employee who shared the organisation’s goals and values.
Unfortunately, research shows that Laura is not alone. A recent report by software company Qualtrics shows that 40% of employees who have been with an organisation for less than 6 months plan to leave within the next 12 months. While companies might be willing to invest large amounts of money in recruiting, there is often a gap between that and the investment that is needed into onboarding successfully. This heavily impacts on bottom lines and drains managers of their time.
The 7 key steps leaders must take to onboard new recruits that make them want to stay
Succession planning and knowledge transfer. Part of effective onboarding requires a detailed handover, preferably from the new employee’s predecessor. But what happens if they have already left, and they were the only person in the organisation who understood that role? A detailed outline of the role, expectations, tasks, contacts, suppliers, systems and processes should be written as part of succession planning so you’re not in the position of having to leave a new employee having to define and work out the role when they start.
Plan the start date. Ensure the new employee starts when you or key people staff who are part of the onboarding induction are not on leave.
Pre-boarding: After the job offer is accepted, send a welcome pack that includes necessary forms, organisational policies, and information about the first day. Also, it is important to ensure that the new employee’s workspace, computer, software access, and any other tools they need are set up before they arrive. Finally, send out an email to the team announcing the new hire, including their role and start date. This helps the team be prepared to welcome them.
Create an onboarding time-table. Presenting a new employee with onboarding timetable will immediately make them feel welcomed and more in control, by knowing what to expect for that first week or two. Managers need to collaborate with the team to determine who is available and when to dedicate time each day to go over specific tasks, to take them to meet stakeholders and suppliers, to learn internal systems and platforms, OH&S policies, payment and employment platforms and so forth. If you don’t plan this out in advance with the team prior to the start date, the new employee could be made to feel like a burden waiting for people to be available to show them the role.
First Day Orientation. Greet the new employee and give them a tour of the office (or virtual introductions for remote employees). Introduce them to their team and key stakeholders. Provide an overview of the organisation’s mission, vision, values, and culture. Explain how their role fits into the bigger picture. Help finalise any remaining paperwork, and assign them a small, manageable task or project that aligns with their role to give them a sense of purpose from day one.
Clarify expectations and goals for the first 3 months. Sometimes, the job description and recruitment process doesn’t give new hires a full picture of what the role does. To ensure everyone is clear about what success looks like in the role, the manager needs to set aside an hour to talk through the expectations and deliverables that the new team members is striving for. Ensure these are expressed as SMART goals, and discuss what support will be required as they settle in and learn the processes. This could include assigning a mentor or buddy, formal training, or regular check-ins with the manager to make sure they are set up to flourish.
Celebrate milestones. Recognising milestones such as the end of the first month or quarter allows their contributions to be recognised, which reinforces their value to the team. And remember to acknowledge their birthday, even just with a card. Adding calendar reminders when the new hire starts will mean these opportunities are not missed.
By following these steps, you can create an onboarding experience that not only sets up new employees for success but also contributes to a positive, inclusive, and productive workplace culture that builds trust and loyalty.