Employee Retention Strategy | Onboarding vs. Inboarding

Recent research indicates that 71% of the American workforce is currently on the job market. These people are either employed and actively seeking or open to new opportunities, or unemployed/underemployed and looking for a job. Given that our current unemployment rate countrywide was just 5.8 percent at the end of November, 2014, we can assume that the majority of those active job seekers are currently employed. With those statistics, chances are at least a few of your current employees are actively looking for better jobs. As the economy continues to rebound, employees feel more confident about their options. When those options present themselves, will your team members stay or stray?

According to Dr. James K. Harter, Gallup’s chief scientist for workplace management, 75% of the factors driving voluntary turnover can be influenced by managers. One of the best predictors of turnover is whether or not the employees believe they have opportunities to learn and grow. For years we’ve known of the importance of “onboarding” new employees, and most successful organizations have developed solid processes and systems that ensure a positive initial experience and acculturation for a new employee. What these organizations are discovering, though, is that attracting and retaining talent can’t be achieved with a positive “onboarding” experience alone. They have adjusted their employee retention strategy and are now focused on continuous “inboarding” experiences for employees.

“Onboarding” is defined as organizational socialization, a process through which new employees gain needed knowledge, skills, and behaviors to be successful in their jobs. “Inboarding” is defined as an ongoing process whereby current employees improve their knowledge, skills and behaviors to help them grow in their positions. Inboarding sets up existing, rather than new, employees for greater success and job satisfaction. The ongoing process allows current employees to discover new skills and opportunities for growth within their organization. Dana and Ellen Borowka remind us in their article that employees are not set-it and forget-it machines – their need for input is continuous. They liken “onboarding” to a vaccination, and “inboarding” to booster shots.

Successful inboarding requires a continuous and close working relationship between an employee and their manager. When managers care about the growth and career development of their employees, they are able to provide a successful inboarding experience that leads to the retention of top talent.

Successful inboarding strategies rely on the following actions:

One-on-One Meetings: The manager meets with the employee on a regular basis to get an update on what is going well for the employee, and to discuss any challenges that the employee may be experiencing. Actions are developed to address the challenges, and managerial support is provided to ensure the employee’s success.

Making the Connections: The manager, through frequent communication with the employee, connects the value of the employee’s contributions to the success of the immediate team, the department or division, and ultimately the company as a whole. While the employee may have greater career aspirations, they understand the importance of the job they are performing now, and receive recognition for their contributions.

Identifying a Development Path: During one-on-one meetings, the employee’s career development goals are discussed. While not all employees may be interested in new experiences and growth opportunities, many are. Having a manager that cares about an employee’s development is a critical retention factor.

Initiating an Action Plan: Once a career path has been identified, the manager helps the employee identify what experiences, skills and expertise the employee will need to gain. The manager and employee then develop a detailed plan and timeline to provide the employee with the work-related experiences or training they may need.

Actively Seek Opinions: In today’s competitive and lean organizations, great managers acknowledge that they don’t have all the solutions. They frequently ask for help by soliciting employees’ ideas and opinions. Employees’ contributions are respected, valued and utilized. In turn, employees feel their opinions are valued and wanted, and have the confidence to continue providing their valuable input and ideas.

Open Communication: Honest communication is a sign of great leadership, and an expectation help by all employees. In inboarding, however, honest communication is critical. Employees need to feel that they are getting continuous, timely, complete and accurate information – both good and bad. This open, honest communication enhances the tie between the employee and the company. It helps them feel connected and important enough to be provided with the right information at the right time.

You may be inclined to think, “Isn’t inboarding just another buzzword for career development?” In part you might be right. What differs is the manager’s awareness of the fact that in order to retain and engage team members, continuous attention must be given to the employee and their growth and development opportunities. This is not just an annual conversation during the performance review process. It is a dedicated, on-going commitment to helping the employee be their personal best at their current job, while simultaneously providing them with the experience and expertise they need for future advancement opportunities. The employee needs to know that you personally care about their professional development. This care is demonstrated by what you do and say on a daily basis that conveys that you not only recognize their current value, but are committed to providing them with the resources they need to reach their future potential.

Not all employee turnover is bad for organizations. New talent provides companies with fresh, innovative ideas and positive energy. But, over time, losing valuable employees is costly in terms of productivity, profitability and the stress inflicted on remaining employees. While some turnover is healthy, consider using inboarding techniques in your employee retention strategy to keep your talented team members engaged, motivated and happy with their present positions. By providing your employees with continuous opportunity to learn and grow, they will be far less tempted to actively look for other employment options.