Like the sport of long-distance running, the onboarding process for new hires is much more than what happens at the start. Likewise, while it stands to reason you can’t win either a marathon, or the loyalty of the best employees in the opening stages, common experience says ‘you can lose it.’

Unfortunately, consensus among experts in the field confirms some not-so-unexpected news: one-third of all new employees are pounding the pavement again within six months.

That’s ‘hitting the wall’ for you.

Knocking even more wind out of subject, various industry sources have found up to 20 percent of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days. Now that’s a problem that has the potential to dog every step. Fortunately, we’ve been in those shoes before.

Here are a few things to consider before heading to the starting blocks:

• Better from the word ‘go!’ Provide a welcome to new employees that stands out and you’ll be far more likely to see them standing with you on behalf of your organization over time. Simply being more transparent about the details upfront can make all the difference on the back end in terms of higher employee retention and workplace engagement.
• Setting the stage for success. Great onboarding programs give employees a head start on assimilating themselves into the culture of their new companies. It doesn’t take an MBA to know that when the ABCs are in place, the whole organization benefits when staff members are able to hit the ground running in their jobs.
• Pathways to greater productivity. Using interactive platforms, digital training and experiential learning methodologies are proven methods for shrinking the learning curve, helping employees make the most out of the time they spend ramping up to full speed.
• The long and winding road. Laying the groundwork of what it takes for your organization to make money and how individual actions contribute to or detract from financial wellness is sometimes easier said than done. However, the twists and turns are worth the effort, particularly to new staff members who have to make heads or tails out of it.

At the end of the day (and, at the start of it, for that matter), quality onboarding initiatives ensure that new employees fully understand what is expected, putting them in positions to succeed long after their personal journeys have begun.

With ‘the will,’ we can show you ‘the way.’