Onboarding Pitfalls: Employee Development Mistakes That Can Cost You New Top Talent

7 Onboarding Pitfalls That Can Cost You Your Top Talent

Your new recruits expect at least the basic orientation package. A tour of the workspace, intros to fellow team members, and an onboarding course to sum up the essentials. However, the L&D shouldn’t stop once they’ve clocked in and started their first task. Leaving fresh hires in the lurch by not providing ongoing support hinders performance and increases compliance risks. But it also prompts them to look for other employment opportunities…outside your organization. These 7 onboarding pitfalls can cost you new top talent. Fortunately, they can all be avoided with a sound strategy and an effective employee development LMS.

1. Not Recognizing Individual Sticking Points

You hired that new employee to fill an existing gap in your organization. Maybe you realized that you needed fresh skill sets or simply wanted to replace a team member who left. Whatever the reason, you must also recognize that they bring unique pain points with them. They don’t all fit into the same mold. Thus, you must use your employee development LMS to give them individualized support tools to bridge the gaps. Instead of forcing them down the same path as every other new hire, regardless of their sticking points. Doing so also shows that your organization doesn’t value the individual or respect their diversity. You expect everyone to look, act, and be the same. Which won’t do you any favors in regard to employee retention.

2. Focusing On Theory And Shirking Practical Application

Granted, there’s a lot of theoretical knowledge involved in employee onboarding. From compliance regulations to company policies. But that doesn’t mean you should overlook the practical application of these ideas. Many organizations make the mistake of focusing on theory but shirking real-world uses. You must also include simulations, examples, and other activities that help your new hires apply what they learn. Instead of merely asking them to memorize info for the final onboarding exam. Remember, the goal is to lessen the learning curve so they can form favorable performance behaviors right off the bat.

3. Not Offering Flexible Support Resources

You shouldn’t expect new hires to pause whatever they’re doing and look for the nearest employee development LMS training terminal. They need JIT resources that go with them and address personal areas for improvement. Such as tutorials or demos that walk them through the task and are accessible on their mobile device. These resources should also align with their personal preferences. For example, they want to listen to a few sales tips before meeting with a client or watch a video to see how it’s done. Not everyone assimilates information the same way. Therefore, offering different resources that cater to different styles can improve knowledge retention and recall.

4. Giving Employees A Passive Role

Employees should feel empowered to take charge of their development and growth. But many organizations put them in a passive role. Assigning them training activities they believe will benefit the new hire, without taking their needs into consideration. It’s crucial to give them a more active part in the L&D process. Invite them to choose their own activities and pave their own path. Survey them beforehand and pre-assess their skills to find the best course of action.

5. Underestimating The Importance Of Employee Motivation

All your employees know it’s mandatory to train and improve their on-the-job performance. But personal development shouldn’t be a stressful chore that makes them feel coerced. Motivation is a key factor that must be considered when you launch your employee training LMS for new hires. Find out what drives them. What are their personal interests and professional goals? How can you incorporate them into your onboarding strategy to get them actively involved? The answer might be a gamification system that rewards employees with badges and points. Or something more intrinsic, such as being able to track their progress with an interactive performance map. That way, they can see how far they’ve come and where they need to go.

6. Stopping At New Hire Orientation

Training is essential at every stage of the employment cycle. You can’t expect new hires to stay with your organization if you don’t offer continual guidance and support. There are always emerging issues and challenges that stand in the way. And your employee training LMS can help you deal with them head-on without making team members feel singled out. For example, they’re able to identify personal weaknesses through simulations or scenarios. Then address them with a custom certification path or via peer-based coaching.

7. Not Seeing In-House Talent As A Training Resource

Speaking of peer-based support, another oft-repeated mistake is not using in-house talent. Your experienced employees are a valuable training resource. They can help new hires overcome first-day nerves and acclimate more quickly. For instance, host a peer coaching group on social media wherein a top sales employee can mentor the new recruits. They can turn to him/her for guidance. Such as dealing with a challenging customer. Or to find out if there are specific training resources to improve their product knowledge.

Conclusion

Your new top talent won’t be yours for long if you don’t give them the training resources they need. Use this guide to avoid the most common mistakes and choose employee onboarding software that offers flexible, personalized support. It should also enable you to provide ongoing training tools to your entire team. Instead of stopping after orientation and leaving them to their own devices. Focus on practical application, give them an active role, and use your LMS to make the most of in-house expertise.

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