Do you pay enough attention to the induction (often called onboarding) of new employees? If you don’t, you’ll not only miss the benefits you should be getting, but you could be setting up new staff to make mistakes ... and lack engagement, too.
We feel it's always helpful to use real-life examples to illustrate the points we make. So in this article we’ll use a warehouse environment where the pace is fast and safety is paramount.
The first thing to note is that according to
a study by GlassDoor, companies with a strong onboarding process improve staff retention by 82% and increase productivity by 70%. These numbers are probably surprising to most of us. But they emphasize the huge impact that an effective program will have on a company's success. It won’t just introduce new employees to their roles, but also to the team dynamics and company culture. When you do this, you build a strong foundation for their future performance ... and their commitment, too.
So let’s look into how you can do this.
Understand the Basics of the Operation
Before new staff can add value to any company, they need a good grasp of how it works. With warehousing, these will cover inventory management, logistics like shipping and receiving, and (of course) safety protocols. And including a section on
warehouse job FAQs during an initial training phase will tackle common questions from the outset. If you do this, you’ll give all new hires a clear, and consistent, understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This will smooth their integration into the team, and make them more secure and confident in their roles.
And what’s more, a new employee will see a solid induction as a positive commitment by the company to their own success and well-being.
Design a Comprehensive Training Program
A
well-structured training program will cover all the skills and knowledge people need. It will begin with essential tasks and move on to cover the information needed to guarantee adherence to, for example, safety and compliance.
Training will include practical hands-on exercises, digital learning for theoretical knowledge and processes, and classroom-style discussions for deeper understanding. Adding interactive components and discussion of real-life scenarios will strengthen learning and help people to relate to more complex ideas.
Integrate Safety Training from Day One
In the warehouse environment, accidents can lead to some pretty bad outcomes. If your business involves similar risks, safety training must be a central part of onboarding.
New employees should become well-versed in all safety rules, emergency procedures, and the use of safety gear. By conducting regular drills and continually updating training, you’ll reinforce safety practices and ingrain them into daily routine. In this way, safe working becomes instinctive, not just a “nice idea”.
Use Technology and Tools
Using technology will enhance training. If you’re able to use tools such as virtual reality (VR) simulations, you’ll provide a risk-free, controlled environment where new hires will get involved in complex tasks without real-world repercussions. These simulations are particularly useful where handling machinery is part of the job. By using mobile applications, you’ll give people instant access to learning materials and procedures. And of course they’ll be able to learn at their preferred speed, and review information whenever they need it.
In addition, augmented reality (AR) provides hands-on training with digital prompts and guidance that don’t remove the context of the workplace. In a warehouse environment, this doesn’t just help workers to locate items, but also to understand operations in real time.
Integration of an LMS platform will also play a critical role in onboarding. It will track progress, provide consistent training materials across all devices, as well as allowing managers to customize learning based on the individual. In this way, it makes the training process more engaging and more flexible.
An extra benefit of doing this will be to enable new employees to be proficient with digital resources, making them well-equipped to meet the demands of their new roles.
Introduce a Mentorship Program
A mentorship program is an incredibly effective, but often ignored, support mechanism for new employees. By being associated with seasoned mentors, they get insights that are absent from formal training.
This is because a mentor will give instant feedback, practical advice, and general knowledge of the workplace. And as you can imagine, this relationship makes new employees feel more supported, and boosts their sense of inclusion.
Evaluate and Adapt the Training Program
But don’t forget that to keep its value, any onboarding process needs to be revisited and adjusted over time. Tools like surveys, feedback forms, and performance evaluations collect input from new hires about their experiences. And in this way, you’ll identify the strengths and weaknesses of your program.
It’s also important to engage trainers and managers in this phase so they have the resources and understanding they need.
By acting on this feedback, you’ll ensure the program remains current and continues to meet the needs of new starters.
Conclusion
Putting an effective onboarding training program in place is essential for any organization. It will boost productivity, uphold a safe work environment ad raise morale and staff retention. By following what we’ve said here, companies will ensure that new employees are thoroughly prepared to carry out their roles. Everyone benefits: it just needs the awareness and foresight to put the program in place from the start.
