Attracting the most highly-skilled individuals that you can find who will not only fulfill the skills requirement but also be a natural cultural fit to your organization is a challenge that all TA professionals are facing today. The journey doesn’t stop when the coveted talent has signed the dotted line on the offer letter.

A holistic and pleasant onboarding experience makes all the difference.

About 64 percent of the employees are less likely to continue with a new job if they happen to have an unpleasant or “bad” onboarding experience, according to a survey conducted by Hibob, an HR tech platform that works towards helping companies build an engaged workforce.

As millennials play a larger role in the workplace of today, It is thus time to consider what new employees are expecting from their onboarding experience.

A natural onboarding process

Many new hires are more apprehensive about office politics rather than the actual paperwork that goes hand-in-hand with the first few days of working in a new place. Instead of a designated Orientation Buddy, most new hires are preferring to make friends in the workplace and blend in as much as possible.

It is crucial for HR leaders to remain in regular contact with the employees before they start working in the office. As for the millennial workforce, making the onboarding experience effective, true to the company culture, and fun is the way to go.

“You can automate many things but you can’t replace human connection without true and engaging conversation,” said Ronni Zehavi, co-founder and CEO of Hibob, in an email. “To create a powerful hiring journey, you need to design the experience in a way that will engage your target candidates and provide clear expectations, being as transparent as possible.”

Interactive onboarding sessions

Instead of being singled-out to speak to a bunch of strangers on the first day, new hires prefer introductory one-on-one meetings, being involved in regular team meetings and other aspects of the operational running of the company.

Another way of ensuring that the new hires get an inclusive onboarding experience is to facilitate enough time for them to interact with other new hires. This gives them a sense of belonging and they are more likely to report positive feelings about their first few days in a new workplace.

“Think about how you can leverage digital channels to stay in touch with new employees, make them feel welcome, and instill a sense of community,” added Zehavi.

Involving new employees into the digital community prior to their first day would ensure that they get acquainted with the culture. They would get an early start on the employee handbook and other rules and regulations. Ensure that HR leaders let the new hires know that they have not been forgotten through regular emails and check-ins.

Constant communication can go a long way in ensuring a long-term employee engagement. And employee engagement is a crucial game that begins long before candidates become employees.