SHRM Survey Findings: Onboarding Practices

1. SHRM Survey Findings: Onboarding Practices April 13, 2011

2. Key Findings • Are employers providing onboarding programs and practices to their new hires? More than 80% of organizations reported that they have either formal (i.e., written, documented, standard) or informal onboarding programs and/or practices. • At what point does onboarding begin for new hires, and how long does it last? Nearly one-third of organizations begin their onboarding activities upon offer acceptance, and an additional one-third begin onboarding on the new hire’s first day on the job. Almost one-half of organizations reported that the total cumulative duration of their onboarding programs for most new hires is less than eight days. • What are the most crucial onboarding practices for ensuring the success of newcomers? The vast majority of organizations indicated that providing communication, training and resources is extremely important for the successful adjustment of new hires. • What prevents organizations from formally offering more onboarding activities? More than one-half of organizations reported that time constraints and insufficient HR staffing are barriers to offering more formal onboarding activities.

3. Does your organization have formal (i.e., written, documented, standard) or informal onboarding practices and/or programs? • Multinational organizations (92%) were more likely than organizations with U.S.-based only operations (78%) to report that they had formal onboarding practices and/or programs. • Organizations with multiple units in the United States (85%) were more likely than single-unit U.S. organizations (71%) to report that they had formal onboarding practices and/or programs. Note: n = 475.

4. How many different onboarding practices does your organization’s HR department formally provide in each of the following categories? Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Data sorted in ascending order by “no formal practices” category.

5. How many different onboarding practices does your organization’s HR department formally provide in each of the following categories? Comparison by Selected Organizational Demographics Note: Blank cells indicate that there were no significant differences in this category.

6. To what extent is follow-up or monitoring done to make sure formal onboarding activities or programs are actually happening as designed in your organization? • Publicly owned for-profit organizations reported greater average degrees of follow-up or monitoring than privately owned for-profit organizations. Note: n = 320.

7. In general, when do your onboarding programs begin? Note: n = 323. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

8. In general, what is the total cumulative duration of your onboarding program for most newcomers? • Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Nonprofit organizations (14%) and government agencies (14%) were more likely than privately owned for-profit organizations (2%) to report that the total cumulative duration of their onboarding programs depends on a number of factors. Note: n = 322.

9. Which of the following areas are specifically addressed by your organization’s onboarding programs? Note: n = 307. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.

10. Does your organization approach onboarding differently for different types of employees? Note: n = 153-306. Table sorted by “yes” column.

11. Does your organization approach onboarding differently for different types of employees? Comparison by Selected Organizational Demographics Note: Blank cells indicate that there were no significant differences in this category.

12. How has onboarding of new employees changed over the past five years in your organization? • Compared with smaller organizations (those with 1 to 2,499 employees), organizations with 2,500 to 24,999 employees reported greater average levels of agreement that they use onboarding more now as a key part of their retention strategy. • Compared with multinational organizations, organizations with U.S.-based only operations reported greater average levels of agreement that onboarding is shorter than before, with more responsibility given to newcomers to figure things out for themselves. Note: n = 251-270. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Table sorted by “strongly agree” column. Excludes responses of “not sure/don’t know.”

13. To what extent is feedback collected from newcomers or their supervisors for the purpose of evaluating and revising your onboarding activities? • Compared with privately owned for-profit organizations, publicly owned for-profit organizations and nonprofit organizations reported a greater average extent of evaluation of onboarding activities. Note: n = 283.

14. In your opinion as an HR professional, how important are the following activities for the successful adjustment of newcomers and for facilitating their performance, engagement and retention? • Compared with HR professionals from organizations with U.S.-based only operations, HR professionals from multinational organizations reported greater average importance for onboarding activities that involve training. Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

15. In your opinion as an HR professional, when are the following activities most useful for newcomers? Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

16. In your opinion as an HR professional, when are the following activities mostuseful for newcomers? Comparison by Selected Organizational Demographics Note: Blank cells indicate that there were no significant differences in this category.

17. Please rate the following areas according to their importance for newcomers to learn in order to facilitate their performance, engagement and retention. Note: n = 298-318. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Data sorted by “very important” column.

18. Please rate the following areas according to their importance for newcomers to learn in order to facilitate their performance, engagement and retention. Comparison by Selected Organizational Demographics Note: The table represents differences in average reported importance, in which larger numbers indicate greater average importance. Blank cells indicate that there were no significant differences in this category.

19. Please rate the following areas according to the level of difficulty for newcomers to learn on their own, aside from being covered in an onboarding activity. Note: n = 270-297. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Data sorted by “very easy” column..

20. Please rate the following areas according to the level of difficulty for newcomers to learn on their own, aside from being covered in an onboarding activity. Comparison by Selected Organizational Demographics Note: The table represents differences in average reported importance, in which larger numbers indicate greater average importance. Blank cells indicate that there were no significant differences in this category.

21. If your organization does not formally offer as many onboarding activities as you think it should, what are the reasons more activities are not offered? Note: n = 226. Excludes responses of, “N/A, my organization formally offers all of the onboarding activities that we need.” Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.

22. If your organization does not formally offer as many onboarding activities as you think it should, what are the reasons more activities are not offered? Comparison by Selected Organizational Demographics Note: Blank cells indicate that there were no significant differences in this category.

23. Demographics: Organization Industry Note: n = 320. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

24. Demographics: Organization Industry (continued) Note: n = 320. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

25. Demographics: Organization Sector Note: n = 316. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

26. Demographics: Organization Staff Size Note: n = 256

27. Demographics: Other • Does the organization have U.S.-based • operations (business units) only or • does it operate multinationally? • Is organization a single-unit company or a multi-unit company? Note: n = 323 Note: n = 324 • 16% of organizations indicated that employees at their work location were unionized. • Are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit corporate headquarters, by each work location or both? Note: n = 319 Note: n = 232

28. SHRM Survey Findings: Onboarding Practices • Response rate = 18%. • Sample composed of 482 HR professionals randomly selected from SHRM’s membership. • Margin of error is +/- 5%. • Survey fielded November 29 - December 20, 2010. • This poll was developed in conjunction with Howard Klein, Ph.D., Chair, SHRM Foundation. Methodology For more poll findings, visit: www.shrm.org/surveys Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SHRM_Research