New hires at a company face a variety of challenges from the first day. No matter how excited or prepared someone might feel to start a new job, they need an onboarding experience that engages and supports them. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 12 percent of new employees “strongly agree their organization does a great job of onboarding new employees,” leaving a whopping 88 percent less than thrilled. Even after onboarding, only 29 percent say they feel fully prepared and supported for their new role. Clearly there is room for improvement in setting up new hires for success. Here are ten tips to engage your new employees right from the start.
Prepare in advance of day one
Sometimes called “pre-boarding,” this practice refers to actively preparing for an employee’s first day well in advance. This may look like blocking off the team’s schedule for an introductory meeting in person or on a call, gathering documents like company manuals, benefits information or contracts, and having computers ready to hand off. These actions show the new employee you’ve anticipated the basics of starting the job, which can quell some first-day nerves.
Introduce company culture and perks
It’s likely a new employee is somewhat familiar with what their new workplace has to offer, but now’s your time to enthusiastically sell the culture, benefits, and perks. Provide them with any literature or links to manuals. For a worker in the office, show them the locations of break rooms or complimentary food or drinks. Help them feel confident to access any generous office perks.
Be careful of giving too much information at once
Even as you want to show all the company has to offer, watch for cues that a new hire may be overwhelmed by the amount of information presented. Adjust for different personalities and preferences and have a flexible plan for extending onboarding activity timelines. You may want to schedule future meetings for delivering the whole onboarding package.
Prepare for interruptions
Even with best intentions, work tasks may demand the attention of those employees providing onboarding training. Illness or emergencies may call people away from the office. Be prepared with backup plans like other team members stepping in or a Plan B schedule so the process can go as smoothly as possible while still meeting work deadlines. It’s important to never make the new employee feel like a burden or a distraction.
Spend some time getting to know the individual
Help a new employee feel like their personality is just as valuable as the work they will offer. Again, watching for cues that they may feel overwhelmed on day one, find some one-on-one time to get to know some things about the new employee. Always be watchful that these informal conversations don’t veer into potentially inappropriate topics for the workplace, like politics, religion, health, or comments about bodies, even seemingly positive ones. Appropriate topics may include hobbies, pets, family, travel, places you’ve lived, music, literature, or art.
Change your definition of onboarding
If onboarding feels like a first day or first week event only, it might be worth reconsidering the definition. According to a study conducted by the Academy to Innovate HR, 48 percent of HR professionals believe onboarding should last at least three months. How that three month period looks will be different for every industry, but broadening the definition can help your company really perfect the process and lessen some of the initial pressure to cram everything into a short timeframe. 30 percent of the employees surveyed by AIHR said they preferred a more gradual onboarding, which takes us back to tip 3: build in some flexibility to help each individual receive an onboarding experience that helps them feel valued and engaged.
Assign a mentor or office buddy
Ideally, a new hire could be paired with someone from their department or team as a go-to resource. This person should be friendly and open to answering questions about working styles, company culture, dress code, start and end times, lunch break habits, and other company behaviors that can be intimidating when someone first starts work. They may be able to make introductions to other co-workers and help a new hire feel welcomed.
Connect often, and in a variety of ways
After the new hire is sent on their way to work on the first tasks, make sure the onboarding team members check in at appropriate intervals. This may come in the form of a call, a quick stop in the hallway, a text message, an email, or a lunch meeting. While you don’t want the new employee to feel overly managed, it’s likely they will have questions or concerns that arise over time. Being proactive about ongoing contact can give a new employee a safe space to bring up those issues.
Schedule follow-up meetings with a purpose
In addition to those initial connections in the first few weeks, your company’s onboarding process could include follow-ups at pre-arranged intervals. Though each employee may have slightly different needs, having an agenda for follow-ups can help keep focus and help each person attending be prepared. For example, if your company has a waiting period to enroll in the health plan, a follow-up meeting could take place just before that period ends to provide an overview or help them fill out the appropriate forms. You may also want to find out how the new hire is connecting with supervisors or team members. If the employee reveals interpersonal conflict, early intervention can aid with retention and shows the new employee their value.
Set new hires up for success
Consulting with team members and supervisors, you can identify first work tasks that help the new employee find success while still getting to know how the company runs. This may not be the time for long-term projects that require intense collaboration; maybe first assignments could have more easily attainable objectives or shorter deadlines.
First interactions at a new company can make or break the working relationship with a new employee. Thoughtful and organized engagement strategies can help a new hire feel like a valuable part of the team from the start.
With ApplicantStack, you can ensure a consistent and engaging onboarding process for every new hire. Explore how this solution simplifies getting your new employees up to speed quickly and efficiently.
Generations have long been discussed in various capacities. Understanding the members of each and what their experiences look like based on when they were born can provide valuable insights for those involved in the hiring process. Members of Generation Z are starting to enter the workforce, leaving some recruiters and hiring managers puzzled as to how to attract them and support their unique needs. Our guide to attracting Gen Z talent can help you gain insights into what they want and expect from their employers.
Understanding Gen Z
Generation Z follows the millennial generation and includes those born in or after 1997. By contrast, millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996. Other proposed names for Gen Z include iGeneration and Homelanders, and some still refer to them as post-millennials.
Although the concept of generational groups isn’t a precise science, researchers have found commonalities between those born in a specific time period. Identifying and understanding those similarities can be useful in a range of situations, including the hiring process.
Something that sets this generation apart is that technology has been a key aspect of their lives since birth. The first iPhone came out in 2007, when the oldest members of the generation were just 10 years old. The internet was already in most American homes (over 50 percent, on average) in 2000, so these individuals didn’t know what life was like before access was rampant. Many grew up using technology to communicate with friends and family through texting, instant messaging, emailing, and video chatting.
These facts emphasize the importance of technology to members of Gen Z, both in their personal and professional lives. Workplaces that fall behind may not appeal to those in this generation.
Tips to Attract Gen Z Talent
Considering that Gen Z-ers represent over a quarter of the nation’s population, it’s no surprise that they are entering the workforce in droves. As these individuals enter adulthood, they will continue to seek roles that align with their aspirations and meet their needs. Explore our five tips to attract members of this generation to your open positions.
Create clear career paths
Having grown up in an era where they have more power and say, many members of Generation Z are looking for growth opportunities in their workplaces. Creating transparent career paths and discussing them regularly with individual employees can appeal to those who want to progress in their roles.
Support diverse opinions
Diversity is an important concept to many members of Gen Z, and those who care deeply about it may seek out employment with organizations that value diverse thoughts and input. Consider how your managers cater to all members of their teams and support different opinions.
Use social media platforms
Social media is an important tool to reach members of the younger generations, but maybe not the platforms you’re used to using. Less than half of internet users in this age group use Facebook regularly, and while the number of LinkedIn users is growing, utilization is still fairly low. Try posting information about your company on TikTok, which has more than 2 billion downloads. Approximately 60 percent of its users belong to Generation Z.
Offer perks
Members of this generation are often looking for perks, but they may differ from what your company currently offers. Some of the top-rated benefits and incentives include unlimited PTO, annual bonuses, and training and development programs.
Promote a flexible work environment
If possible, offer flexibility to attract more Gen Z workers to your company. Emphasize the importance of achieving tasks and reaching goals over hours worked. Consider which roles might be able to work remotely or have a hybrid schedule. Offering this type of flexibility can appeal to those who aren’t interested in the traditional nine-to-five in an office setting.
Use the Right Tools
No matter what generation you’re targeting for your workforce, having a streamlined and simple recruiting process is a must in today’s tech-heavy world. Relying on manual efforts could result in losing out on top talent, including members of Gen Z, who grew up with technology and prefer to use it wherever possible.
With ApplicantStack, you can ensure that your hiring process is easy and seamless. This applicant-tracking system is highly accessible and geared toward businesses of all sizes and across any industry. Start your free trial and get your open positions in front of a wider pool of applicants.
It’s spooky season…and for HR and recruiting professionals, that might come in different forms. Imagine a haunted house but it’s conducting interview after interview after interview. Sounds pretty scary, right? But for some, this concept is their everyday. Let’s talk about some tips that can make the interviewing process go more smoothly for everyone involved.
Be Prepared
Our first tip is to be prepared for every candidate who comes through the doors or pops up on your screen. Even a phone screening interview should get some preparation. Go through the candidate’s resume and identify any questions you might have for them or areas you want to discuss. Look over the requirements for the open role and look for questions that can help you identify whether they have strong skills in key areas.
A little preparation goes a long way in coming across as a confident interviewer. Plus, by asking the right questions, you can get information that helps you make a decision about the best candidate.
Improve the Structure
If your company typically wings it in the interviewing process, it’s not very beneficial to anyone involved. Focus on building structured and consistent interview practices to ensure a similar experience across the board. By taking this step, your company can also improve its brand image as an employer, which can impact whether people want to apply for roles.
Offer Insights into What Will Be Discussed
Interviews aren’t just scary for those asking the questions. The people on the other side tend to feel a lot of anxiety, especially if they don’t know what to expect. If possible, prepare candidates by offering insights into what you’re hoping to gain by conducting an interview. When you provide information ahead of time, you may also get better answers from candidates, who have time to think about and prepare relevant examples.
Ensure Transparency from Start to Finish
Our final tip to make interviewing less scary can help you avoid the ghosting that happens more and more on both sides of recruiting. No one wants to deal with ghosts, especially not around the spookiest time of the year, but keeping an open line of communication can prevent ghosting.
Talk to candidates regularly and let them know if they’re no longer in consideration for the open position. Use proven communication methods to increase the chances of them seeing the messages. (Fun fact: text messages have a 98 percent open rate vs. the average email open rate of 21.5 percent.) By staying in contact, you can reduce the chances of candidates disappearing on you. Plus, an open line of communication improves the candidate experience, something that can impact whether people apply for jobs with your company in the future.
Take the scary out of interviewing (and all other aspects of the recruiting process) with ApplicantStack, a solution built for businesses of all sizes. It’s affordably priced, putting it in reach for smaller companies, yet packed with the features you need to find, hire, and onboard people efficiently. Give it a try for free today!
When building strong teams, finding the right hires is one of the critical first steps. The process of applying for open roles within your company should be simple and efficient. However, many organizations fail to recognize issues with the process, resulting in a number of problems. Check out six ways a bad application process can impact your business and workforce.
Losing Out on Top Talent
A long or complex application process can lead to top candidates dropping out. Talented professionals often have multiple options available to them and are less likely to waste their time on an inefficient process.
Higher Hiring Costs
When candidates continually drop out due to their frustration with the process, a company may need to spend more on advertising to generate more applications. Additionally, a slow process can cost more as the people involved in hiring are spending more time on related tasks every day.
Brand Damage
A negative experience with a company can lead to applicants posting reviews on various sites, harming the brand. Unhappy candidates are typically more likely to share than those who had a positive experience, which may deter future applicants looking into your company as a place to work.
Poor-Quality Hires
When the application process is poorly structured or lacks clarity, the risk of attracting unqualified candidates is higher. Failing to screen out those who don’t meet basic requirements also wastes time and effort, which costs the company more. Additionally, low-quality hires may not last as long or perform at the expected level.
Smaller Pool to Choose From
Fewer applicants mean hiring managers have fewer people to choose from when filling an open role. By contrast, casting a wider net provides access to more qualified individuals and ensures that the manager can find the right fit.
Unhappy Applicants
Applicants who aren’t happy with their experience probably won’t continue in the process of seeking employment with your company. Plus, the risk of damage to your reputation is significant.
How to Improve Your Application Process
Now that you understand the problems that come with a long, drawn-out or inefficient application process, check out these tips to streamline yours and create a positive experience for every potential new hire.
Simplify the application: Reduce unnecessary steps, focusing on the most essential. If you’re not sure what might feel redundant or difficult, try applying for a job to see what could be cut.
Rely on automation: Automated tools can screen applicants, review resumes and send emails or text messages to keep candidates informed while freeing up valuable time.
Offer regular updates: One common complaint among jobseekers is feeling “ghosted,” which happens when they receive no communication. Provide regular updates throughout the process.
Ensure that applications are easy to access: Applicants should be able to get to the form to submit their information and interest in the job without a lot of extra clicks. Simplify the process of getting to the application.
Use clear language: Avoid anything too technical or ambiguous in job descriptions, as this type of language can cause confusion or leave a candidate wondering if they fit.
Track metrics: Don’t forget to keep an eye on key metrics, including time-to-hire and quality of hire. This data can help you determine other areas that could be improved.
With ApplicantStack, the process of applying for jobs is easier than ever. Potential new hires will appreciate the user-friendly system, which collects all pertinent information and keeps it in a place where everyone has access. You can also use advanced features to stay in communication (via texting) with top talent, schedule interviews and send emails.
When your company has an open position, what steps do you take to fill it? It’s likely that your process includes creating or repurposing a description and posting it online. Job boards have long been the recruitment advertising king, but will that continue? Take a look at what the future of recruitment advertising might look like and how to prepare.
Job Boards: The Hiring Leader
When you think about the top job boards, a few sites may come to mind. CareerBuilder and Monster were among the earliest, with thousands of jobseekers and hiring managers flocking to them daily. But recently, the two announced a plan to form a joint venture, with Randstad NV taking control of CareerBuilder.
As the two former competitors come together, it’s left people wondering: What does the future of advertising open roles include? For decades, job boards ruled the internet, despite minimal advancements in the overall user experience of using them. These early sites, such as those mentioned, were simple, featuring a list of open roles that could be searched by keyword, location, and other criteria. The process of finding and applying for a job hadn’t seen much change for many years, at least until a few new players entered the space.
Other Recruitment Advertising Methods
Indeed and LinkedIn may fall under the category of job boards, but both companies have taken strides to stand apart. By providing additional resources, including informative content, reviews of companies and opportunities to network, the sites have essentially created a category of their own.
LinkedIn started as a social networking site geared toward professionals, where users can curate a feed and share information about their lives. It’s also useful for jobseekers, as many professionals share open roles with their networks.
Beyond these resources, jobseekers now have more options when it comes to finding jobs. When scrolling Facebook or Instagram, a post for an open position in the local area may pop up for a user. Employers can use the business side of the Meta platform to publish job postings and even gear them toward users based on location or other demographics.
Countless groups exist on various social platforms geared toward those looking for work. Employers seeking new hires may share details about open roles across hundreds of groups, potentially appealing to a wider audience than they would when solely relying on a job board. Plus, there’s always the chance that a friend or colleague of the ideal hire spots the post and shares it.
Internal Referrals: The Way of the Future?
Some employers are putting more money behind a different recruitment method: internal referrals. This effort could play a key role in the future of recruitment advertising, particularly because of the quality of candidates that typically come from referrals.
An employee referral is a candidate who is brought in by an existing employee. Some companies offer bonuses for referrals, while others simply encourage their employees to share information about open roles. A strong company culture goes hand-in-hand with any type of referral program, as employees aren’t likely to encourage their friends and family to work for an organization that doesn’t feel supportive or positive.
Some of the advantages of implementing an internal referral program include:
Higher conversion rates (nearly 40 percent of referrals get hired, potentially due to more personalized recommendations from people who know individuals who might be good fits)
Lower turnover rates (over 45 percent of employee referrals remain in their roles for three-plus years vs. 14 percent of job board hires)
Less expensive (no fees associated with internal referrals, other than any bonuses paid to referring employees)
As you consider the future of recruitment advertising, think about what works for your company. Implementing technology that automates a lot of the manual effort can save time and money. Plus, you can more easily track and manage applicants, reducing the risk of top contenders slipping through the cracks.
ApplicantStack makes it easy to find and bring on top talent. Explore this applicant-tracking system to see how it can simplify your day-to-day while ensuring your open roles reach a wide audience. Start your free trial and post a job today!
Employers have faced unique challenges over the past few years. Between the pandemic and ensuing public health orders that required business closures and other unique situations, many struggled to maintain a consistent workforce. The Great Resignation of 2022 created a whole new set of difficulties in meeting customer needs and maintaining business stability and growth. As we move toward 2025, many employers have renewed their focus on reducing employee turnover. But how well have those efforts fared, and what could be done differently? We’re outlining three proven methods for boosting retention and keeping employees happy in their roles.
The Effects of High Turnover Rates
A high employee turnover rate creates a ripple effect that impacts nearly everyone in the organization. Here’s what we mean:
When an employee chooses to leave their role, that creates a vacancy on their team. The remaining members of that team may be asked to pick up the slack, taking on additional responsibility (at least until the role is filled once again). These individuals may experience extra stress at work due to looming deadlines and heavy workloads.
The stress often makes its way to supervisors, who may feel concern over whether the work will get completed and projects remain on schedule. They may also deal with more interpersonal conflicts as members of their team experience higher frustration levels from taking on additional work.
Those involved in the hiring process are also impacted by the departure. They are responsible for posting the open position, reviewing applications, scheduling and conducting interviews, and contacting references. Filling one open position can take anywhere from several weeks to several months, and high turnover rates can require the posting and filling of multiple roles regularly.
Since high turnover rates also impact business success, upper-level management and leadership teams will also feel the impact. Profitability and revenue are directly affected by employees leaving, whether due to the expenses of bringing on new team members, the costs associated with training new hires, lost productivity and sales, or a combination of all those elements.
Workplace morale is lower in companies with high turnover rates. Employees tend to feel less motivated when their colleagues leave, and the ensuing disengagement has an impact on productivity. Plus, low morale spreads throughout departments, particularly as people chat amongst themselves about their frustrations and concerns. These employees may wonder whether they should leave as well.
3 Proven Ways for Reducing Employee Turnover
Business leaders weighed in on the top methods for reducing employee turnover, and here’s what they believe can make a real difference.
Implement Career Development and Mentorship Programs
Most workers want to progress in their careers and reach new heights. Offering a path for your team members to achieve their professional goals can make a real difference in whether they choose to stick around or move on. According to the co-founder of Upskillwise, the mentorship and career development program implemented supported a lower turnover rate after the pandemic. Employees are paired with experienced mentors, receiving support and guidance as they navigate their futures.
Look for a way to implement a similar program in your organization. Consider who could be paired up and offer insights. Taking this step could help your company keep turnover rates low, as it did for another business leader.
Maintain Transparency around Compensation
Even if your company takes pride in offering fair or competitive compensation, employees may still feel like they aren’t being paid enough. And pay is the second-most common reason for leaving a job, according to a recent article published by Indeed.
Transparency around compensation is an absolute must in today’s world. People have access to more information than ever before, and your employees are likely looking at salary data online. If they feel they could earn more elsewhere, they will likely seek out those opportunities. But fostering an open and honest conversation around total compensation (including any available incentives or benefits) can reduce the risk.
Look for Opportunities for Flexibility First
Everywhere you turn, you may be hearing about companies implementing their “return to the office” plans. Some of the most well-known include JPMorgan, Apple, Goldman Sachs, Tesla, and Amazon, although countless others have taken steps toward a full return to in-person work. However, employees who crave flexibility may end up leaving over such a mandate.
Consider whether your company can adopt a flex-first approach to scheduling and physical work locations. Of course, not all roles are well-suited to remote work, but for those that are, try to make accommodations where possible.
The CEO and co-founder of EchoGlobal echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the value of shaping work policies around the input of employees and what they need and want from their employers. Maintain an open line of communication and keep tabs on what people are saying. Taking these steps (and a flexible approach) can make a big difference in whether employees feel valued and want to stay.
As you work toward reducing employee turnover rates, consider what might impact your organization and its workforce. By tailoring your strategies to the needs of employees, you can align the company with their ideal workplace and showcase how much you value them. These efforts are directly linked to improved morale and overall happiness, which lessens the chance they’ll be looking elsewhere for work.
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