ALEX Reports Emplyee Onboarding 1

Transcription

1 ALEX Reports Emplyee Onboarding 1

2 Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 Before the First Day 4 First Day 8 Benefits Orientation and Enrollment 12 The First 90 Days 15 Survey Demographics 22 Methodology 23

3 Executive Summary HERE S THE SKINNY We wanted to know what new hires think about the way their companies prepare them or don t prepare them for success in their new positions, so we partnered with The Olinger Group and designed a survey to find out this very thing. We asked recent new hires about their experiences during three critical times: 1) the period between accepting the job offer and the first day, 2) the first day itself, and 3) the first 90 days on the job. Oh, and because we re interested in employee benefits, we made sure to ask lots of questions about benefits orientation and enrollment. Here are just a few of the interesting things we learned: KEY FINDINGS Only 52.3% of respondents report having an official onboarding at their company, with 37.5% responding that their company has no official, and 11.3% saying they re not sure if a is in place. Not all new hires hear from their new companies before their official first day on the job, but those who do feel that those communications help prepare them for their new positions. Surprisingly, nearly half of all new hires (49.5%) say their manager never bothered to send a welcome message. 72.3% of new hires somewhat agree or strongly agree that benefits information and enrollment instructions are something they expect to receive before the start of their first day. Having a ready workstation can go a long way toward making a new hire feel welcome, yet nearly one in five (19.8%) didn t have a desk on the first day, more than a quarter (25.9%) had to wait to get a computer, and more than a third (35.5%) didn t have ready access to a phone or voic . The ideal time to make benefits enrollment decisions, according to the largest percentage of new hires (39.8%), is during the period before their first day on the job. Regardless of whether an official onboarding was in place, fewer than half of new hires (43.8%) say they received formal written feedback from their managers during their first 90 days. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 1

4 Introduction MANY EMPLOYERS ARE MISSING THE ONBOARDING BOAT Only 52.3% of respondents report having an official onboarding at their company, with 37.5% responding that their company has no official, and 11.3% saying they re not sure if a is in place. Does your company have an official (referred to as onboarding by some companies) in place to help new hires learn about the company culture, meet coworkers, and understand the requirements of the job? Yes No I Don t Know 52.3 % 37.5 % 11.3 % NEW HIRES APPRECIATE HAVING OFFICIAL ONBOARDING PROGRAMS The process of learning the company culture, meeting coworkers, and understanding the requirements of the job is much more satisfying for employees when an official onboarding is in place * Overall, how satisfied are you with your company s process for helping new hires learn about the company culture, meet coworkers, and understand the requirements of the job? Average on 5-point scale number responding in parentheses *Means differ significantly at p <.05 Total (400) Had onboarding (205) 3 * No onboarding (150) ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 2

5 70.7% of new hires are somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with the process of learning about their new companies, jobs, and roles when their employers have an onboarding. 24.7% of new hires are somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with the process of learning about their new companies, jobs, and roles when their employers do not have an onboarding. New hires are nearly three times more likely to be somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with the new job experience when their employers have an onboarding in place. NEW HIRE PRAISE FOR EMPLOYERS WITH ONBOARDING PROGRAMS BEFORE THE FIRST DAY They were perfect. They answered all of my questions and made me feel right at home. They could not have been better at helping me into the company. There was nothing else that needed to be done they helped me feel very comfortable and accepted. ON THE FIRST DAY They were very helpful in getting me prepared for the first day at the job. They were extremely helpful, couldn t ask for more. They should keep up the good work they did on my first day with other employees. They were great in making me feel at home. DURING BENEFITS ORIENTATION AND ENROLLMENT The HR person I was talking to before my start date took the time to answer all my questions and told me to call him directly if I had any other questions. They provided us with information and a training session so we can make informed decisions. They had everything written and ready to explain. They answered all my questions I had fun and understood everything. DURING THE FIRST 90 DAYS They took me in like family and helped whenever I needed it. The company was very forthcoming with all expectations for the job. My team was great and got me ready to do my job to the best of my ability. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 3

6 Before the First Day GIVE NEW HIRES THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING New hires that hear from their employers between the offer and the first day (a period sometimes referred to as pre-boarding ) are significantly more likely to describe their employers as helpful. Not surprisingly, employers with onboarding s do a better job of being helpful prior to the employee s first day on the job. How helpful do you feel your company was in getting you prepared to do your job during the period before your actual start date? Total (400) 3.44 Had onboarding (205) 3.78 * No onboarding (150) 3 * Not helpful unhelpful Neither helpful nor unhelpful helpful Very helpful Average on 5-point scale number responding in parentheses *Means differ significantly at p <.05 ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 4

7 WHAT NEW HIRES EXPECT TO HEAR BEFORE THEIR FIRST DAY ON THE JOB We asked new hires about the different kinds of messages they expected to receive from their new companies before their first official day on the job. Information and instructions about employment forms and employee benefits details topped the list. How much do you agree or disagree that you expected to receive the following messages before the start of your first day? Employee Benefits Info Employment Form Instructions First Day Agenda Onboarding Plan 3.83 What to Wear 3.79 Greeter Description 3.70 Welcome Greeting 3.68 Transit/Parking 3.64 Mentor/Work Buddy Info Average on 5-point agreement scale ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 5

8 EARLY COMMUNICATION HELPS NEW HIRES Not all new hires hear from their new company before their first official day, but those who do agree that those communications help make them feel prepared for their first day at work. 72.3% of new hires somewhat agree or strongly agree that benefits information and enrollment instructions are something they expect to receive before the start of their first day. How much do you agree or disagree that receiving the following messages helped you feel ready for your first day at work? First Day Agenda (297) Mentor/Work Buddy Info (216) What to Wear (256) Greeter Description (257) 4.14 Welcome Greeting (309) 4.08 Employment Form Instructions (331) 4.08 Employee Benefits Info (323) 4.08 Average on 5-point agreement scale (n = the number of new hires who received this message) Onboarding Plan (281) Transit/Parking (247) ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 6

9 Nearly half (49.5%) of those surveyed say their manager didn t send a welcome message before their start day, and 22.8% didn t receive a welcome from anyone at all. Just under a third (27%) of new employees say they arrived to their first day of work without having received a first day agenda. Approximately one in five new hires (19%) say nobody reached out to them with information about their benefits before their first day. NEW HIRE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE PRE-BOARDING PROCESS Communication from the direct manager with a welcome and note about what time to show up on the first day. I arrived at 8 am and the manager came in at 9:30. No one knew what to do with me awkward! It would have also been nice to know what to wear since I showed up way overdressed. They could have provided me more information about parking, hours, and dress code. They could have at least told me how to enter the secure building! I wish I was sent an initial orientation schedule describing what would be covered in each day of the orientation. Have a better plan for how to acclimate me to the work I would be doing. Perhaps they could have sent me a bit more information about forms to fill out before I actually started. They could have walked me through some of the nuances of our benefits. Provided me with a mentor, someone assigned that I could ask questions about day-today stuff. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 7

10 First Day HELPING NEW HIRES START OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so making sure everything is ready for a new hire s first day is of the utmost importance. New hires perceive employers with onboarding s as being significantly more helpful on that crucial first day. How helpful was your company in getting you prepared to do your job on your first day at work? Total (400) Had onboarding (205) No onboarding (150) 3.50 * * Not helpful unhelpful Neither helpful nor unhelpful helpful Very helpful Average on 5-point scale number responding in parentheses *Means differ significantly at p <.05 MANAGERS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE New hires notice when their managers aren t present on the first day. Although the majority say their managers were there to welcome them, those whose managers were not present are significantly more likely to say that their company was not helpful in getting them prepared for their job during the first day at work % Was your manager present on your first day of work at your current company? 87.8 % Yes No ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 8

11 * How helpful was your company in getting you prepared to do your job on your first day at work? 2.90* Average on 5-point scale number responding in parentheses *Means differ significantly at p <.05 Total (400) Manager present (351) Manager absent (49) JOB CONFIDENCE AND FIRST-DAY JITTERS Interestingly, new hires confidence in their ability to do their jobs increases from the time they first apply to when they accept their positions, but then decreases as they get to the first day, and then increases again once they start their job. How confident were you about your ability to perform the essential functions of your job during the following times? When first applied During interview Accepted offer Before first day 4.09 First day 3.85 First week 3.99 First 90 days 4.18 Average on 5-point agreement scale After first 90 days ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 9

12 WORKSTATION READINESS Although the majority of new hires report having the basic elements of their workstations available on their first day, many say they had to wait for necessities like desks, computers, and access to a phone. Were the following elements of your workstation ready for you to use at the start of your first day? Desk Office supplies Computer 80.2 % 74.8 % 74.1 % 19.8 % 25.2 % 25.9 % All required software 67.2 % 32.8 % Phone/voic 64.5 % 35.5 % account 64.3 % 35.7 % Yes No Other tools/supplies 60.9 % 39.1 % 0% 50% 100% Nearly one in five new hires (19.8%) don t have a desk on the first day. More than a quarter of new hires (25.9%) have to wait to get a computer. More than a third of new hires (35.5%) don t have ready access to a phone or voic . WORKSTATION IMPACT New hires whose employers make sure their workstations are ready have much more positive first-day experiences than those who don t. Workstation Ready Workstation Not Ready Rate your first-day experience in light of having the following elements of your workstation ready for you. Average on 5-point agreement scale Desk Office supplies Computer All required software Phone/voic account Other tools/supplies 4.40 Rate your firstday experience Desk 2.05 in light of 4.37 not having Office supplies 2.31 the following 4.37 elements of your Computer workstation ready for you. All required software Phone/voic 2.51 Average 4.33 on 5-point account 2.44 agreement 4.25 scale Other tools/supplies ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 10

13 FIRST-DAY ACTIVITIES FREQUENTLY DON T INCLUDE WORK Fewer than half (43.3%) of new hires say they have time for meaningful work on their first day. Their first-day activities most frequently include introductions to coworkers and tours of the workplace. Also, only a third (33.3%) say their first day included a review of their onboarding plan. Introduction to coworkers 66 % Tour of the workplace 56.5 % Time for meaningful work Introduction to mentor/work buddy 43.3 % 35 % What activities were planned for you on your first day? (Select all that apply) Review of employee benefits Review of onboarding plan Team lunch/welcome gathering 29 % 35 % 33.3 % 0 % 50 % 100 % NEW HIRE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE FIRST DAY AT WORK The manager should have had a plan for the first day, but he was not here and just handed me over to a coworker who had to figure what to do with me. Make the employee feel like a part of the family! I wish they would have offered some tasks to begin working on immediately so that I could begin contributing right away. The day drags when you don t have anything to do or don t know what to do. I would have been more comfortable if there would have been someone else who had actually done my job as my mentor. We could have handled some paperwork and details prior, to free up the first day. I wish they had been prepared, or done something to give the impression that they cared about onboarding me to its culture. They should have done an icebreaker. Having a desk and laptop ready makes you feel like you are a welcome part of the team and they are looking forward to having you start working. They should have had my computer on my desk and set up, my ready, my phone ready, and they should have had office supplies. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 11

14 Benefits Orientation and Enrollment GUIDING NEW HIRES TO THEIR BEST-FIT BENEFIT PLANS Having an official onboarding appears to have an impact with helping new hires as they prepare to make important benefits decisions. New hires perceive employers with onboarding s as being significantly more helpful with the process of choosing and enrolling in their benefit plans. How helpful was your company in getting you prepared to make benefits decisions? Total (400) Had onboarding (205) * No onboarding (150) 3.31 * Not helpful unhelpful Neither helpful nor unhelpful helpful Very helpful Average on 5-point scale number responding in parentheses *Means differ significantly at p <.05 A WINDOW OF ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY Good news! The start of a new hire s time with their company presents a window for high benefits engagement. The process of enrolling in benefits at a new company is generally viewed as positive, and companies that provide quality benefits education and decision support can help employees make smart decisions right away % 1.3 % 6.3 % 30.3 % When you join a company, do you typically view benefits enrollment as a positive or negative experience? Very negative negative Neither negative nor positive positive Very positive 47.8 % ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 12

15 STRIKING WHILE THE IRON IS HOT Although new hires are eager to learn about their benefits at the start of their new jobs, the majority of their employers (55.2%) fail to engage them in one-on-one conversations. One in five (22.4%) will be told to review benefits information on their own, and just under a third (32.8%) will learn about benefits for the first time in a group presentation with other new hires. What best describes the way your company communicated with you about your employee benefits after you were hired? One-on-one conversation about all the options 44.8 % Group presentation with other new hires 32.8% I was told to review the information on my own (web or print) 22.4 % 0% 25% 50% WHEN BENEFITS DECISIONS ARE/SHOULD BE MADE Although they usually have to wait until after their first day to make benefits decisions, the largest percentage of new hires (39.8%) in our survey say the ideal time to make benefits decisions is prior to the first day on the job. ENROLLMENT TIMING THE EMPLOYEE IDEAL At what point were you able to make benefits decisions? 42 % 30 % When do you think is the ideal time to make benefits decisions at the start of a new job? 33 % 39.8 % Before the first day On the first day After the first day 28 % Before the first day On the first day After the first day 27.3 % ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 13

16 NEW HIRE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING BENEFITS ORIENTATION AND ENROLLMENT It would ve been nice if someone explained it to me instead of giving me the paper instructions to read. I m young and there were people with a lot more experience in that type of stuff. It was very confusing. It would have been helpful to have one person I could meet with that could explain everything rather than a group presentation. Not being able to go to a benefits fair makes making benefits decisions very hard. It would have been nice to be able to review options before the one-on-one meeting with the HR department. They could have gone over benefits with me rather than having me look at a website. They could have given me a lot of information on my benefits before I started so I could have more free time to look over everything. The manager should have been able to lay out the benefits options, explain when they started, and give more than one day to review everything before I had to sign up. They did a good job when they had the meeting, but I didn t attend the meeting till I had already been there a month. Having it earlier would have been better. Figure out a way to make the process less stressful and more clear it was a lot to take in at the end of the day. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 14

17 The First 90 Days GETTING READY FOR THE LONG HAUL Companies with onboarding s were viewed as being more helpful in getting employees prepared to do their job during the first 90 days. How helpful was your company in getting you prepared to do your job during your first 90 days? Total (400) Had onboarding (205) No onboarding (150) 3.59 * * Not helpful unhelpful Neither helpful nor unhelpful helpful Very helpful Average on 5-point scale number responding in parentheses *Means differ significantly at p <.05 SHOWING NEW HIRES THE ROPES Although most new hires pick up important facts about their new companies and positions very early on, some complete their first 90 days without a concrete understanding of their new company s culture or the expectations for success in their roles % 11.3 % 32.8 % Company Culture When, if ever, did you develop a clear understanding about your company s history, mission, and values? Before my first day After my first day After my first 90 days I do not have a clear understanding yet 37.5 % ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 15

18 6.3 % 15.9 % 30.3 % Workplace Policies When, if ever, did you develop a clear understanding about your company s policies regarding vacation time, dress code, etc? 47.8 % Before my first day After my first day After my first 90 days I do not have a clear understanding yet Employee Benefits When, if ever, did you develop a clear understanding about your benefits offerings (health insurance, 401(k), tuition reimbursement, etc.) 17.5 % 7.8 % 28.8 % Before my first day After my first day After my first 90 days I do not have a clear understanding yet 46 % 11.3 % 32.3 % 17.5 % Job Performance When, if ever, did you develop a clear understanding about your job performance expectations? 39 % Before my first day After my first day After my first 90 days I do not have a clear understanding yet ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 16

19 Verbal Feedback How much do you agree or disagree that your manager regularly provided helpful, informal/verbal feedback about your job performance during your first 90 days? Strongly disagree 2.2 % 11.3 % 13.2 % 11.3 % 18 % My company does not have an onboarding My company does have an onboarding disagree 11.7 % 13.3 % 14.3 % I don t know if my company has an onboarding Neither disagree nor agree 16.7 % 14.6 % 17.8 % 15.8 % All new hires agree 32 % 33.7 % 37.8 % 35.5 % Strongly agree 22 % 26.8 % 28.9 % 25.3 % Regardless of whethere they participated in an onboarding, more than half of new hires somewhat agree or strongly agree that they received informal, verbal feedback from their managers. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 17

20 Written Feedback How much do you agree or disagree that your manager regularly provided helpful, formal, written feedback about your job performance during your first 90 days? Strongly disagree 6.7 % 14.7 % 13.2 % 13 % 25.3 % My company does not have an onboarding My company does have an onboarding disagree 20 % 24.4 % 22.5 % I don t know if my company has an onboarding Neither disagree nor agree 23.3 % 18.5 % 22.2 % 18.3 % All new hires 25.3 % agree 25.9 % 24.4 % 25.5 % Strongly agree 11.3 % 18.3 % 22.4 % 22.2 % Regardless of whethere they participated in an onboarding, fewer than half of new hires somewhat agree or strongly agree that they received formal, written feedback from their managers. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 18

21 Training How much do you agree or disagree that your company provided training sessions (beyond how to use the voic or log into the portal) that were essential during your role during first 90 days? Strongly disagree 6.7 % 14 % 13.7 % 13 % 23.3 % My company does not have an onboarding My company does have an onboarding disagree 11.7 % 8.9 % 15.8 % I don t know if my company has an onboarding Neither disagree nor agree 18.5 % 22 % 24.7 % 28.9 % All new hires 24 % agree 31.7 % 33.3 % 29 % Strongly agree 14 % 20.3 % 22 % 24 % Again, the percentage of new hires who somewhat agree or strongly agree that their employers provided training hovers around 50% regardless of whether an onboarding was in place. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 19

22 Mentorship How much do you agree or disagree that your company was able to provide you with a mentor or work buddy to help with questions during your first 90 days? Strongly disagree 8.9 % 17.3 % 17.1 % 16.3 % 23.3 % My company does not have an onboarding My company does have an onboarding disagree 16.1 % 13.3 % 18.5 % I don t know if my company has an onboarding Neither disagree nor agree 15.1 % 20.5 % 24 % 33.3 % All new hires 20.7 % agree 20 % 29.3 % 25 % Strongly agree 14.7 % 19.8 % 22.4 % 24.4 % Although new hires who say their employers don t have an onboarding are less likely to report having access to a coach or mentor, the overall percentage of new hires who somewhat agree or strongly agree they have a workplace mentor is less than half. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 20

23 NEW HIRE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE FIRST 90 DAYS Offer training courses that are actually helpful. Better training, and better communication such as one-onone meetings to see what I would like to do and how I can grow in the position. Prepare a manual of how to do my job, especially the specialized software that I have to use, instead of expecting me to pick it up by observing someone else use it. I met a lot with my manager at first. He helped me set up some meetings and got some things taken care of, but after a couple of weeks I was on my own and still very green. They could have provided a clearer description of the division of labor within the office and explained who was responsible for which tasks. They could have given me a written plan with guidelines and measurable goals. I would have liked a clearer timeline of formal reviews I haven t had one yet, although I have regular meetings with my manager. It would have been nice if they would have just sat me down and said, This is what we expect out of you, this is what you ll be doing to achieve that, and this is why. Direct, clear, and meaningful. They did a sufficient job, but I would have liked to be introduced to more people outside of my department so that I could develop better working relationships with some of the others more quickly. ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 21

24 Survey Demographics GENDER RELATIONSHIP STATUS AGE RANGE 1.5 % 1.3 % 0.8 % 6 % 11.3 % 12% 54.5 % 45.5 % 37.6 % 47.4 % 18.8 % 33.8 % 23.3% 4.5 % 1.8 % Female Male Married Divorced Partnered (with benefits eligibility) Separated Partnered (without benefits eligibility) Widowed Single ETHNICITY HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION HOUSEHOLD INCOME 1.3 % 0.5 % 0.8 % 4.3 % 2.3 % 7.4 % 7.1 % 21 % 11 % 10.3 % 16.7 % 7.7 % 21.3 % 16.5 % 24.7 % 76.5 % 35.3 % 10 % 25.2 % Caucasian African American Asian Hispanic Other Less than high school Some high school High school graduate or equivalent Completed some college, but no degree Associates degree College graduate Graduate degree or higher Under $35,000 $35,000 $49,999 $50,000 $74,999 $75,000 $99,999 $100,000 $149,000 $150,000 $199,999 $200,000 or more ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 22

25 Methodology Jellyvision collaborated with The Olinger Group to create a custom online survey. Respondents were screened to exclude those who were not employed full-time or who had worked for their current company for fewer than 90 days or more than one year. The online survey took approximately 10 minutes to complete and gathered 400 completions. All charts, graphs, and tables are representative of the total number of respondents (n=400) unless otherwise stated. Some charts may add up to totals surpassing 100% due to rounding. ABOUT ALEX ALEX is a web-based virtual benefits counselor who transforms complicated mumbo jumbo into personally relevant information employees can use to do things like make sense of health care reform and select their bestfit benefits plans. Today, ALEX is available to millions of people at companies in a range of industries everything from services, manufacturing, and transportation to education, health, and retail. To learn more about ALEX, please visit meetalex.com. ABOUT JELLYVISION Jellyvision helps companies explain their important (but maybe kind of complex) messages in a delightful way. We create virtual salespeople, brokers, guidance counselors, HR reps, and teachers, who have fun, personalized conversations with your customers and employees and help them understand confusing or snooze-inducing topics. For more information and examples of our work, visit jellyvision.com. ABOUT THE OLINGER GROUP The Olinger Group is a full-service provider of custom market research for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to non-profits. The Olinger Group has kept the feel of a boutique firm by focusing on smart science, dedicated project management, and cutting-edge technology. The Olinger Group is an industry leader in implementing the latest technology and specialty teams to answer business questions for companies in the associations, banking, consumer packaged goods, finance, health care, higher education, hospitality, real estate, retail, and telecommunications industries. CONTACT Josh Fosburg, VP of Sales 848 W. Eastman St., Suite 104 Chicago, IL (312) fosburg@jellyvision.com ALEX Asks Onboarding Report 23