Last week we wrote about a new employee’s first day on the job. But what about day 5? Day 30? 90? 6 months? 1 year?

Beyond that initial orientation, most managers throw their new hires into the deep end with a ‘sink or swim’ mentality. “You’ll pick it up as you go along” or “just ask if you need anything” are the extent of the onboarding process in most companies.

But why do we let new hires flounder in the water?

Onboarding is one of the biggest missed opportunities for long-term employee retention.

“New employees who went through a structured onboarding program were 58% more likely to be with the organization after three years.”The Wynhurst Group

So what does an onboarding program look like?

Below is an excerpt of the Onboarding Checklist from our Employer’s Guide to Onboarding. It’s a simple list that should serve as a guide for when to check in with your new employee and stay on track to success.

“Remember that your onboarding process isn’t static. You should be constantly monitoring and reviewing it, adapting to feedback from employees. Open up a dialogue with new hires after they have been on the job for 6-12 months. Was there anything they felt was missing during orientation? What would have made their transition easier in those first few months?”

Get your FREE copy of our Employer’s Guide to Onboarding

Need a little more help? We have created a comprehensive employer’s guide to onboarding – “Onboarding – Preparing for a New Employee”. It includes the onboarding checklist, templates for welcome letters, performance reviews and employee questionnaires. Download your free copy here »