Why onboard?
Say you’ve just spent a significant amount of time and money
attracting and hiring an outstanding individual. You’re tempted
to relax, pat yourself on the back and welcome the person with
a handshake and a handbook.
Not so fast.
What is your strategy for retaining that talented individual?
How do you plan to protect your investment? Your answers
can determine whether you’ve gained a long-term colleague or
find yourself in the embarrassing position of explaining why
he or she “just didn’t pan out.”
What you should know is that newly-hired individuals who
go through a well-thought-out onboarding program are more
likely to be with you a year later by a whopping 91 percent. The
number who are still with you three years later approaches 70
percent.
People unfamiliar with onboarding want to know if it’s just
another word for training. The answer: Yes and no. Though
some use the terms interchangeably, the distinction is that
training is an important part of onboarding. One expert
describes onboarding as “the design of what your employees
feel, see, and hear after they have been hired.” In essence, it’s
the all-encompassing experience of a new hire’s first steps into
their role.
Compensation packages alone don’t lead to engaged
employees, so consider what some call the Four A’s.
l
l
l
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Acquire new people: select and recruit the people you need.
Accommodate them: provide the tools they need to work.
Assimilate: help them join the team.
Accelerate: show how they can deliver results faster.
It’s your job to see that any ripple of anxiety quickly morphs
successfully into readiness.
Begin before new hires even start their first day’s work.
Those papers they need to fill out for HR? Send them electroni-
cally in advance. Post orientation schedules and
frequently-asked-questions on an intranet accessible to new
hires from a link in a welcome email. Smooth the way with
technology wherever possible.
Make getting to know everyone easier. Send them a digital
handbook with information about your spa. When was it
started? How has it developed since those early days? What is
its reputation in the community today? What are its values?
Include photos and titles of some of the men and women
they’ll be working with. Some spas include a discussion of
the company’s ethos, its character, principles, standards,
ethics, even spirit. If so, present it as an inspiring concept,
one that reflects the standards that have propelled the
company to success.
Small touches can help, like supplying a new hire with a map
showing nearby eateries. Better yet, have employees invite them
to lunch each day of their first week. Include a photo of the
newcomer in a spa-wide email to your staff. Visuals have impact.
In the people-focused spa industry, businesses that don’t
focus on acclimating new employees to their culture are at a
significant disadvantage. People who know what to expect
make better decisions more aligned with the company’s
accepted practices. The goal is to make them productive from
the first day.
Sounds simple enough, right? Yet, because it’s not
something most managers do every day, it can be hard to get
good at it. Depending on a spa’s size and composition, the
key is having a modus operandi that is integrated, consistent
and strategic.
Successfully onboarding new employees in the first three
months requires absorbing them effectively and creating a
rapport. The support you provide during that time can foster
an outlook that makes them happy to join your spa and ready
to work hard for it.
Start before they start
Many parents have told their kids, “If you decide to do
something, make sure you do it right.” It’s time-worn but
time-tested advice, especially in this situation. You want to
make sure that new individuals feel welcome and respected.
November 2018
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