Beyond Onboarding: How to Get and Use New Hire Feedback

Growing the available environmental services workforce isn’t just a recruitment issue—it’s also about retention. In a recent post, Talent Acquisition Manager Jessica Alexander discussed the vital role of onboarding processes in retaining employees, but once the official onboarding tasks are over, is that it? In this blog post, we’ll discuss an important employee retention opportunity that also allows you to evaluate and improve your hiring process: new hire success surveys.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A NEW HIRE SUCCESS SURVEY?

New hire success surveys serve as an excellent barometer of onboarding processes, as they typically include questions covering:

• Timeline to hire
• Interview process
• Onboarding process
• Expectations about the job moving forward

By surveying new employees, your organization gains an opportunity to compare the goals of the hiring process against the expectations of the candidates you ultimately hire; surveys help identify if there are gaps to address.

WHEN SHOULD EMPLOYEES TAKE A NEW HIRE SUCCESS SURVEY?

A new hire success survey should be conducted approximately 30 days after the employee’s start date; it provides enough time for the individual to get comfortable in their role, but the hiring process is still fresh enough for them to offer important feedback. It is also early enough in an employee’s tenure to address any miscommunication or missteps that may have occurred.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A NEW HIRE SUCCESS SURVEY?

By reviewing the results of new hire success surveys, you can begin to determine if you are meeting the needs of employees, as well as identify opportunities for growth. If you ask the right questions, you can learn about a myriad of things, such as…

• If the time between applying for a position and receiving a job offer is perceived to be too long
• Whether candidates felt the hiring process was open enough for them to communicate their skills, experience and career goals during their interviews
• If employees find the onboarding process useful in helping them gain knowledge about the company
• Whether employees feel job descriptions accurately reflect the roles they perform
• Areas of improvement for recruiting, hiring and onboarding

When feedback is incorporated and changes are made, it’s not a bad idea to relay that information to the rest of the company—it demonstrates you are listening to and acting on what they have to say.

As Jessica Alexander recently wrote, “You want to give your employees a voice throughout the onboarding process. Soliciting feedback is essential as it helps create a sense of trust and reassurance that the company truly cares and values their employees.”

New hire success surveys are crucial to determining the strength and clarity of your hiring process, identifying areas for improvement, and course correcting any misunderstandings in an employee’s first few weeks on the job. Consistently taking these steps will not only improve your organization’s ability to recruit, but also its ability to retain your best employees for the long haul.