Effective Onboarding Practices for Gen Z

Gen Z, or people born after 1995, are getting older. Those belonging to this generation, colloquially known as zoomers, are either working or preparing to enter the workforce. In the United States, 57% of zoomers are enrolled in college. Many of them get help with college homework from some of the best homework websites for college students. For Gen Z, getting online college homework help for writing from reputable sites that employ professional college assignment helpers guarantees quality output.

Growing up with constantly developing technology, young Gen Z brings valuable skills to the workplace. They are likely to be well-versed in various technologies. And technologies are an essential part of a modern workplace. They can help increase efficiency, collaboration, and many other aspects of business.

Being digital natives, traditional onboarding will be less likely to work for Gen Zers. Employers need to adopt new and more advanced onboarding practices. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of these methods that will help win the hearts and minds of new employees.

The Importance of Effective Onboarding Process

After a candidate accepts a job offer, there is no guarantee that they will stay with your company. Recruiters spend a huge amount of money and time on recruitment and onboarding. Therefore, losing a new hire multiple times will hurt your business. According to the SHRM study, the average onboarding cost is about $4,100 per new employee. 

The onboarding process is one of the first interactions of the new hire with your company. And it determines their perception of the business. New hire onboarding experience can lead them to success or quitting. Around 70% of employees who experienced excellent onboarding are more likely to stay with the organization for three years. On the other hand, those who had bad experiences may decide it’s a mistake to take the job offer.

Implementing effective employee onboarding practices can help reduce early employee turnover. Unfortunately, strategies that worked years ago are less likely to have the same effect on modern employees. That’s why it pays to assess your onboarding processes. You may need to make necessary changes to adapt to the changing needs of Gen Z talents.

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Onboarding Practices for Gen Z

Here are some onboarding strategies to help your team effectively onboard new Gen Z hires. So you can also encourage them to continue working for your organization over a longer period of time.

Ensure a Positive First-Day Experience

It is in the employer’s best interest to create a positive first-day experience, even for remote workers. There are many ways to accomplish that. Most new hires are nervous on their first day. They don’t know where to find their workstations or what software to open first. They are still in the dark. Here are a few things you can do to help them out:

• Organize an introductory video call. For office-based employees, the typical way of introducing a new hire to the team is going into each department. Then, each member tells the new hire their name and title. But for remote employees, that’s not an option. Instead, you can organize an introductory video call. Consider expanding the introduction beyond title and name; include people’s interests and attributes.

• Assign an onboarding mentor. A mentor can offer advice and support to young Gen Z employees. Peer mentorship also offers new hires instant insight into the office know-how and company culture. 

• Don’t overwhelm the new hire with tasks. Give new hires their first tasks and relevant how-to guides. A clear and actionable first task can help the new employee become more confident with their skills.

Digitize Your Onboarding Materials

Gen Z employees are digital natives. This means they are not accustomed to poring over stacks  of printed documents and dealing with bulky handbooks. Digitizing is better than writing all essential onboarding materials. It will make the onboarding phase more efficient and seamless. It will allow them to access onboarding materials from anywhere. It eliminates time and location restraints in learning company policies, regulations, etc.

Here are some ways to digitize your onboarding materials

• Scan old paper documents

• Upload and store onboarding materials in a cloud-based storage for easy access.

• Record videos to illustrate company guides or introductions. Gen Z prefers good visual aids.

Offer Mental Health Support

More than 50% of Gen Z have received treatment for or been diagnosed with mental illness. This makes the generation the most distressed. What does this mean for employers? It means businesses should pay extra attention to their employees’ emotional well-being.

• Offer mental health resources. Few workplaces offer benefits for employees' emotional well-being. But if you’re going to hire a Gen Z talent, it’s best to consider offering flexible work schedules, mental health days, and mental health resources. 

• Be understanding and approachable. Create a company culture where employees feel free to voice out their mental health concerns to the management. If an employee reaches out to talk about their mental health, listen without judgment. Also, let them know their mental health matters.

• Organize events that raise mental health awareness. Let your new hire know about your mental health initiatives and involve them.

Keep in Touch

People are hardwired to want to belong and be social. Teams that connect and create relationships tend to be more engaged and productive. So consider creating space for new and old employees to socialize even during working hours. Here are a few other ways to ensure your new hires stay connected with your team:

• Organize daily online or face-to-face meetups. Use this opportunity to ask your new hires how they are doing and get or give feedback.

• Have a dedicated work chat so new hires can easily find assistance or answers to their questions.

There are many other strategies you can adapt to make onboarding more seamless and effective for your new Gen Z employees. You can incorporate more popular technology. You can let new hires know about your company's performance indicators. You can create a personalized onboarding calendar. 

When changing or adding new practices, remember that onboarding should be about building connections, employee engagement, and retaining employees.

Unlock Gen Z Potential in the Workplace

Gen Z may not be the easiest to work with. A staggering 74% of business leaders and managers reported that they find this generation harder to work with than previous ones. They feel entitled and demonstrate a lack of motivation, effort, and productivity. But despite these issues, they can be a valuable asset in a modern working environment.

With the right practices, it’s possible to unlock the potential of this generation in the workplace. In addition to technological expertise, they can bring in fresh perspectives and innovation. They are also adaptable, resilient, and socially and environmentally conscious. They also tend to be great at multitasking and collaborating. They value fairness and equality, promote inclusivity, and celebrate differences.

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Author Bio

This article is written by a marketing team member at HR Cloud. HR Cloud is a leading provider of proven HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee communications & engagement, and rewards & recognition. Our user-friendly software increases employee productivity, delivers time and cost savings, and minimizes compliance risk.