Organisations are increasingly recognising that the war for talent is being fought on the frontlines of attracting and retaining early careers talent.
The Millennial and Generation Z demographic have a different set of expectations from employers, and organisations must adapt their recruitment and retention strategies accordingly.
A well-designed new hire onboarding program is key to both attracting and retaining early careers talent. A well-designed and structured onboarding program could be the difference between your organisation and that of a competitor in an increasingly competitive early careers jobs market.
Attracting Early Careers Talent through New Hire Onboarding Programs
A successful onboarding program for early careers talent should create excitement, engagement and a sense of belonging within the organisation.
A successful onboarding program should also aim to provide early careers talent with an understanding of the organisation’s values and culture, and help them develop their skills and knowledge required for their role.
This should be achieved by utilising experiential learning approaches such as game-based learning and business simulations.
The use of experiential learning in new hire onboarding programs has been shown to increase participant engagement and knowledge retention.
This approach immerses participants in real-life scenarios and encourages them to think critically and apply their knowledge.
By combining these experiential learning approaches with interactive activities that promote team building, organisations can provide a comprehensive and enjoyable onboarding experience for early careers talent.
An effective onboarding program should also be designed to demonstrate that the values of the organisation align with those of the early careers talent.
This can be achieved through practical activities and simulations designed to immerse new hires into the organisation's values.
These activities can include case studies, role-plays, and discussions about how the values are embodied in the organisation's day-to-day operations.
It is also important to ensure that the onboarding program is engaging and that participants feel a sense of belonging within the organisation.
One effective way to achieve this is by blending senior management throughout the program to provide further insights on their career journeys and how they live the values every day.
This approach allows new hires to see the organisation's values in action and provides them with role models to aspire to.
Retaining Early Careers Talent through New Hire Onboarding Programs
A successful new hire onboarding program is not only key to attracting early careers talent but also retaining them.
Early careers talent often require additional support in the early stages of their careers, and a well-designed onboarding program can provide this support.
An effective onboarding program should offer a blend of practical technical, industry and professional skills development early on in the program. This makes the transition from academia to the business world as seamless as possible.
The technical skills development provided in the onboarding program should focus on the practical knowledge and skills required for the job.
This should include a focus on the tools and software used in the job and the procedures and protocols used in the organisation.
Industry-specific knowledge and skills are also essential for early careers talent to understand the industry's nuances and how it operates.
Professional skills development is also important for early careers talent. This includes the development of communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability.
The onboarding program should focus on developing these skills through a combination of experiential learning and classroom-style training.
Additionally, an effective onboarding program should provide early careers talent with opportunities to network with colleagues and senior leaders.
These opportunities can include shadowing experienced colleagues, attending team-building events, and participating in mentorship programs.
Providing early careers talent with a sense of community and belonging within the organisation is key to retaining them long term.
Case Study: The Power of New Hire Onboarding Programs
Deloitte, a multinational professional services firm, is one organisation that has recognised the power of a well-designed new hire onboarding program in attracting and retaining early careers talent. Deloitte's onboarding program, called "Welcome to Deloitte," is a three-day program that aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to Deloitte's culture, values, and work.
The program includes interactive sessions, presentations, and experiential learning activities that aim to engage participants and provide them with a sense of belonging within the organisation.
One key element of Deloitte's onboarding program is the focus on professional skills development. The program includes sessions on communication skills, time management, and networking skills, among others.
This focus on professional skills development helps to bridge the gap between academic learning and the requirements of the workplace.Deloitte's onboarding program also provides new hires with the opportunity to network with colleagues and senior leaders.
The program includes team-building activities, as well as networking sessions with senior leaders in the organisation.
This focus on building relationships within the organisation helps to create a sense of community and belonging, which is essential for retaining early careers talent.
The success of Deloitte's onboarding program can be seen in their retention rates for early careers talent. Deloitte has reported that over 90% of their early careers hires stay with the organisation for at least two years. This is a testament to the power of a well-designed onboarding program in retaining early careers talent.
Takeaways
In an increasingly competitive early careers jobs market, a well-designed new hire onboarding program is key to both attracting and retaining early careers talent.
A successful onboarding program should create excitement, engagement, and a sense of belonging within the organisation.
It should also aim to provide early careers talent with an understanding of the organisation's values and culture, and help them develop the skills and knowledge required for their role.
Experiential learning approaches, practical activities and simulations, and blending senior management throughout the program are all effective ways to achieve these goals.
Additionally, providing early careers talent with a blend of practical technical, industry, and professional skills development, and opportunities to network with colleagues and senior leaders, can help to bridge the gap between academic learning and the requirements of the workplace and create a sense of community and belonging within the organisation.
Deloitte's onboarding program provides an excellent case study on the power of a well-designed onboarding program in attracting and retaining early careers talent.
By focusing on professional skills development, providing networking opportunities, and creating a sense of community and belonging, Deloitte has been able to retain over 90% of their early careers hires for at least two years.
Designing an effective new hire onboarding program and transitioning school and college leavers from school/college or graduates from university into the business world is no easy job.
It requires internal expertise and commitment from HR, Recruitment, L&D, and senior management, as well as external specialists such as a training consultancy to help create an exciting and impactful program that engages participants and enables them to feel part of the organisation from day one.
However, the benefits of a successful onboarding program are clear - it can be the difference between attracting and retaining the best early careers talent, and losing them to competitors.
How MDA Training can help -
MDA Training is an external specialist that can help organisations design and implement effective onboarding programs to attract and retain early careers talent.
With over 30 years of experience in designing and delivering training and development programs for organisations across the world, MDA Training has the expertise and knowledge required to create exciting and impactful onboarding programs that engage participants and enable them to feel part of the organisation from day one.
MDA Training uses a range of experiential learning approaches, such as game-based learning and business simulations, to create excitement and energy within the onboarding program.
These approaches are particularly effective for engaging with early careers audiences and providing them with an immersive learning experience that is both memorable and fun.
With MDA Training's expertise and experience, organisations can create onboarding programs that give them a competitive edge in the early careers jobs market and help them retain the best early careers talent for the long term. Contact our trainers today!