I recently learnt that HR studies show up to 20% of staff turnover happens
in the first 45 days of starting a new job. This emphasises to me the importance of making sure the initial honeymoon period for a new employee is done well, if for no other reason than the expense incurred by constant staff turnover.
It used to be that HR departments would have a checklist that they would go through with a new employee after they had been in place for a certain period. Modern practice has moved on, however, and the entire organisation might now expect to be involved.
In this way, the new employee can be assimilated into the cultural and social aspects of the organisation, helping them fit easily into the team structure. These areas are now thought to be as important as an old style corporate induction.
Modern best practice leans towards a highly personalised and interactive process. Rather than a few days, a fully integrated induction can easily take months, possibly a full year.
So gone are the days when a new member of staff was literally thrown in at the deep end. Nurture them and the chances are they will stay to become a key team member.