Effective Onboarding: How to Welcome, Engage, and Retain New Employees

What’s covered

• A welcoming atmosphere with chances to network and socialize
• Introducing the mission, values, history and culture
• Meeting teammates, key colleagues and stakeholders
• Training on policies, procedures and technology
• Clarifying the job description, performance goals and metrics
• Helping new hires understand benefits and total compensation
• Mentor or buddy programs and affinity groups
• Flexible onboarding schedules
• Inclusive work styles, including schedules, childcare and remote options
• Varied training methods: group sessions, online learning and one-on-one coaching
• Safe settings for sharing backgrounds, experiences and feedback
• Polite, sensitive and discreet communication
• Awareness of tone, bias and microaggressions
• Avoiding unnecessary jargon
• Using spoken, written, email, video and in-person channels
• Frequent check-ins, feedback and progress meetings
• A clear written job description as the basis for goals
• Distinguishing responsibilities between the new hire and teammates
• Examples of positive behaviors and outcomes
• Measurable targets with timelines
• Regular progress reviews and feedback
• Letting reception and key team members know when the new hire arrives
• A first-day lunch with a supervisor, office manager or teammate
• Setting up the workstation and technology in advance
• An orientation fair for group onboarding
• First week: introductions, benefits guidance and signing the handbook and contract
• First month: weekly supervisor check-ins
• First few weeks: assigning a mentor or buddy
• Quarterly reviews and coaching sessions
• A development training plan for the first year

Who should attend

What you get

About the speaker

Christopher Priore

HR and DEI professional · Bergen Community College

Christopher Priore is passionate about contributing to building welcoming and engaging work and learning environments that foster growth and retention. A current example is his whole-system transformational collaboration at Bergen, New Jersey’s largest Community College, on the President’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Council. He is also an adjunct professor in the College’s Art Discipline and has served as Interim Assistant Dean of Adjunct Administration. In the latter role, he enhanced the professional development, and connection to the institution’s culture for 800 employees on three campuses 5-20%, having led, planned, and spoken at onboarding orientations and two conferences, along with having increased his Office’s intranet resources 45%. Christopher is a Society for Human Resource Management, Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and has also attained certifications in DEI in the Workplace (University of S. Florida) and TraumaInformed Practice (S.R Bartol Foundation). An exhibited visual artist, (MFA in Painting - Savannah College of Art and Design, BFA in Art - Carnegie Mellon University,) Christopher’s goal is to bring creative, fresh perspectives to all of his endeavors. His foundational hands-on experience with human resource management, including effective onboarding, came from running his art studio.

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