​The recruitment process can be a bit like dating...

Imagine that you’ve been dating someone for a little while now. You’ve become quite fond of each other and as time passes, your new partner asks you to move in.

You’re thrilled! You tell your landlord and arrange to pack up your house over a four-week period but as the weeks pass, your new roomie goes silent. No calls and no messages to see how you’re going. It all seems a bit odd, doesn’t it? Would you move in with someone if they’d dropped off the radar? I certainly wouldn’t.

Now think of job seeking process. You’ve had 3 interviews with one company - all extremely positive. They’ve really rolled out the red carpet to get you on board and you can’t wait to start.

You sign your contract, hand in your resignation and then…nothing. Not a peep out of them for four weeks! Now four weeks doesn’t seem like much, but in the world of recruitment - it can be a lifetime.

In such a competitive market, it is ALL about employee experience and employee onboarding is far more than induction on day one. Employers really need to step it up when it comes to ensuring their new employee remains engaged. Failure to do this could mean the difference between whether a counter offer is accepted or not. 

So, what could possibly go wrong during the notice period?

They’ve become disengaged by the lack of communication and they;

1. Accept a counter offer with their current employer.

2. Hear negative feedback on the grapevine about your organisation. Of course, this would have had less impact if you’d started your onboarding process during the notice period. However given the radio silence, they might be more inclined to listen to the feedback.

3. Are more inclined to still respond to recruiter calls and emails.

4. Keep job searching.

5. Start at your organisation as planned, but I’d suggest that some of the hard work you’ve done to ‘wow’ them at interview stage has all been undone.

However, it might not all be doom and gloom.  Imagine the positive impact you can make if you start onboarding at the time of the contract being signed? Their integration into the business would be well underway and their engagement through the roof!

Here are some simple tips to keep your new hire engaged and keen-as-beans to join your team.

1. Ensure they receive welcome messages

Who in your team was responsible for interviewing your new employee? If they’ve had 2 – 3 interviews, they’ve probably met a few faces by now. When your employee signs their contract, let the hiring managers know and ask them to send a quick text or email, welcoming them to the team. If you’re in a smaller organisation, a short email from the MD or CEO can also have a big impact. They will feed off your excitement and it makes them feel valued.

2. Invite them to social events

Got a social club or team event planned during their notice period? Invite them! It doesn’t have to be anything special, just your regular Friday night drinks is a perfect opportunity for them to meet the wider team in a relaxed setting.

3. Digitise the experience

Wherever possible, digitising the experience allows for a seamless and enjoyable process. The simple change from paper-based contracts to digital platforms such as HelloSign is much easier for employees to review and accept. Has anyone else out there hung back at the office until the team leaves so you can print and scan the contract?

4. Send them a welcome pack

You could go all out with this or keep it simple but an information pack with details of their first day, a work perks brochure or some company merch is a nice touch.

5. Schedule weekly contact

It might not be a call every week, but a quick message to check in goes a long way.

The period between offer and start date, is so often a missed opportunity for employee engagement – but one area you can really make a big impact.

If you want to ensure that you are doing all you can so that your new employee actually starts – build it into your onboarding process. And just like dating – it’s the little things that matter the most!