Why Employees Hate the First Day of Work

Onboarding, retention, productivity, performance, turnover…these are just a few of the things that rattle around the brains of executives in growing companies. What thoughts would overwhelm them even more? Maybe it’s the fact that billions of dollars are spent each year retaining unproductive employees who lack a true understanding of their job. It could even be that the average cost of employee turnover is about 20 percent of the replaced employee’s salary. Simply put, onboarding is absolutely critical in flourishing companies, there’s just no other way to slice. If your company isn’t placing a major emphasis on its onboarding process, there’s a serious problem looming. Consider the fact that 7 out of 10 people remain with a company for three years after experiencing a first-rate onboarding process and that fact is not going to change any time soon.

First and foremost, an organization’s leadership team must understand the difference between training and onboarding. Yes, they are different. Training is actually just a portion of the long-term process known as onboarding. As such, training encompasses the specific actions taken during the probationary period (first 90 days) which outline and teach the new employee their job responsibilities. Integrating training into the onboarding process is critical to new employee success and long-term job retention. Plus, a well-trained employee is going to be happier, more productive, and more confident in their day-to-day tasks.

Unfortunately, employers often lack the foresight to comprehend and appreciate the value of great onboarding. An engaging, cutting-edge onboarding process is absolutely essential to any company’s bottom line. Organizations that fully grasp that concept are winning today and, more importantly, winning tomorrow. Nevertheless, the majority of employees still hate the first day of work and that is due to a failing onboarding process. Take a look at just some of the reasons that cause employees to dread day one on a new job:

  • Dealing with an onslaught of paperwork
  • Listening to outdated, boring orientation jargon
  • Realizing that there is no distinction between onboarding and orientation
  • Not being introduced to everyone on the team
  • Lacking an understanding of expectations and objectives
  • Feeling totally detached from the company’s culture
  • Having no personalization in the onboarding process
  • Information overload with no concept of employee comprehension
  • Unidirectional sessions with no interactive education
  • Group training with no individual attention
  • Not taking them out to lunch the first day
  • No communication of the company’s mission or values
  • Forgetting to give ample time for social interaction with co-workers
  • Disorganization in the overall process

Onboarding is literally an investment in your company. When done correctly, profits grow, employees stay, and a reputable, awesome company culture is born. Engagement is the key to keeping onboarding exciting and successful. The ability to avoid the first day mistakes listed above will set the tone for a workforce that is ready and willing to take your company to new heights. There is a massive difference between getting a new employee “up to speed” and setting them up for a long, successful career within your company.

Here’s a statistics for you: approximately 25 percent of all U.S. employees require onboarding during any given time. Why? Onboarding goes way beyond new hires and spreads into internal changes such as new job roles, departments, and any kind of lateral or vertical shift. That’s why your onboarding efforts must be constant and consistent. Employees want to feel connected to the overall mission of the company. Encourage that connection by providing the right tools and resources, giving regular performance reviews, emphasizing the company’s culture, and maintaining a finger on the pulse of employee expectations and objectives. Your workforce is a machine and onboarding is the fuel. Keep your fuel fresh and recurring, and watch as your company thrives.

Are you reading this article wondering how your new hires feel about their first day of work? Is your company guilty of making some of the first day mistakes? HireVault has the fuel that will keep your business growing and flourishing, and saving money too. It’s time to hurdle those onboarding roadblocks and transform them into onboarding triumphs. Let’s renovate and revamp the first day of work together. HR Headaches, Meet the HireVault.