Modern businesses understand that delivering a positive experience can have a profound impact on business expansion, with excellent customer service being of utmost importance.According to Microsoft, 96% of respondents claim customer service influences their brand selection and loyalty.Customer service can significantly influence your profit margin and public perception of your company. Therefore, monitoring customer service KPIs (key performance indicators) becomes essential.This article provides a comprehensive overview of crucial customer service KPIs necessary for agents, managers, and leaders in customer-oriented businesses.In this blog we will learn about customer service KPIs, and their importance. What is a customer service KPI?Customer service KPIs are metrics used to measure the quality of a company’s customer service and the experience it provides.These indicators help businesses analyze their goals, determine their success in satisfying customer needs, and identify areas where they can improve their service.How are customer service KPIs different from customer service metrics?Customer service KPIs and customer service metrics both measure the performance of a customer service department, but they are used for different purposes.Customer service metrics are broad measurements of a department’s performance.They can include a wide range of data, such as the number of calls taken, the average time to resolve an issue, or the number of complaints received.These metrics can be used to track performance over time, identify trends, and make comparisons with industry standards.On the other hand, customer service KPIs are a more specific set of measurements that are directly linked to an organization’s strategic goals.Customer service KPIs are used to assess the effectiveness of a customer support department in achieving these goals.For example, if a company’s goal is to improve customer satisfaction, a relevant KPI might be the percentage of customers who rate their service experience as “excellent.”In short, while customer service metrics give you a broad overview of performance, customer service KPIs tell you whether you’re meeting your specific business objectives.What are the most important KPIs for customer service?KPIs for customer service are crucial in determining the trajectory of a business, whether it’s on the right path or not.Here are important customer service KPI examples.First response time (FRT)First response time refers to the amount of time from when a customer first makes a request or issue known, to when the company or business acknowledges or responds to that request.It is an important KPI for customer service to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of a customer support team.This customer service KPI reflects how effectively your agents can manage multiple tickets simultaneously and handle varying ticket volumes.Any lag in the first response could result in a negative customer experience, making FRT one of the most closely observed customer service KPIs.Service level agreements (SLAs) often establish expectations for FRT. An SLA might, for instance, stipulate a response to each customer support request within an hour or less.Implementing a defined standard across your company will aid in tracking and measuring agent performance.So, why is FRT a crucial customer service KPI? It assures customers that their concerns are being prioritized. This metric demonstrates the efficiency of your team in addressing issues.By monitoring this customer service KPI, you can determine whether your team is adequate or if additional resources are required.Average handle time (AHT)Average handle time is defined as the typical duration an agent spends resolving a customer’s issue, from the start of the conversation until the ticket is officially closed.Responding to your customers promptly is important, but the duration it takes to completely resolve a problem is even more crucial.Companies strive to enhance this customer service KPI to:Elevate customer satisfaction levels.Streamline team productivity.Minimize support expenses.A lower average handle time indicates a more proficient customer service team.An elevated average handle time may indicate:A lack of product knowledge.Inefficiencies in company workflow procedures.Inappropriate investment in ineffective support tools.AHT can be minimized by reducing the time customers spend waiting, and by enhancing the efficiency of each interaction.A Netomi report indicates that 39% of consumers are less patient now than they were before the pandemic.Employing hybrid support models, such as a combination of human and AI as opposed to solely human agents, can significantly reduce handle time.First contact resolution (FCR)First contact resolution is used in customer service to measure the ability of customer service representatives to resolve customer issues, complaints, or inquiries during their first interaction or contact.This could be through emails, social media, websites, self-service portals, web forms, or live chats.Customers derive great satisfaction when their issues are resolved within their first interaction with support. Additionally, effortless resolutions are key to customer loyalty and retention.A high FCR rate indicates that the customer service team is effective in resolving customer issues promptly and without the need for follow-up interactions.Better training, improved quality of support, and revising customer service policies can contribute to enhancing first contact resolution rates.Number of resolved ticketsThis customer service KPI indicates the quantity of tickets that a single agent or an entire team has received and resolved within a specific time frame.If the tickets resolved in a day are significantly fewer than those received, it could indicate a potential delay in resolving customer issues.Examining this metric can provide insight into the performance of agents during peak times. This can guide important decisions, like arranging training for staff who are not performing well or adjusting staff allocation to manage peak periods effectively.Customer satisfaction score (CSAT)Customer satisfaction score is a customer service KPI used to measure the degree of satisfaction that a customer has with a particular product, service, or interaction with a company.Usually, customers are urged to complete a survey following their interaction with support staff. The customer is asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale, for instance from 1 (very unsatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).Customer satisfaction scores reflect customers’ contentment with a service they received and the efficiency of the customer service team in resolving problems and complaints.Net promoter score (NPS)Net promoter score is a KPI used to gauge a customer’s likelihood of recommending your business to others. This helps in determining how satisfied customers are and their overall customer experience.It is calculated by asking customers one question: “On a scale of 0-10, what’s the probability that you would recommend our brand to a friend or a colleague?”Based on their responses, customers are categorized into three groups: Promoters (9-10 score), Passives (7-8 score), and Detractors (0-6 score).Customers respond to this question based on their overall experience with your brand. Therefore, it is crucial for the customer service team to maintain other KPIs and provide constant and easy customer service experiences to enhance your NPS.Customer effort score (CES)Providing superior customer service involves minimizing difficulties for your customers and ensuring they do not perceive the resolution process as more problematic than the initial issue that prompted them to contact the service team.Customer effort score is a KPI used to assess how easily a customer can interact with a business or use its products.It is usually assessed through a survey question after a customer interaction, such as “On a scale of 1-7, how easy was it to interact with our company?”A lower CES indicates a smoother and more satisfactory interaction with a customer, while a higher score suggests the customer had to put in more effort to have their needs met.Good customer service is founded on minimizing disruption in a customer’s life and requiring minimal effort from them.Strategies to enhance your CES may vary from:Increasing accessibility across multiple channels.Presenting easy-to-use self-service options.Offering support in multiple languages.Enhancing agent education.Customer retention rate (CRR)Customer retention rate is a KPI that measures the percentage of customers a company retains over a certain period.This rate is calculated by dividing the number of customers at the end of a period by the number of customers at the start of a specified period and then multiplying that by 100 to get a percentage.Increasing customer retention can significantly increase a business’s revenue by enhancing the lifetime value of its customers.It is a significant indicator of customer loyalty and satisfaction. A high retention rate often translates into increased profits for a company.While the quality of a brand substantially influences customer retention rate, customer support is also a key determinant.It helps nurture customer relationships and ensures customer issues are resolved before they worsen. Offering timely, customized solutions can aid in boosting customer retention.Customer lifetime value (CLV)Customer lifetime value is a prediction of the total net profit attributed to the entire journey and relationship with a customer.It represents the total amount of money a customer is expected to spend on your business, or on your products, during that customer’s lifetime.This KPI is linked to a business’s revenue objectives, as it provides insights about potential earnings and aids in planning for the business’s sustainability.It is calculated using the following formular.This is an important customer service KPI, as it helps a business determine how much money they should invest in acquiring new customers and how much repeat business they can expect from certain consumers.Customer churn rateThis refers to the percentage of customers that stop using a company’s product or service during a particular period.It is a critical customer service KPI for businesses that operate on a subscription model, as losing customers can significantly impact the company’s revenue and growth potential.The essential task of decreasing customer churn is vital for business success. It necessitates regular interaction with customers to understand and resolve any issues they have with a brand.Churn rate is calculated by dividing the number of customers lost during a specified period by the number of remaining customers.Average resolution time (ART)Average resolution time is a KPI used in customer service to measure the average time taken to resolve a customer’s issue or complaint after it has been reported.It is calculated using the following formular:It can include time taken for all steps involved in resolving the issue, such as:Diagnosing the problem.Finding a solution.Implementing the solution.Excellent customer service equates to swift problem resolution. Customers anticipate quick and consistent support experience, and addressing their inquiries in real time is crucial to prevent them from considering other options.Comprehending the average resolution time can aid in identifying strategies to enhance the efficiency of customer service and detect areas for improvement.Achieving lower resolution times is an indicator of success, as this ensures that customer queries are addressed promptly.Cost of conversationIn the realm of customer service, the cost of conversation is a critical factor that can significantly influence the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the support system.Cost of conversation measures the total operational expenses of your team in relation to the total number of conversations carried out across your support channels.This cost is not just monetary but also includes the time and resources spent on each interaction between the support agent and the user.The cost of conversation in customer service can vary greatly depending on:The method of communication.The complexity of the issue being resolved.The duration of the conversation.By taking into account the various factors that influence this cost and implementing strategies to reduce it, organizations can significantly enhance their customer support operations.It’s important to note that well-trained teams and adjusted staffing schedules based on business needs can help manage support costs.Best practices to set KPIs for customer serviceCustomer service KPIs provide a quantifiable measure of how well your team is meeting its objectives.Setting KPIs for your service teams is a crucial part of managing performance.By following these best practices, you can ensure that your KPIs are effective tools for driving improvement and achieving your objectives.Understand and outline your objectivesBefore setting KPIs, it’s crucial to understand your team’s objectives. These objectives could be:Reducing the number of tickets.Faster resolution.Reducing response times.Better customer acquisition.The objectives should align with your organization’s overall goals. Once you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, you can set KPIs that will measure your progress toward these goals.For instance, if your goal is to increase customer satisfaction, then your KPIs should reflect that, such as measuring CSAT score and the number of positive customer reviews or feedback scores.Choose relevant KPIsNot all KPIs are created equal. Some may not be relevant to your team’s objectives. Therefore, it’s important to choose KPIs that are directly related to what you want to achieve.For example, if your goal is to improve response times, a relevant KPI might be the average time your team takes to reply to a query (FRT).Monitor and adjust KPIs regularlyKPIs are not set in stone. They should be regularly reviewed and adjusted as necessary to reflect changing business goals, customer expectations, and market conditions.If a KPI is consistently being met with ease, it may be time to set a more challenging target.Conversely, if a KPI is consistently not being met, it may be time to reassess whether the target is realistic.Communicate KPIs clearlyMake sure that everyone in your customer service team understands what the KPIs are, why they are important, and how they can contribute to achieving them.This ensures that everyone is striving toward the same goals.KPIs should be specificYour KPIs should be specific and clearly defined. It should be clear what each KPI measures and how it is calculated.Avoid having too many KPIs, as it can become overwhelming and divert focus from the most important aspects of customer service.A small number of well-chosen KPIs can provide a clear picture of performance.KPIs need to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. This makes it easier to track progress and achieve results.Leverage customer service KPIs for better customer supportCustomer service can be challenging, and assessing its value can be even more complex.However, understanding the performance of your support team via quantifiable data is essential for enhancing current procedures, making optimal staffing decisions, and ensuring customer satisfaction.The most practical method to acquire these insights is by evaluating customer service KPIs.Schedule a live demo to see how LIKE.TG can improve your business and track customer service KPIs. Start a free trial to explore its many features.If you have any questions about the product and its capabilities, feel free to contact the LIKE.TG support team.Related blogsImportant metrics in help desk softwareBest techniques for reducing customer service response timeEffective metrics to measure customer loyaltyEssential knowledge base metrics for enhancing self-service

In the modern world, many businesses strive to exceed customer satisfaction by cultivating strong customer relationships, and comprehending customer desires and wants throughout the entire user journey to enhance the overall product experience.Customer satisfaction metrics offer a convenient means of assessing and quantifying customer happiness with company brands.Consequently, they prove valuable in providing organizations with unbiased insights, tracking customer loyalty, and conducting comprehensive evaluations of overall customer success. What does customer satisfaction metrics mean?Customer satisfaction metrics refer to solid parameters used to measure and evaluate the level of satisfaction experienced by customers in relation to a product, service, or overall customer experience.These metrics help companies understand customer preferences, identify areas for improvement, and improve customer loyalty and retention.What types of metrics to measure customer satisfaction?Customer satisfaction metrics employ various tools and methodologies. Businesses aim to gather and analyze customer data by gaining valuable insights for better decision-making to improve the customer experience.By identifying trends, views, and areas of improvement, different customer satisfaction metrics allow businesses to respond and engage with customers effectively.Here are the key customer satisfaction metric examples businesses can utilize in different areas.1. Net promoter score (NPS)The net promoter score assesses the possibility of customers recommending a company’s products or services to others.By posing a straightforward query, organizations can easily classify customers as promoters, passives, or detractors, which aids in measuring customer satisfaction levels.For example, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how probable are you to recommend our company’s products or services to a friend or family.”Additionally, it offers a distinct indication of customer loyalty and support, which improves customer loyalty rate, improves business revenue and profit, and reduces churn rates.2. Customer satisfaction scoreThe customer satisfaction score (CSAT) is measured by surveys, ratings to assess product effectiveness or service quality, and feedback forms.Customers rate or provide reviews on their overall satisfaction with company products, services, or interactions.CSAT scores provide insights into specific touchpoints and allow businesses to identify areas where they exceed or fail to.The importance of tracking CSAT scores include:Increases in employee satisfaction.Boosts in customer loyalty and recurring revenue.Differentiating from your competitors.3. Customer effort score (CES)Customer effort score evaluates the level of convenience for customers in their interactions with a company’s products, services, or support channels.Businesses identify pain points and areas of improvement by evaluating the effort customers need to put in to achieve a desired outcome. However, CES is incorporated through post-interaction surveys or by analyzing customer interactions.Generally, a higher CES score indicates low effort, meaning customers find it easier to engage with the company or its brands.On the other hand, a lower CES score indicates lower customer satisfaction, meaning improvement should be made.4. Customer attrition rateThe customer churn rate (CCR) or attrition rate refers to the portion of customers who stop using a company’s products or services within a given period.By monitoring customer churn, companies understand the reasons behind customer attrition and take positive measures to retain their valued clients. A lower churn rate indicates higher loyalty among customers.By reducing churn, organizations can:Retain valuable customers.Improve overall satisfaction levels.Unlock more growth.5. Customer lifetime value (CLV)Customer lifetime value measures the predicted revenue customers will generate over the entirety of their interactions with a company.As a result of assessing the CLV of different customer segments, businesses can identify the most valuable customers and prioritize efforts to enhance those customers’ experiences.Improving CLV requires a comprehensive understanding of customer needs, preferences, and behaviors, enabling organizations to deliver personalized experiences and build long-term relationships.6. Customer retention rateCustomer retention rate calculates the proportion of customers that a company successfully retains over a given period.Statistics from Zippia show that increasing customer retention by 5% results in a profit increase ranging from 25% to 95%. Therefore, a higher retention rate indicates higher customer happiness and loyalty.By analyzing retention rates, businesses can:Determine the efficiency of their customer retention policies.Identify areas for improvement.7. Social media sentiment analysisIn the digital age, social media platforms have become powerful tools for customers to express their opinions and experiences.By analyzing sentiment in social media posts, companies obtain valuable information to measure customer satisfaction.8. Customer health score (CHS)The customer health score is a quantitative assessment that evaluates the satisfaction of customers based on various metrics related to their experience with a product or service.This score serves as a key performance indicator, providing valuable insight into the level of customer happiness and loyalty.By analyzing customer feedback, ratings, and reviews, businesses can understand customer perception and make informed decisions to improve offerings and retain a customer base.9. Customer service satisfaction (CSS)Customer service satisfaction (CSS) assists in gauging the level of satisfaction customers have with your post-sales customer service.This customer satisfaction metric is a significant indicator of customer contentment and is also determined by administering suitable surveys to customers immediately after their support interaction.10. First response time (FRT)The first response time is the initial response to an evaluation of customer satisfaction metrics. It marks the start of an assessment of elements that measure contentment.McKinsey reports that 79% of consumers anticipate a response within 24 hours of reporting a complaint, while 40% anticipate brands to respond within an hour.This opening response signifies the beginning of a commitment to thoroughly investigate and analyze customer concerns to achieve certain areas of improvement and enhance the overall customer experience.Ways to improve customer satisfaction metricsBoosting clients’ happiness requires a comprehensive approach involving various business operations. Customer satisfaction metrics lead to a more positive and fulfilling experience for customers.Offering high-quality productsNumerous businesses enhance customer satisfaction metrics by consistently delivering high-quality products and services.This requires a focus on continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring that offerings align with customer preferences and evolving market trends.By regularly seeking customer feedback and conducting market research, businesses can identify areas for improvement and tailor their offerings to better meet customer need.Effective and efficient communicationClear communication with customers through various channels (phone, email, social media) is crucial.Businesses demonstrate their commitment to meeting and exceeding customer expectations by building open lines of communication.This involves:Actively listening to customer needs.Feedback.Promptly addressing any issues or queries customers may have.Effective and efficient communication shows a support team’s attentiveness and commitment to customer contentment. However, seeking and listening to customer feedback helps improve products, services, and overall experience.Training and empowering employeesTraining and empowering employees, delivering exceptional service, and focusing on empathy, attentiveness, and problem-solving, significantly increases customer satisfaction levels.By investing in ongoing training programs and empowering employees to go the extra mile for clients, businesses can create a positive and memorable experience that fosters loyalty and satisfaction.Utilizing a customer relationship management systemImplementing technology solutions can significantly contribute to improving customer satisfaction metrics.Utilizing customer relationship management (CRM) systems can enable businesses to effectively manage customer interactions, leading to more personalized and efficient service.Additionally, leveraging automation tools can streamline processes, reducing wait times and enhancing the overall customer experience.Building and maintaining a strong relationship with customersOffering loyalty programs, rewards, discounts, or exclusive benefits can further stimulate customers to remain loyal and satisfied by developing a positive rapport with them.Tailoring products or services to meet individual customer needs and preferences can create a sense of exclusivity and value. This can be done by utilizing customer data and analytics to understand customer behavior.Purchase history can enable businesses to offer personalized recommendations, promotions, and experiences.Enhance your customer support by utilizing customer satisfaction metricsMaintaining customer desires and ensuring satisfaction is crucial for enhancing your business.By effectively utilizing customer satisfaction metrics to assess customers’ current level of contentment, you can minimize customer churn and increase customer retention.LIKE.TG simplifies all of this, making it easier for you. During a free trial, you will have the ability to gauge customer satisfaction with feedback. Please contact us to book a live demo and see how you can customize LIKE.TG to improve your satisfaction score. For any questions regarding LIKE.TG, feel free to reach out to us on the LIKE.TG support team.

What they tell us about the state of customer service, now and in the futureAre you a glass half empty or a glass half full kind of person? Depending on your answer, you will either see the new infographic, “10 mind-blowing customer service stats,” as an indicator of doom or a precursor to what’s possible.Take the $75 billion lost by US companies annually because of poor customer service. A pessimist could see this stat as evidence that not much has changed over the past few decades–demonstrating quick, valuable, easy-to-engage customer service remains elusive for many companies. But an optimist could see this loss as a wake up call–representing an opportunity to make changes to the customer experience that can directly contribute to the bottom line.We've seen firsthand how transforming the customer experience can pay off big. Take Vodafone, who was able to streamline their processes to gain a “360 degree view of the customer,” which led to a 45% increase in productivity and a 25 point increase in customer satisfaction. It’s why we are optimistic about the future.But, we don’t want to put rose colored glasses on you. Take a look at these stats from the past few years and decide for yourself whether you think the current state of customer service is dire or full of possibilities.

Successful businesses recognize the crucial role a help desk system plays in boosting customer support.However, merely selecting an appropriate help desk system for your business does not guarantee a competitive edge.It is essential to utilize the correct help desk metrics as well to monitor the effectiveness of your customer support processes and ensure they meet customer expectations. What are help desk metrics?Help desk metrics are quantifiable measurements that capture and evaluate the performance, productivity, and service quality of a customer service team.They provide key insights into various aspects, such as first response times, ticket volumes, ticket resolution times, customer satisfaction levels, and the overall effectiveness of the support team.Important help desk performance metricsWhat help desk metrics should your customer service team track?1. Support tickets created vs. closed2. Worklog3. Customer satisfaction4. Response overdue5. SLA breached6. Replies by contact7. Busiest time of day8. First response time9. First contact resolution10. Escalation ratesSupport tickets created vs. closedThis metric compares the total number of tickets created, and the total number of tickets closed. It is helpful to know this statistic for a specific time period.By tracking this metric, you can easily work out and manage all your customer’s demands and see the trends of tickets created and closed.For example, if the number of tickets created is higher than tickets closed, means that fewer tickets are getting solved.You can correct this by increasing the number of agents who can help with resolving tickets. Therefore, this increases the efficiency of the work done and the number of tickets closed.WorklogWorklog tracks all work logged-in tickets and records the date on which the work occurred.This metric is helpful to see how much work each agent does, understand which types of issues the agents excel at, and how much time is spent on customer issues.Knowing this, you can better assign agents to tickets to complete work efficiently.Customer satisfactionCustomer satisfaction (CSAT) is a metric that tracks and analyzes the number of customers satisfied with your support during a specific period.Knowing this information helps you manage your customers’ expectations and discover areas to improve in your support team.One guaranteed way to increase your customer satisfaction score is to provide fast responses and improve ticket resolution times.Quicker responses show a sense of duty to your customers, and their feedback will note your team’s speed and efficiency.The positive reputation of your support can even lead to attracting more customers.Response overdueThis metric tracks the total number of tickets for which responses are overdue. The permanent goal of your support team should be to reduce this number by continually improving the first response times.Customers expect quick response times. In fact, according to Forrester, customers are 2.4 times more likely to stick with a brand when their problems are solved quickly.SLA breachedThis help desk metric is the number of tickets not resolved within the time period specified in the customer’s SLA.Hence, by analyzing the circumstances in which breaches occur, you can devise strategies to avoid future SLA breaches, such as improved escalation triggers.Read our article on SLAs dashboards to learn more.Replies by contactThis help desk metric represents the number of responses provided by customers during a specific time.By breaking customer replies down into categories based on the number of responses required to resolve an issue, you get a better idea of the quality of your support services.Moreover, knowing this helps you better prioritize customer issues that may require special attention to fix.Busiest time of dayThe busiest time of day help desk metric helps you identify the busy and idle times of the day. The importance of this metric is that you can ensure whether the necessary resources are available at the time of creating more tickets.You can further explore the busiest time of day by the number of agents, and customer replies to tickets at the time.With this information, you can see what issues are effectively and efficiently resolved and derive better customer support strategies.First response timeThe first response time (FRT) evaluates the duration between customer ticket submission and the initial reply from customer support representatives. Factors such as the numbers of available agents and incoming tickets can affect this metric.A short FRT indicates quick attention to customer inquiries, whereas prolonged wait times may highlight shortcomings within the customer support workflow. To improve your first response time, explore options such as expanding your team, enhancing your help desk software, or investing in further staff training.First contact resolutionFirst contact resolution (FCR) tracks the percentage of customer issues resolved in the initial interaction with no need for follow-up. High FCR rates demonstrates a business’ ability to understand and address customer problems quickly, which not only minimizes their effort but also reduces the volume of repeat contacts.An efficient support team with a high FCR rate is usually well-trained, knowledgeable, and empowered with the right tools and information to resolve a wide array of issues on the spot. This in turn can lead to:Lower operating costs.Reduced wait times for other customers.An overall improvement in service quality.Conversely, low FCR rates may signal the need to improve training, access to information, or other processes that will help your team to resolve more issues promptly.Escalation ratesThe escalation rate is the percentage of total customer tickets that require escalation from the initial support level to higher, more specialized support tiers. Escalation rates as a help desk metric are an indicator of both the complexity of the issues being reported and the capability of the first-line support staff in resolving these issues.A high escalation rate could suggest that the initial support team is often unable to resolve issues on their own, potentially indicating a need for better training, improved knowledge bases, or better ticket sorting and allocation processes.A lower escalation rate might reflect a well-equipped and knowledgeable first-level support team that can handle most issues without additional assistance.Best practices for implementing help desk metricsIn highly competitive markets where businesses offer nearly identical products and services, customers often gravitate towards brands that excel in customer service.A Salesforce study revealed that 92% of consumers are more likely to make an additional purchase after a positive customer service experience.Understanding and implementing the right help desk reporting metrics can significantly improve customer service.Let’s explore the best practices for effectively integrating these metrics into your operations.Set clear goalsBegin by determining what you aim to achieve with your help desk metrics. Is it to improve response time, increase customer satisfaction, or reduce costs? The kind of goals you set will guide the type of metrics you need to focus on.Choose the right help desk reporting metricsSelect suitable help desk performance metrics that align with your processes, goals, and objectives.While it’s important to keep track of quantitative metrics like number of tickets resolved, don’t ignore qualitative metrics such as customer feedback and satisfaction.Automate the process of tracking help desk metricsHelp desk ticketing systems provide powerful reporting and analytics features that generate insightful real-time data.Leverage automated help desks to conveniently track, evaluate, and report on your team’s performance over defined time periods.Regularly review your metricsMake it a habit to regularly evaluate your help desk performance metrics to identify trends, note areas of improvement, and take corrective action where necessary.Regular revision also ensures that the help desk metrics remain relevant to evolving business needs, changes in technology, and customer expectations.Benchmark against industry standardsCompare your help desk reporting metrics with industry standards to understand of how you’re performing relative to your competitors.This will provide valuable insight into where you need to improve.Be transparentShare your help desk reporting metrics with your team and other stakeholders so they understand how performance is being measured, where they stand, and what they need to do to improve.This helps agents make necessary adjustments to their approach to improve the overall performance of their team.Track key help desk metrics for enhanced customer serviceHelp desk metrics contribute to making your support services run smoothly and effectively. Try LIKE.TG, a help desk ticketing system that empowers you to monitor these metrics using features such as built-in dashboards and reports.Contact our support team to schedule a 30-minute live demo to experience LIKE.TG’s cutting-edge capabilities and how they can be customized to meet your unique business needs. Or, sign up for a 15-day free trial today.Related articles9 Effective Metrics to Measure Customer Loyalty7 Essential Knowledge Base Metrics for Enhancing Self-Service12 Crucial Customer Experience Metrics for Your Support Team

For most businesses, hiring is part and parcel of the hiring process. With new employees come new ideas on how to carry forward the company mission and purpose. That is why there is a need for the onboarding of the employees to be spot on. Personalized employee onboarding ensures the employees quickly acclimatize to their workplace and improve technical skills with its purpose and mission. An ideal onboarding session will also have the employees learn how to use the company’s software faster, which will, in turn, enable them to serve the company better. Employee onboarding and training will be easier if you follow some of the tips we will share. But before we get to that. Why Do You Need Personalized Onboarding Training? While it pays to focus more on your customers, it would be foolhardy for you to ignore your employees completely. New hires need to be shown the warm side of the company if you are to reduce worker turnover. That’s where personalized onboarding comes in. A personalized employee onboarding process will enable you to conduct technical skills assessments and retain most of your new hires as it creates a connection with the company. Such a process will require you to let your new employees express themselves personally and professionally. Personalized Employee Onboarding Tips So, what are the tips that will make the whole onboarding process a personalized experience for the new employees? 1. Create a More Personalized Welcome Package Handwritten notes from team members and new colleagues will help a lot in making the onboarding process personalized. It will give the onboarding strategy a personal touch, apart from helping the new hires feel at home. You could also include token gifts such as notebooks and pens, which could play a significant role in breaking the ice with new hires. Another strategy to make the process more personalized would be creating a short video welcoming the new employees. 2. Let the New Hires Meet their Direct Colleagues What will make it more personalized than if the new hires get to meet their new colleagues? Their colleagues should help them feel comfortable within their new surroundings and have them learn about the company's values. You could give a few personal stories from the colleagues to help them get to know them better. It could build the connection you need between the new hires and your existing workers. Their direct colleagues might help them to feel at ease and ready for the onboarding process. It would also provide the support network the new employees might fall back on throughout their first few days at the company. 3. Assign Each Hire a Mentor or Work Buddy Mentors could come in handy when crafting a personalized onboarding process. Having someone to hold their hands through the first days in the company could go a long way in helping your new employees feel welcome. The mentor doesn’t necessarily have to be older than them since you are going by the number of years the person has been in the company. A work buddy could also function as a mentor in some ways. We all feel lonely in the first few days in a new place and would appreciate a friend or two to ease the loneliness. That’s where the work buddy comes into play! You could also add a small business phone system that will enable easy communication when they need guidance from a mentor. 4. Streamline the Onboarding Process for Each Department If you have multiple departments, it would be better to have an onboarding process tailor-made for each department. The same would apply if you also have different teams or locations for your company. This would help the new employees process the information they get in the onboarding faster. That’s because breaking down the onboarding process will make it simpler and reduce the amount of information the new hires are supposed to understand before starting work. For the technical departments that involve having data scientists, and software developers it may prove to be difficult to test the programming knowledge of your new employees. Having online coding tests will help you shorten the interview process and get the best-suited developer to join your IT department. A branched onboarding process is also easier to implement than the one you roll out for all company departments. It will enable the trainers to give more personalized training for the new hires as well. “As soon as we saw LIKE.TG’s Onboard demo, we knew this was the perfect solution for us. We loved that it was extremely simple and powerful out of the box, but that we could customize it with advanced capabilities to make it work in our company setting.” Elisa Garn Vice President, HR and Talent Christopherson Business Travel Learn More 5. Dedicate Enough Time to the Onboarding Process Most organizations will want their latest additions to join the workforce working as soon as possible. It is, however, impractical to have this if you don’t dedicate enough time to the onboarding process. Hurrying your employees to onboard gives out a negative vibe. You need to give them enough time to blend in and get to know their fellow colleagues at the workplace. A personalized process will take you a shorter time as you get down to ensuring the new hire feels as comfortable as possible within their surroundings. A longer timeframe will also enable more hires to ace the technical skills assessment test they face. It would take about a week for employees to have adequately been onboarded and taught all the company requirements. Giving the process enough time will ensure your employees don’t have to shuttle between working and training the new employees. You also don’t want to rush the new employees through the process as this could affect their ability to be helpful to the business. That is why you need to ensure you dedicate adequate time to the onboarding process across all departments. This will also require you to make an extensively detailed plan for the first few months of having the employees on board. Depending on the employees you hire, it might take some time for them to get used to the company. That’s why you need to give the onboarding process enough time. 6. Use the Best Onboarding Tools When it comes to employee onboarding, it is all about your systems. If you have complex systems in place, it will take you longer to teach the new hires how things run in your company. That is why you need to ensure you have installed the best systems to enable you to offer the best onboarding training. Using simple HR tools in your onboarding will also go a long way in the making of a simpler system. If the system is too hard to understand, it also becomes difficult for you to have the employees work as you’d want them to. Your system should have an introductory phase for your employees to meet company staff and get acquainted with its culture and values. 7. Deal with the Paperwork Before the First Day of Onboarding Most people would agree that paperwork can be a frustrating experience when onboarding. That’s why it can be a good idea to ensure most of the paperwork doesn’t get to the first day of onboarding training. Contracts, policy acknowledgment, or payroll forms should all have been signed before the onboarding finally starts. This will save you a lot of the stress of dealing with paperwork during the onboarding process. You will then be able to concentrate on more critical parts of the process. Having less paperwork will not only save time but also impress your new hires. So much hangs on an efficient onboarding process, and rescuing them from too much paperwork should be one of those things. 8. Involve Senior Management Figures In as much as it could be challenging to have the newbies have a sit-down with the CEO, you could still attempt to have other senior figures in the company involved in the onboarding process. There are no better-placed individuals in a company to speak to new hires as the senior management figures. No one knows the company’s ethos and values as well as the senior management of a company. That is why they can offer the best inspiration to the new employees. If the CEO could also get in on the act, that could be even better. This could make the new employees feel like they are valued by the company. They also learn the company’s vision from the people that spearhead the company and ensure it doesn’t stray from its mission. The impact of this could be immeasurable. 9. Cut Back on the Deadlines Companies want their new employees working as soon as possible. This could lead to a situation where the trainers rush through the onboarding process, making it have strict deadlines that could destroy instead of build. The hiring of software developers is one of the most difficult hires to conduct because it requires a lot of technical skills testing especially with all these new libraries and frameworks popping out now and then. React and Angular which are javascript libraries need you to conduct an angular online test and a react online test to personalize and ease the onboarding process Granted, most employees would have said they are comfortable working under pressure but a relaxed learning environment will go a long way in helping them understand everything required of them. This also helps them improve their technical skills. This might not make sense to most people, but it could be what you need to ensure the new hires get to grips as fast as possible. No one is comfortable learning in a rushed environment, especially if they have to deal with a lot of information. Being more flexible with your deadlines will be a sure way of making the process more relaxed to reap maximum benefits. 10. Allow the New Employees to Express Themselves No two people are the same, which is why you need to individually speak to each of the new hires about their goals and qualifications. By letting them express themselves, you will help them set realistic goals throughout the onboarding process. Therefore, each employee will know what to strive for in their aim to fit the organization better. A personalized onboarding process will ensure your employees fit in as fast as possible and understand what is required of them—the more personalized the process, the better the results. About Author: Dennis Vu is the CEO and Co-founder of Ringblaze, a virtual business phone system company that helps teams to better serve their customers, anywhere.

Everyone, regardless of who you are or what your job is, loves to know that they’re doing a great job. Depending on how you phrase it, most people also want to know when they’re doing a bad one too. Without the use of positive feedback sessions - whether in a group or one-on-one - many of us would find ourselves clueless as to how well - or poorly - we are performing in work. All too often, this is the form that performance reviews take. For something as crucial as feedback, you need to be sure you’re getting it right. In this article, we’ll take a look at what feedback is and why it’s important to receive feedback, why it is useful, and share some tips on how to give great performance review feedback in the future. The Purpose of Performance Reviews First, let’s take a look, in a bit more detail, as to what the purpose of feedback is. You can talk - as we will - about improving something all you like. Although, without the context of what it is you’re improving, the need to do so can seem useless. As well as acting as a barometer against which people can judge their general contribution, performance reviews are a chance for management to understand the machinations of their organization. It’s a process that not only allows employees to understand their own standing or their team’s standing but also shows senior employees where the best and worst members of their outfit are. This, along with other data, can allow them to rethink how they operate in the hope of optimizing their output more effectively. Now that we’ve understood what the purpose of performance review feedback is, let’s take a look at how you can make it the most effective version of itself. Understand the Purpose The first tip ties into what we’ve previously covered. Failure to understand the reason behind doing something means that when it comes to doing it, your results will be sub-optimal. Without using a KPI retail salespeople would find the purpose of their job considerably more abstract than they do. The same goes for performance reviews. Going into a performance review session understanding the crucial nature it holds for employees and managers alike is vital if you’re going to justify doing it at all. An appreciation for how a good performance review benefits all involved, allows you to structure, plan, and deliver reviews that provide positive change to the company’s way of working. 2. Set an Agenda A great way to ensure that you get everything necessary out of a performance review is to have an agenda set before it comes time to carry out the review. Distributing this through email or printouts to all involved, ahead of time, allows everyone to arrive, with employees engaged, ready to discuss the items on the agenda as compltely as possible. This not only reduces the issue of wasted time but allows people to feel more comfortable being active participants. If they’re looking out for something they don’t expect, they’ll never give you the most accurate depiction of their perspective. Without that, a performance review is rendered obsolete. 3. Set Specific Time One of the main reasons why even meetings with agendas can prove unsuccessful is that they weren’t treated as important by those organizing it. Carrying out performance reviews on the fly means that people are less likely to take them seriously or be prepared for them. And, as such, the results they garner are limited. Setting aside a chunk of time for the performance review to take place, and sending a meeting request email to confirm it, infers a gravitas and importance to it. This ensures that it is treated seriously and with a desire from all parties for it to be a success, and not something that’s being ticked off the list of things to do. 4. Track Employee Performance Even if you’re holding these meetings regularly, issues can arise in between one meeting and the next. Keeping up to date on an employee’s performance, and logging it through a process improvement tracker excel template, allows their performance review to feel like less of a chore to prepare for. It also gives the person organizing the review the chance to introduce any mitigating factors that can explain any uptick or drop-off in performance. Leaving this to the review itself can lead to unproductive and unhelpful performance reviews for all involved. 5. Active Listening One of the most important things to remember whilst conducting a performance review is that it is mostly for the person being reviewed. In short, the point of holding the meeting, whether virtual or face to face, is to check in and determine areas for improvement. You could always do this with an employee survey, but the purpose of a performance review is its inherent interactivity. By actively listening to what the employee feels is saying, you make a concerted effort to limit your comments or questions. It also means that anything you pick up on from them can be challenged or discussed there and then, as opposed to being forgotten about, which can ultimately help an employee improve their performance. 6. Choose Your Language Carefully It may be assumed that this point refers to performance reviews that are dealing with negative information. And whilst that may be the moment in which you are generally more careful with the language that you use, it doesn’t mean that this is the only occasion you should take time to consider it. Language is so important. Without it, our ability to communicate would be primal. And so, when it comes to taking the lead on the performance review process, being careful not to say something that feels leading or that puts unnecessary stress on the employee is best avoided. Training yourself to look at situations in the most positive light is a good way of ensuring growth and development happen. If you take a pessimistic view of the world, chances are this will bleed through into your performance review, causing employees to be more lacking in confidence than they otherwise ought to be. 7. 360° Vision of the Employee Journey When considering the content of your employee review, it’s important to accumulate all the data you have available. If you’ve discussed their background and their ambitions with you, be sure to build that into the context of your review. If, for example, you work at Amazon and someone was looking at becoming a manager at one of your fulfillment centers eventually, you can incorporate that into the performance review. If how they’re performing doesn’t meet the required standard for management, this can be used as something to work on. As well as contextualizing the whole process, it can afford people a motivation they otherwise wouldn’t have. 8. Ask Around Nobody is completely understood merely by seeing their statistics. The outputs or the performance that we drive through work is rarely a complete representation of our character or our ability. So, whilst your impression of a person and the contributions they make to the overall success of the company are important, there are other factors to consider. You could ask around, either in person or by using a call that takes place on your hosted PBX phone system. Get in touch with other managers who’ve had experience with this employee and ask for their opinion. 9. Agree on Next Steps Whilst we covered the idea of the future in point seven, we mustn’t just treat the future as an abstract dimension. Creating some achievable, reasonable goals to move forward with as part of the annual review of your performance means it becomes more than just a summary of the work someone has been doing. Understanding the phases of the employee journey makes it easier to introduce this across a period of performance reviews. It can either provide affirmation of what they’re already doing or suggest ways in which they can change to achieve better results. Either way, it allows the person to set goals in a manner that would, otherwise, be a journey without a roadmap. 10. Feedback Outside of a Review It’s important to not isolate the conversation you have with an employee to their performance evaluation alone. We mentioned earlier that you should keep track of how your workers perform between performance reviews and whilst you’re doing this, don’t be afraid to have a dialogue with them which you can direct through a performance management software. Doing this not only makes them more comfortable discussing work with you, but it allows them to rectify any issues in a manner that can be discussed at the performance review. Part of our performance appraisal is, of course, how we learn from our mistakes. Conclusion In this article, we’ve taken a look at what purpose performance reviews fulfill and covered some ways in which you can improve yours. We’ve discussed how performance reviews function and shared tips for you to put into practice going forward. It isn’t an easy adjustment to make, especially if you already have an established way of doing things. Still, it could prove to be a great way of getting the most out of the people who work for you. Author Bio: Richard Conn is the Senior Director for Demand Generation at 8x8, a Gartner Magic Quadrant Call Center platform with integrated contact center, voice, video, and chat functionality. Richard is an analytical & results-driven digital marketing leader with a track record of achieving major ROI improvements in fast-paced, competitive B2B environments.

A well-designed and well-executed onboarding process can make a huge difference in your retention efforts. It can also help your new hires secure a long and rewarding career in the organization. In terms of structure and rigor, your onboarding process should be similar to your candidate experience. After all, you want your new hire to feel comfortable in his new position as soon as possible. There are numerous advantages to making a smooth transition from candidate to employee. You'll not only increase retention, but you'll also improve your brand image and become a company that candidates want to work for. Others will want to work for you if you are perceived as compassionate and nurturing to new employees. It's a new trend that looks set to continue for a long time to come. What can you add to improve the process if you don't already have an organized, proven onboarding process? Here is a quick guide to improving the process and successfully onboarding new hires. Before new employees arrive Before your new employee arrives, make sure you have prepared thoroughly. The last thing you want is for them to show up on the first day and get stuck in an unpleasant situation. It will not improve their opinion of the company. To help you, we have compiled a list of things you can do to be ready for their arrival. Make an employee handbook It's always a great idea to keep your company's employee handbook up-to-date. It's a wonderful resource for every new employee, whether it's a physical book or an online document. It's worth noting that updating an online resource is much easier. This can include a list of all key personnel, company policies, and who employees should contact if they have any questions. Your sick leave policy, probation periods, and how to schedule annual leave, can employees get paid via bitcoin are just a few examples. It's also useful for new employees because they'll have somewhere to turn to if they have questions about the process or the rules. The handbook also serves as a useful reference for all employees during their stay in your organization. This guide was designed to help you navigate through those difficult tasks and help determine the right software for your organization, download our ebook now. Download now Create an agenda for their first week Make sure you have a schedule for their first week. This will not only give them some direction and an idea of what they'll be doing, but it will also help you stay organized. Describe any planned training, tasks to be completed, and meetings with key members of staff on the agenda. This can assist you to demonstrate that you have planned ahead of time for their arrival. As a result, they won't feel like fish out of water. Schedule a meeting Schedule a meeting with all essential members of staff to introduce your new hire. This could be for training purposes or simply to provide an overview of their work. Again, this will help your new hire adapt to the workplace and feel more at ease and comfortable with coworkers. It's also beneficial for them to be aware of everyone's function within the team. On their first day The importance of first impressions cannot be overemphasized, and you want your new employee to have a positive first day at your company. What’s more, starting a new job can be stressful, so you want them to feel comfortable right away. There are a few basic steps you may take to guarantee a new recruit is successfully onboarded. These are outlined below. Give them a companion It's critical that you spend time onboarding your new hire as a manager. However, you must continue to carry out your regular tasks. Let’s say your new hire doesn’t know when to post on Instagram. This is not a big problem, assign him a buddy to guide him through the process. That is why assigning them a buddy may be a beneficial solution. This might be another member of your team who can answer any of their more basic queries and guide them while you are not around. This might be another member of your staff who can help them with their more important questions and provide guidance while you are away. So, whether it’s a difficult task regarding a more successful user acquisition process or something small like how to manage their daily routine, it will also help build team working spirit and a friendly atmosphere. Take a tour of the office This does not have to be a time-consuming procedure. Give them a fast tour of the workplace, introduce them to each team and give a quick summary of who everyone is. This is also your chance to show them around the office, including the kitchen, bathroom, and any other useful areas. The HR team is the first responsible for the process of successful employee onboarding and settling down. However, other team members should also be open and engage the new hire into the team. After spending so much time in the office, it's easy to forget that everything is new. However, never underestimate the importance of showing your new hire how to make a tasty cup of tea! Book a team lunch Booking a team lunch on their first day is a good idea. This is also a fantastic opportunity for them to get to know their coworkers on a more personal level outside of the office and to learn more about their team. Don’t forget to shoot a fun video with your new team member and post it on your Youtube channel. You can use various useful tools like Youtube thumbnail downloader, video editing, channel management tools to create a professional and engaging video. This will be a big plus for your social marketing. Applicants wishing to work for your company will be delighted with this warm welcome. Plus, you will improve your brand image. Keep track of video marketing statistics, to use video as part of your marketing wheel. During the first few weeks Almost half of the professionals admit that they continue to search for a job during the first month of work. This is not good if you want to successfully recruit a new employee. You should help them get comfortable and feel like a member of the team within the first few weeks. Set goals for them While you may want to give them a week or two to adjust to their new role, setting goals for them sooner rather than later is a smart idea. This gives them some direction and reassures them that they are making a significant contribution to the team. They can be simple goals to achieve or merely to have a better understanding of the company's operations. From your marketing team to develop, make sure they know that their final goal is to track the SMS integration process or make major changes in the code written. By settling these objectives, you can guarantee that your new hires understand what you expect from them. In addition, they will not get bored! Meet with them regularly Chat regularly with the new team member. This way, you'll be able to see how they're doing and address any potential issues early on. Schedule a meeting with them at the end of each week. You can talk about their goals and know how they feel about their new role. During the first weeks, it’s also important to get to know the new member as much as possible. Also known as employee recognition, this process helps you uncover all hidden talents, skills, and resources your new person can provide. Check out how you can avoid making mistakes while practicing this strategy. Discuss their progress It seems absurd to discuss your new hire's next career move so soon after starting. They only recently joined, after all! Setting out a clear path for progress, on the other hand, is critical for morale. Professionals do not want to be stuck in a position that prevents them from getting promoted. Besides making sure to improve business sales and promotion, you should also take good care of your employee progress in various ways. It would be nice to ask if there are any additional workouts that they think they need or would like. You can also find out what they want from the organization and what they hope to achieve over the next few years. Invest in the right tools and automate your processes You should use the right tools if you want to onboard as quickly and successfully as possible. If everything is done manually, it might be a time-consuming process that reduces your productivity. There are many tools available but finding the best performance management solution will depend on your needs. You should automate whatever you can besides using the tools. This can reduce the time and effort required to onboard new employees, and save you money and time. Everything from HR Payroll Systems to training software can benefit from automation to speed up the process and make it more enjoyable for your new hires. Any employee app that can help you improve the onboarding experience should be considered. Conclusion It's crucial to remember that new employees aren't always loyal to your company from the start. To ensure a smooth and successful onboarding process, follow these simple steps. This will increase the likelihood that your new hire will want to stay and develop at your company. It will also help him get up to speed faster and start making a real impact on the company. About Author: This article is written by the Marketing Team of LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading global provider of Applicant Tracking, Onboarding, Offboarding, Communications, Engagement, Recognition, and Financial Wellness solutions. Its powerful and user-friendly software eliminates manual/paper processes, increases employee productivity and engagement, improves time and cost savings, and reduces regulatory compliance risk.

Whether you are hiring a technical developer or a floor manager possessing great communication skills for your organization, it's always a huge challenge to recruit the right fit for the job. On top of it, when you have a large talent pool ahead of you, weeding a competent person is nothing less than searching for a needle in the haystack. Therefore, in a survey, 2,300 HR professionals admitted that recruitment is their number one challenge. However, finding the right worker in between remote work culture and skill gap issues is hard, but not impossible. You see, recruiters, if you follow the systematic recruitment process today, you can effortlessly hire the best-talented professionals for your team. In this post, you'll get to know the top 10 tips to simplify your recruitment process in a breeze. So, let's get started. Tip #1. Focus on referrals Not many recruiters know that their employees are the best sources to acquire job applicants. In fact, 82% of employers ranked employee referrals as the perfect way to generate leads on new candidates. To get employee referrals, you have to encourage your employees to refer their trusted candidates for a new job opening. For that, recruiters and employees have to build a proper employee referral program based on: Company's long-term and short-term recruitment goals Create an outline to participate in the referral program like rewards, duration, ideal candidates persona, and other relevant details Regularly communicate with employees who have participated in the referral program Monitor progress of the referral program, etc. Tip #2. Personalize your recruitment process Today, 35% of the American workforce are millennials—a generation driven by personal experience. So, if you wish to onboard creative and enthusiastic millennials to your team, you have to personalize your recruitment process. Creating a personalized recruitment process isn't that tough; you just have to practice the following things: Share a detailed job description, including information about the company, its culture, job role, etc. Hiring managers should send personalized emails to potential candidates Interact with candidates throughout the recruitment process and keep them informed about every new development Tip #3. The competitive and transparent remuneration structure Foremost, offer the competitive industry package to the candidates. Secondly, share remuneration details in-depth, in fact, include salary and other perks information within the job description. If you are clear about the remuneration structure, in the beginning, people who aren't alright with your pay structure won't apply for the job. This, in return, will reduce your applicants' list, and you can quickly find a suitable employee. Tip #4. Write an exciting job description Your job description is an outreach message that tells potential candidates about a new job opening in your company. Since 54% of job seekers look for jobs online today, you have to post a job description online in a way that can excite people to take action. Those monotonous newspaper job ads won't work today. If a job description is written correctly, a boring job can be turned into something adventurous. Using these steps, you can convert a plain plumbing job into an exciting CIA level job Make a profile of your ideal job applicants Optimize the job title with catchy and SEO keywords Talk about your company and its achievements Share some of the job benefits Write job requirements in a clear and concise manner Use power verbs to describe the job responsibilities Tip #5. Build a good offboarding experience This might be a completely opposite approach, but it will offer you some long-term benefits. When you part with your employees on a good note, there's a high chance they might come back in the future to work for you. Plus, your ex-employees can leave a good review of your employer brand that will help attract the new talent your way. So, try to simplify the offboarding process for your employees, especially today, when employees are already struggling due to the pandemic. Tip #6. Adopt adequate technical resources Remote work environments have brought many new changes in the workplaces. However, virtual hiring is the new system with which many companies and candidates are already struggling. Therefore, you should first adopt all the essential tools that can smoothen the recruitment and onboarding process for potential candidates before inviting them to apply for a job role. For seamless virtual interviews, screening, and testing, you can opt for different tools like GapJumpers, Textio, ZipRecruiter, Wayup, and many more. Tip #7. Build a talent pool Every time you post a job opening online, you must receive plenty of great applications through job referrals and other mediums. But, unfortunately, you can only hire a limited number of candidates at a time. However, you should keep details of all the other potential applicants in your database. This way, whenever you are on a talent search in the future, you don't have to go through the entire process of posting, interviewing, and testing candidates. Instead, you can simply go to your talent database and recruit the right person. To practice this method, you should stay engaged with the potential candidates via random emails, calls, or social media. This will show applicants that you are interested in them and will surely consider them in the future. Tip #8. Solid social media presence You won't believe it, but around 79% of job seekers use social media in their job hunting. Today, almost every applicant goes on social media to check the company's profile and online reputation before applying for the job. Here if your company doesn't have a solid social media presence, it will not motivate candidates to apply for the job in your organization. Additionally, if you have vast online community support, you can easily find the relevant job applicants on your social media pages rather than searching on various platforms. Tip #9. Involve with a campus recruitment program If you are unable to find the right person for the job, you can nourish youth to meet your recruitment requirements. In addition, you can join hands with the top colleges and universities to help you produce the talent that you need. In 2020, only in the US, the college recruitment market size was $119.4 billion, which is amazing. Campus recruitment is also popular among the Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, and others. For a good campus recruitment system, you have to first partner with the right educational institutions and then stay involved in the selected candidates' entire academic journey. This way, you can motivate students to learn the skills suiting your job requirements. Tip #10. Hire professional recruiters Not every company hires professional recruiters to boost their recruitment process, which is a wrong practice. For an employer, it is impossible to stay involved in the whole recruitment program while managing another hundred business operations. On top of all, the virtual recruitment structure is different than the traditional recruitment approach. Therefore, based on your organization's size and recruitment needs, you should appoint a professional recruiter to undertake all hiring strategies. A dedicated recruiter can help you to build your online employer brand, streamline employee referral programs and all other recruitment-related operations in no time. Parting Thoughts If you have a great task force, you can provide a better experience to your customers and improve your business growth simultaneously. In short, a good hire can boost your business profit, and a bad one can derail it. So, you should follow all the simple and easy tips to hire the right employees who can grow your company beyond limits. Then, once you restructure your recruitment process using the 10 awesome tips, don't forget to share your experience with us. About Author: Sonakshi Paliwal is an associate at GreenThumbs - an HR firm. She has a background in Business and Psychology. In her free time, you can find her reading a book or watching a documentary.

Your company’s knowledge is an invaluable resource that includes customer information, innovative ideas, and data on your employees, products, and services.But what if this knowledge is scattered and inaccessible to the rest of your team? This is why you need a knowledge management strategy.A well-defined knowledge management strategy can help you organize your company’s knowledge, manage business risks, and maintain smooth operations.This blog explores knowledge management strategies and shares steps to create an effective knowledge management system. What is a knowledge management strategy?A knowledge management strategy is a plan that details how you gather, store, manage, and share information within and outside your organization.Using this plan, you can define how employees capture and share customer-facing and internal knowledge, thus creating a knowledge-sharing culture.52 % of respondents say that changes in the workforce have made them proactively develop internal knowledge management strategies- DeloitteWhen employees leave the company, essential knowledge may be lost. To prevent this, it is a good policy to instill the habit of developing knowledge documents as they go.Essential components of a knowledge management strategyA knowledge management strategy comprises many parts that work together to deliver the strategic goals of a business.People: Your staff should practice a knowledge-sharing culture. Encourage critical stakeholders with well-defined roles and responsibilities to support the system by sharing appropriate knowledge and providing knowledge resources.Processes: Written process documents provide organized steps for collecting, managing, and sharing information. When processes are transparent and well-designed, the knowledge system works better.Information: Information is organized and stored to make it readily available and easy to use according to best practices and security policies.Technology: You should adopt a knowledge management system to implement your plan. The software should be able to integrate with the platforms you already use to store information.Types of knowledge management strategiesThere are many ways to approach knowledge management. The following are the most common approaches to knowledge management strategy.Customer-based strategyThe customer-based strategy utilizes a customer-first approach in analyzing customer needs to inform how the strategy will be designed.It involves organizing knowledge in a self-help section where customers can easily access information.Data about customers is used to develop this strategy to improve the customer experience strategy. For example, support teams can use past questions from customer tickets to create articles with answers for future customers.Knowledge-based strategyThis strategy emphasizes gathering knowledge from different sources for storage and distribution. Systems are put in place to prioritize collective knowledge.It involves a knowledge base that acts as a central repository of information. This can be used for either customer-facing or internal systems.Network-based strategyIn the network-based strategy, a company uses a network system to store and share information. One or more platforms can be used to access the information from different locations. Interconnected systems and technologies are used to communicate over the internet.Centralized strategyA centralized strategy combines all resources in one place. It involves a centralized knowledge base that can either be a physical library or a digital archive. Such a strategy allows for consistency and accuracy of knowledge.Personalization strategyThe focus of this strategy is for employees to share knowledge personally through mentorship programs. It includes methods such as training or personalized onboarding where experts give guidance to other employees.Decentralized strategyThis is a strategy where information is kept in multiple places. Responsibility and ownership of knowledge is distributed across the company.The business accesses different information from different people and areas. This helps to avoid the risk of data or knowledge loss.Businesses can employ one or more of these strategies depending on their objectives. Analyze your needs to know the type of strategy that best fits you.Why do you need a knowledge management strategy?A knowledge management strategy can help you achieve company goals. The following are some of the benefits of having a knowledge management strategy in place.Improves customer experience through fast issue resolutionA knowledge base provides troubleshooting and user manuals that make it easy for the support team to find information to solve customer issues quickly and reduce ticket resolution time.Enhances decision making through easily accessible knowledgeA knowledge management strategy makes information accessible through a knowledge repository that empowers employees to make better decisions.A central knowledge store captures knowledge from several areas, giving employees a broader range of customer insights.Aids collaboration across teamsWhen employees share knowledge, solutions become easier to find. Productivity increases due to fast issue resolution. Through cross-functional team collaboration, your support staff can leverage the knowledge of company experts to provide solutions faster.Promotes better customer service through self-help solutionsA knowledge management strategy provides simple customer self-service solutions through an external knowledge base that allows customers to find answers directly and solve problems on their own. As a result, there is an overall improvement in customer service.Speeds up the employee onboarding processNew employees can learn directly from a pool of information already existing in a knowledge base. A good knowledge base design shortens the time it takes to train new employees.Helps manage risksA good knowledge management plan prepares for the unexpected by having backup plans to reduce risk and ways to get things back on track if problems arise. Data is backed up, security measures in place, and privacy policies accessible and well understood.Boosts efficiency of support staff by avoiding duplication of workA knowledge management strategy saves time by enabling the reuse of past solutions from a central knowledge base, boosting support efficiency.Steps in developing a knowledge management strategyYour company’s knowledge is its secret weapon. But how do you capture, share, and use it to win? Follow these steps to develop your strategy.Identify your knowledge management requirementsYou must examine your needs before developing a strategy. This means you must articulate your goals and objectives clearly.Gather all the requirements that the strategy needs to fulfill. You must also understand the company culture and processes. All this forms a foundation for a knowledge management strategy.Evaluate your existing knowledge management positionFind out how you currently capture, organize, and share knowledge. You should also figure out where all the knowledge resources in your company currently reside to help you set goals and formulate a good content planning strategy.Choose the best tools to implement your strategyEvaluate how the knowledge management software available on the market aligns with your needs and objectives. Pick the right tools for your strategy and budget. It should capture and store knowledge as well integrate with your other software such as a help desk software.Plan the knowledge management strategyThis step is for deciding how to put the knowledge management strategy into practice. Develop an action plan on how employees will use the strategy. Create a user manual and policy guidelines for all staff to follow. Plan how often you will update the strategy.Bring everyone on boardOnce the strategy is in place, you need to involve everyone. Share the action plan and make guide pages, FAQs, templates, and knowledge base articles readily available to all staff.Empower staff through knowledge management system training and ensure all stakeholders are aware of the strategies put in place.Organize your knowledge management resourcesOrganize your knowledge resources. Categorize them into sections and subsections to make them easy to use and access. You can do this using a directory or index of resources.Set key performance indicatorsKey performance indicators help you measure the success of your strategy. Set these metrics to help you know what works and what doesn’t. Use customer sentiment and feedback to measure the effectiveness of your strategy over time.Continuously improve and update the strategyThe business landscape is continually changing. Continually improve your strategy to be up to date with industry standards. You should check out other companies’ strategies for ideas.Monitor the knowledge management resources and strategiesMonitor your knowledge resources constantly to ensure they meet your goals. Ensure that you have dedicated time for employees to evaluate and support your strategy.Examples of knowledge management strategiesSuccessful companies understand the importance of having knowledge management strategies in place to disseminate information and streamline business processes. Following are some examples of companies with knowledge management strategies in action.LIKE.TGOur website has an external knowledge base as a central repository of knowledge. The LIKE.TG knowledge base has helpful articles and how-to guides for customer support teams and customers. In it, information is organized into sections and subsections.Its search functionality helps users find information quickly. Additionally, LIKE.TG links to multiple support channels for customers who need further assistance, improving the overall customer experience strategy.MicrosoftMicrosoft’s SharePoint tool offers a platform for users to collaborate and share knowledge. The Microsoft Teams tool gives a platform for users to share knowledge resources.The company also has a powerful search across its platforms for users to find information quickly.GoogleGoogle is well known for being a knowledge-centered company. It uses knowledge management strategies in the following ways:Internal search: Google’s internal search engine lets employees quickly find information across many platforms.Knowledge repository: Google maintains an extensive knowledge base of best practices through documentation.AI-powered knowledge: Google uses machine learning to analyze patterns in knowledge usage and predict what information may be relevant to users.Formulate an effective knowledge management strategy for successDeveloping a knowledge management strategy can help your company leverage the collective knowledge of its employees and documentation.Sharing knowledge, picking the right tools, and always trying to do better helps you optimize resources and grow your business.Use LIKE.TG’s robust and customizable knowledge base software to store and organize information about your brand as part of your knowledge management strategy.Contact us and book a live demo to learn more about LIKE.TG’s knowledge base software. Sign up for a free trial to get access today.I hope this blog helped you learn more about knowledge management strategies and how to create a suitable plan for your business. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

Onboarding employees is a vital part of any company’s hiring process. It sets the tone for what your new employee can expect and helps them feel comfortable with their decision to join your team. Converting a new hire into an engaged and productive employee is no small feat. Whether you offer an effective onboarding process can make or break their engagement, productivity, and your company’s culture for years to come. It’s worth the investment in time to get it right. Accordingly, you may want to take advantage of online employee onboarding to make sure that the process goes smoothly. A web-based employee onboarding system can make sure that you don’t miss any important points. Employers need to provide new hires with a good start. The perfect employee onboarding systems welcome new employees with open arms. What’s more, it provides them with the resources they need to succeed. To learn ten steps to the perfect new hire onboarding experience, keep reading. 1. Make Contact Before Day One Nearly a third of onboarding new hires decide to jump ship or stick around within the first 90 days of employment. With this in mind, it’s important not to throw your new hires to the wolves. In doing so, you’re sending the wrong message. With an official job offer, you can set the right tone from the start. Something as simple as an offer letter or first-day welcome email can go a long way toward making a new hire feel valued. Alternatively, a comprehensive electronic onboarding may do the trick. Whatever method you use to introduce a new hire to your company, make sure to use it before their first day on the job. 2. Make Their First Day Great Most new hires want to meet their manager on their first day on the job. They also expect to get introduced to their peers. These basic niceties set the right tone for long-term employment. More often than not, someone will ask a new hire about their first day of work. This question is common. However, the answer could mean the difference between a career staff member and someone who’s already thinking about the next employment opportunity. Accordingly, you want to make sure a staff member’s first day on the job goes smoothly. You can do so with the right employee onboarding tools. 3. Provide Structure Strong HR onboarding software can greatly boost employee retention. It can also significantly impact productivity in a positive way. For instance, you might clearly list a new employee’s roles and responsibilities in your employee onboarding software. It’s also helpful to schedule a new hire’s first week on the job a week or two ahead of time. The worst feeling for a new hire is not knowing what they should do next. With software onboarding, you can make sure that your new hires are always on task. Moreover, a highly structured first couple of weeks gives new hires the right impression. It shows new hires nonverbally that you know what you’re doing. For example, you can schedule and track meetings using an employee onboarding website. 4. Assemble a Team for the Process The amount of support provided by managers during the first two years of employment affects employee sentiment greatly. During this time, employees are clarifying their role with the company. At the same time, they’re evaluating how they feel about the job. They’re even weighing whether their salary adequately compensates them for their work. The best way to help your new hire maximize their potential is by assembling a team. The team will provide support and encouragement. You can coordinate the team with a new hire onboarding portal. Firstly, you’ll need a coach who can take on the role of mentor or advisor. You’ll also want someone else with experience in the position they’ve accepted. Your new hire will benefit greatly from their expertise when needed. What’s more, they can reach out to team members easily using your new hire onboarding software. 5. Take It Easy on the Paperwork More often than not, new hires spend their first day at a desk or in a conference room completing paperwork. There are tons of forms to complete, including I-9’s, employee handbook acknowledgments and payroll forms. Some jobs also require the reading and signing of lengthy nondisclosure agreements. As a result, the first day of work is typically associated with a massive amount of paperwork. However, you can use digital employee onboarding solutions to ease this burden. There’s a drawback to dropping a load of paper on your new hire the first day on the job. A ton of paperwork on day one can make a new hire feel disenchanted or overwhelmed. Alternatively, it’s better to spread paperwork out with HR onboarding solutions. Here, you want to afford your new hire flexibility to complete paperwork in a timely manner but at their leisure. For instance, with the electronic onboarding of new employees, you can allow employees to check all the boxes at their own pace. You may even think about making use of an employee onboarding app. 6. Onboarding Programs Are a Team Effort In a new workplace, it’s important to feel socially accepted. A feeling of social acceptance is a key factor in the success of new employees. With an HR onboarding solution, you can make sure that your new hires stay connected. It’s important that a new employee integrates into a company social network. In part, this kind of engagement provides new hires with access to important information and resources. It takes an entire company to integrate a new hire and get them up to speed. Here, you want to schedule face time with new hires and veteran employees. You’ll want to have them meet with experienced staff members from every relevant department in their first few weeks. Part of these meetings may include job shadowing when appropriate. You can schedule these activities with an electronic onboarding platform. You can also make use of employee communication tools that work just like social media. “Our hiring managers now have a reliable system that is easy to navigate. Our HR team can actively monitor the process, and assist if needed, but Onboard has helped them save so much valuable time and effort while increasing data accuracy. All of this has helped us improve compliance and gives us a powerful tool to achieve even more results in the future.” Kaylee Collins HR Analyst of Osmose Utilities Services, Inc Learn More 7. Establish Goals From the Start Most employees will stay with a company for three or more years when they have a great onboarding experience. Vagueness is the enemy of a great new employee experience. New hires need realistic and defined expectations. What’s more, they need these expectations communicated to them clearly. With a thorough understanding of their roles, new hires can effectively evaluate their own progress. More importantly, they can prepare for a future with your company. The right onboarding software can help your new hires keep their careers on track. 8. Maintain an Open Dialogue Nearly half of all workers feel put off when their superiors dismiss their ideas. After getting put on the back burner, most new hires will put forth the effort to share their ideas in the future. You want your employees active and committed. Actively listening to and responding to employees is a great way to boost employee engagement. Moreover, it’s vital to leave a channel open for honest, open feedback. By doing so, staff members are more likely to provide you with solutions to problems. In some cases, they may shine a light on a problem that you didn’t even know existed. Top-notch onboarding software solutions can help you maintain an open line with your new hires. 9. Share Your Company Culture Rating systems are becoming the norm for everything—including employee satisfaction. As company reviews become more common, HR professionals are noticing that the higher a company’s rating, the more likely new employees are to stay on the job. Most new hires don’t fail because they don’t know how to do their work. More often than not, their personalities don’t mesh with the company work environment. Ideally, you don’t want to hire new employees who are a poor cultural fit. Accordingly, you might assess employees in this regard. Even so, you’ll want to actively communicate and emphasized your organizational culture to promote the success of new hires. 10. Give New Hires Time to Adjust Often, both employees and managers look forward to a scenario where the new hire “hits the ground running.” This phrase gets thrown around a lot and career circles. In reality, however, most employees take about eight months to reach their full potential. Unfortunately, most employees who try to start out as company rock stars end up failing miserably. Any employer wants their staff members to start producing results as soon as possible. However, putting too much pressure on employees too soon can prove detrimental to their development. Even worse, it can harm employee retention. Why Great New Hire Onboarding Matters As of July 2020, there were 5.8 million new hires in the United States. During the same time, 5 million of them quit, were discharged or got laid off. On a brighter note, these numbers show that the job market persevered throughout the pandemic. However, this amount of turnover is abysmal. It can cost more than $6,000 to hire a new employee. As a result, it’s important to onboard new hires attentively. Hire New Staff, and Keep Them Around! Despite a new hire’s skill set, it’s important to teach them what they need to know to do their jobs. It’s also important to build trust during the employee onboarding process. Employees leave new jobs for many reasons. Some employees feel unsatisfied with their managers. Others may feel unhappy with their salaries. Yet other employees may feel unsatisfied with their career outlook or benefits. In many cases, however, you can avoid this kind of sentiment by setting up new hires to succeed. There are a lot of steps involved in the onboarding process. With the right technology, however, you can keep it all in sync easily. From Start to Finish—Your Partner in HR Now that you’ve learned ten steps to the perfect new hire onboarding experience, all you need is the best onboarding software. LIKE.TG is the most powerful employee management automation software on the market. Our goal is to help organizations manage human resource tasks more efficiently and productively. We’re committed to making your life easier by automating all of your HR tasks and providing you with a single, easy-to-use system that will save you time and money. LIKE.TG develops end-to-end onboarding systems for new employees. Our technology also allows you to nurture high-performing employees throughout their time at your company. With LIKE.TG, your HR team can easily manage every aspect of the job, including payroll, vacation requests, benefits enrollment, salary reviews and much more. Don’t wait. Start on the path to improving employee engagement today by claiming your free LIKE.TG trial. About Author: This article is written by a marketing team member at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG 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.

The demands of modern businesses continue to reshape IT asset management (ITAM) beyond traditional practices and tools.LIKE.TG commissioned Enterprise Management Associates to survey 450 global IT leaders on the state of ITAM. Our report, “A business view of ITAM,” sheds light on the most critical aspects leaders need to focus on to deliver ITAM success.1. ITAM has become a strategic imperativeITAM is no longer confined to the peripheries of technology departments. It's now a dynamic force driving business success amid increasing expectations to deliver tangible value.Our research indicates a remarkable shift in perception, with 62% of surveyed IT leaders stating the role of ITAM is gaining prominence. Businesses are requiring more. As a result, ITAM teams are expected to show value in a way that the rest of the business can understand.2. ITAM must speak the language of the businessITAM leaders must be able to prove value by reporting on key metrics that affect the organization as a whole. The research reveals the top five metrics organizations are using to gauge ITAM success are: Minimized security risks Audit performance and accuracy Employee productivity Optimization of cloud spend Level of automated processes and efficiencies To truly demonstrate value, ITAM leaders should align their efforts with these business-centric benchmarks. Collaborating closely with leadership to understand broader business priorities will help ITAM teams set more strategic goals.3. Success starts with accurate asset informationThe completeness and accuracy of asset information has emerged as a nonnegotiable factor for business success. However, only 33.3% of organizations consider the completeness and accuracy of their asset information to be “outstanding,” yet just 14.7% report it needs improvement.This disparity underscores a critical challenge: ensuring the health, or quality, of asset information. This is pivotal for quick, efficient IT service delivery; cost optimization; security and risk mitigation; and automation, as data lays the foundation for automated workflows to, well, flow. 4. Security (as always) is a major prioritySecurity remains a paramount concern, especially in terms of asset visibility. Although 44.4% of organizations recognize the critical role of asset information in identifying and protecting attack surfaces, challenges persist.More than half of survey respondents stated asset information isn't as useful to their cybersecurity teams as it should be. This reinforces the idea that security starts with quality asset information. You can’t protect what you don’t know you own.5. ITAM maturity benefits from a platform approachOrganizations with high ITAM maturity are better positioned to navigate the complexities of digital transformation. Only 26% of represented organizations reported reaching an “optimized” level of ITAM maturity—with optimal costs, minimal risk, and automated processes.What stands out is that 100% of organizations at this level are using a platform approach—managing all asset types on a centralized platform. This emphasizes the vital role of a unified platform in realizing ITAM's full potential. A platform approach will emerge as the “golden ticket” to ITAM maturity.6. Diverse asset types are being managed togetherThe push to bring all asset classes and types onto a shared platform for cross-domain workflows increased from 23% in 2022 to 34% in 2023. This indicates a continued dismantling of silo mentality.There’s no denying an overlap in the processes, teams, and tools involved in managing diverse asset estates across software, hardware, cloud, and the enterprise. More and more teams are merging technology and enterprise asset management into a single discipline, a trend that will likely continue.7. ITAM and FinOps collaboration can be beneficialHigh adoption of cloud solutions led to unbudgeted costs and caught many organizations off guard. In response, cloud financial operations (FinOps) is gaining awareness and importance as a strategic business function.Although only 5% of survey respondents have one team responsible for both FinOps and ITAM, 55% foresee a unified organization on the horizon for managing all asset types, including cloud resources.Nearly half (43%) of IT leaders reported proactive collaboration between their ITAM and FinOps teams, suggesting a symbiotic relationship. For example, insights into asset utilization and lifecycle can help FinOps teams make informed decisions to right-size cloud resources and help ensure optimal usage and cost-effectiveness. 8. ESG is top of mind for ITAM leadersEnvironmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives are increasingly on the agenda for IT leaders. In fact, 63% confirmed ESG is part of their organization’s long-term vision and priorities. However, they identified ESG reporting as one of the most challenging aspects of ITAM.Despite hurdles in funding, implementing, and measuring these initiatives, sustainability is taking a prominent role. ITAM has the potential to play a crucial part in guiding and influencing sustainable approaches to asset use, asset sourcing, and asset end-of-life planning.9. ITAM continues to expand beyond IT assetsThe expansion of ITAM in managing physical business assets remains a focus area, especially as technology becomes embedded in daily operations. Enterprise asset management is an area ripe for the application of vetted IT tools and processes to assets that the business has traditionally owned and managed.10. Automation is a necessityAutomation is no longer just strategic. It's a survival essential for IT, especially with smaller teams overseeing more assets and asset types. The integration of AI and machine learning (ML) into ITAM processes is becoming commonplace. Nearly half (43%) of IT leaders reported a high level of process automation aided by AI and ML.Because automation is dependent on accurate, up-to-date information, the need for complete and accurate asset information is critical.At the forefront of transformative changeNavigating this evolving ITAM landscape requires collaboration, business-aligned metrics, and a platform-driven approach. The challenges are vast, but the opportunities for ITAM to deliver unprecedented value across the organization have never been more promising.Gain more insights in the full ITAM report and our on-demand webinar, “Business demands modern ITAM.”

Onboarding new employees is a process that takes place at the start of employment with an organization, and it usually lasts around four weeks. To provide a healthy onboarding experience, it's essential to familiarize the new employee with their new workplace and help them to get comfortable with their new job. You can achieve the employee onboarding process by introducing them to some of your most essential practices and policies, like how you communicate with customers or how you do invoices and submit work reports. To help your new employee learn and improve their productivity as soon as possible, here are ten things you can teach them during onboarding that can create a healthy work environment. How do you efficiently train new employees? This article will look at the ten best employee onboarding practices, which is a part of the employee onboarding program that will boost employee productivity and increase retention 1. Introduce them to your team During a hiring process, when hiring a new employee, it's very important to welcome them to your team. Your culture is hugely important, so showing them what it looks like is one of their first steps into your company. Introduce them to everyone by having each of your employees share about themselves. It can help break up some ice and ensure that they feel like a genuine part of your team 2. Explain company rules When you are onboarding new hires, it's easy to get so excited about a new pair of eyes that you forget to give them some crucial information. But when you skip over giving them a clear breakdown of what is and isn't acceptable at work, you risk making your company look unprofessional—or even worse, an unsafe place to work. Make sure you have clearly outlined policies regarding both written and unwritten expectations before bringing on your new employee. And make sure everyone knows about them. Also important: Explain how to submit time-off requests or send an email request for more supplies without committing a major faux pas. 3. Make their first day memorable. On the employees’ first day, your new joiner will be excited to start working at your company. For many, that means excitement and optimism. When you're planning their first day on the job, keep those emotions in mind and design a great first experience for them. Here are some tips: 4. Give them a tour of your office. Introduce your new employee to other staff members and answer any questions they may have. You should also show them how to access different departments, where they can get help with specific tasks, and your company handbook. An organization can assign a mentor for such an activity. Your organization may also have additional protocols that you should explain, such as confidentiality or expense-reporting procedures. If you work in a physical space and your new hire is starting soon, give them a tour of their office or cubicle before they begin so they don't feel confused on their first day. Even HR professionals can also introduce new employees to office staff. 5. Explain what they need to get done first In addition to what you do as a manager, you must explain your expectations for new hires. The first 90 days are vital, and that time period should be used to teach them what they need to do before starting their job on their own. As a manager, you should provide a list of job duties and job responsibilities that a new employee should perform. Schedule at least two weekly meetings in which all of your team members share tasks for completing, whether assigning work or delegating duties. Ideally, each session will end with a checklist of who's responsible for what over the next week. Always provide an employee handbook for noting daily routines or important tasks. 6. Assign them an important task Teaching someone new to a company, department or job site isn't always easy. If your new hire's role is critical to your business, you have an even more significant challenge. Since mistakes and confusion can lead to lost time, money, and productivity (not to mention the loss of faith in your leadership), you must make sure they get up to speed quickly. 7. Spread out the paperwork Make it a habit to assign or hand over necessary paperwork when an employee is hired. They can review and sign documents when they have time to focus on them and won't be left scrambling in their first week. The same goes for welcome kits: If you send out things like company swag, checklists, or other welcome package items right off the bat, your new hires will feel supported right from day one—and more likely to work productively. 8. Start building up their relationship with you. Even though it's just a small thing, being nice is always a good idea. However, as you are helping them get started, make sure to focus on building up their relationship with you. It's important for them to feel like they can trust you and turn to you if they need anything. If they feel comfortable talking to you and know that they can always ask for help, then your first week will be all about getting them acclimated. 9. Put them in touch with other coworkers if needed. A new employee needs to get acquainted with their team as soon as possible. A great way to do that is through an effectively onboard buddy. If you have a large group, you can ask one of your established workers to act as a guide and help them learn how your office operates by teaching them tricks of their trade—and getting them acclimated in turn. So, if you want two employees who work well together to hit it off, they need to spend time together. Discuss more personal details, like their background It can be helpful to start a conversation with a new employee by addressing any questions they may have about their role, job description, and department. If you're leaving room for them to ask questions, try out a question like What are some things you want to learn more about? Be sure to make yourself available when it comes time for meetings and projects. Being accessible will set them up for success in other areas of their workday. Conclusion No matter how good they are or how much experience they have, every new employee needs cyber security training to perform well in their new job. Some of your best hires might be those that require more education. Please make sure your team and you are prepared for them by implementing these easy steps during onboarding. They'll quickly become productive and valuable members of your company. A well onboard employee can effectively contribute to the company and adopt the company’s culture easily. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

Hiring the wrong candidate for a job can be a costly mistake. When all you have in front of you is a pile of resumes, it can be hard to make a decision. If you know what to look for in a resume, it is easier to choose the right candidate. Simply looking at the basic information like education, skills and work experience is not enough. You need to find out more about candidates and what benefits they have for your business. Here are some questions to ask that will help you to make a good decision. 1. How readable is the resume? When you’re presented with many resumes to read, the readability of a resume can make a difference. If it is sloppy and poorly structured, you can quickly weed it out. A resume should impress you at first glance, and that has much to do with its format. Candidates could create a cv in a lot if different ways. You shouldn’t waste any energy at all on resumes with grammar issues, spelling errors and incoherent thoughts. You’re not looking for a showy format but simply one that presents all the necessary information in a clear and logical way. It shouldn’t use business-speak or technical jargon in an attempt to distract you from any gaps in experience or skills. 2. Is it concise yet compelling? A resume shouldn’t tell a candidate’s whole life story or use flowery language. It should be straight to the point and offer the most pertinent information. Focus on candidates that use hard numbers rather than irrelevant fluff. For example, knowing that a candidate increased a company’s website hits from 100 to 100,000 is an impressive statistic. You should feel you want to call the candidate in to discuss more details. Unless a candidate is looking for a position high up on the corporate chain, a one-page resume is sufficient. Many candidates today will get help from a CV company with professional writers to make sure their applications are concise and yet present all their key skills and relevant experience in a compelling way. 3. Does it show progressive career growth? You should see growth in the candidate’s career progression. If you see stagnation orregression, this is a red flag. If you want a candidate that will learn and grow with the company, it helps to know that they have done this in the past. The resume should show upward progression as a candidate masters new skills. They may have even moved to another company to avoid stagnating in a specific role. If candidates appear to rise meteorically in their responsibilities, it could be fiction rather than the truth. The advancement should follow a realistic timeline. “Our hiring managers now have a reliable system that is easy to navigate. Our HR team can actively monitor the process, and assist if needed, but Onboard has helped them save so much valuable time and effort while increasing data accuracy. All of this has helped us improve compliance and gives us a powerful tool to achieve even more results in the future.” Kaylee Collins HR Analyst of Osmose Utilities Services, Inc Learn More 4. Are there any gaps in employment ? Before the pandemic, gaps in employment were a quick way to assess job seekers and eliminate unsuitable candidates. Today gaps in employment for the years 2020 and 2021 may be the norm, depending on the industry. You need to consider whether candidates have used any gaps in employment in a productive way.Candidates should always offer explanations upfront for any gaps in employment. Repeated gaps in employment outside of the pandemic years could signal underperformance. It could indicate candidates are trapped in a negative cycle they could repeat. 5. Is the resume tailored to your job posting? If the specifics listed on the resume relate to your company and the job you advertised, this is a good sign. It means the candidate has not just copied and pasted information but has tailored the resume to suit the job posting. You can quickly eliminate generic resumes sent out to all positions within a specific geographical area. Focus on those that show what specific benefits a candidate could offer to your business. 6. What kind of online presence does the candidate have? The online presence of a candidate can be very revealing. A LinkedIn account can help you to understand the value a candidate could add to your business. Candidates who provide links to social accounts like LinkedIn on their resumes can show that they have contacts in the industry and have written posts relating to it. Other links they could include are Quora profiles, GitHub contributions, Twitter handles orwhatever else they choose to list. A candidate’s online presence can also reveal more about their personality and their values. This could help you to find out more about them as a person and see whether they would be a good fit for your company culture. 7. Could the candidate be exaggerating? Many candidates lie about their skills and extend the time they spent in certain positions. When you read through resumes, you have to be alert for possible exaggerations. Being confident about their skills is one thing but being over-confident is another. If a candidate lists all the skills you require on your job posting, even when they don’t fit with their work history, you can be quite sure they are exaggerating. Any inconsistencies in the resume can be a sign of exaggeration. 8. Is there too much personal information? If a candidate includes too much personal information in a resume, it could be an attempt to make up for lack of experience. Any personal information included in the resume must apply to the role or provide character insights. If information becomes too personal or revealing with no relevance to the role, it’s best to move on.It may be very interesting that a candidate is trying to learn how to code in their spare time. On the other hand, knowing a candidate for a company bookkeeper position collects dolls as a hobby is too much information. The fact that a candidate is happily married with three children isn’t relevant to their ability to fulfill a certain role. A summer job caring for animals at an animal shelter is only relevant if a veterinary student is applying to a veterinary clinic. 9. Does the candidate have any company recognitions? Any awards or recognitions candidates earned can help them to stand out. They can often demonstrate soft skills, such as teamwork and problem-solving abilities. The awards should be relevant to mean anything. Candidates should include the official title of the reward, the date and the level of recognition. They should also include what accomplishments the award recognizes. Consistent best performer or employee of the month awards indicate a strong work ethic. Community and civic awards show a candidate’s commitment to making a positive impact. 10. Are references included or not? It used to be common practice to list at least two references on a resume. In the digital age, this is no longer necessary. Candidates can proactively collect references in case you request them. It is currently regarded as more important for candidates to keep contact referee contact details private until you request them. This is because so many candidates apply for jobs, and contact details may not be kept as secure as they should be. When candidates have reached the final stages of selection, this is when you can request contact details. At this stage, you can ask candidates for three to four referees to attest to their professional experience and skills. It’s standard practice now for candidates to create a separate referee list and submit it via email. Conclusion Hiring the right employee is crucial as it can be costly to make a mistake. Ultimately, a resume helps you to find out whether a candidate can do the job. Take the time to look for key indicators of professionalism in the applications you receive. It’s not enough just to check off a list of the skills and experience you require. Applying the above tips will help you to effectively eliminate poor candidates and hire top talent you are able to retain for the long term. About the Author: This article is written by a marketing team member at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG 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

What makes a workplace a place of work? Is it the location, the office building, the equipment, or the amenities? No, it’s the people that determine both the quality of the workplace and the future of the organization. In a 2017 study by Gallup, it was found that only 15% of the world’s one billion workers are engaged at work. It’s a downward spiral that originates with our lack of understanding of human capital management, or more specifically, employee engagement. The more engaged employees, the better it is for the organization. With effective employee engagement ideas, employees are motivated to give their best, resulting in higher profitability, better customer retention, better talent acquisition and retention, lower employee turnover, and a safer work environment. But remember: An effective employee engagement strategy is not a one-day affair. Only an ongoing process will obtain incredible results. No credit card needed Less than 5 min to set up What is Employee Engagement? Employee engagement sounds simple but goes deep. A good employee engagement strategy improves the likelihood that the relationship between the employee and the organization will be positive in nature. Engaged employees: Are self-motivated Have a clear understanding of their roles Recognize the significance of their contribution Focus on future training and development Feel that they belong to a community—that is, the organization The Benefits of an Engaged Workforce Effective employee engagement results in more motivation and better job satisfaction, and thus, a lower cost-to-value ratio for your human personnel expenditure. It goes like this: While every employee adds to the bottom line, engaged employees add that much more. This idea, also known as the service-profit chain, was introduced by Harvard researchers in the 1990s that traces business profitability and customer loyalty right back to engaged, motivated employees. Top corporate leaders know that engaged employees can help raise productivity, increase profits, enhance customer experience, foster brand loyalty, and facilitate growth. The Best Employee Engagement Strategies Below, you’ll find an outline of the steps you can take in order to ensure that the employees achieve a positive emotional connection with the organization and the work they’re assigned to do. In essence, there are three main parts: Physical: The level of complexity of work corresponds to the employees’ skill set. Emotional: Employees understand the job’s significance and put their heart into it. Mental: Employees become engrossed with their work. 1. Hire With Engagement in Mind The decisions you make during the hiring process can lead to different results in the engagement of an individual employee as well as workforce engagement across the organization. Every new hire you make has the possibility to impact how employees interact with each other, either strengthening the values of your organization or detracting from the work culture. A successful hire occurs when a new employee aligns with the organization in many different aspects, including job details as well as the company’s overall culture. Salary: Your new employee’s salary expectations should match what the company can unfailingly offer. Values: Your new hire should respect how the organization operates to attain its goals. Competency: The new hire should have the skills to meet the responsibilities of the position. Culture: The new hires should possess personal and emotional skills to be on the same page with their new colleagues and management. This doesn’t just impact current employees; new hires should be adequately prepared for their new positions, too. According to a Jobvite survey, 43% of new hires leave their jobs in the first 90 days as they felt that the role described during the process of hiring wasn’t what they experienced when they began to work. Your newest employees will evaluate their experience more carefully during the initial few weeks with your business. If you are able to provide what you promised during the hiring process, it will deepen that initial good impression and make way for employee engagement. 2. Streamline Onboarding Developing a comprehensive onboarding program can be a powerful way to improve employee engagement and support the success of new hires. A good onboarding program should: Introduce new hires to the company's mission, values, and culture: Help new hires understand the company's purpose and how they fit into the organization. Orient new hires to the organization: Provide an overview of the company's structure, processes, and systems. Connect new hires with resources and support: Ensure that new hires have access to the resources and support they need to be successful, such as training materials, a mentor, or a go-to person for questions. Provide opportunities for socialization: Help new hires get to know their coworkers and build relationships within the organization. Set clear expectations: Communicate expectations around performance, attendance, and other aspects of the job. Assess progress and provide feedback: Regularly check in with new hires to assess their progress and provide feedback to help them succeed. Your new hires are only learning to navigate the complexity and will need assistance in specific areas. Thus, your first step should be to understand their viewpoint and work towards offering an onboarding experience that will keep them engaged. According to data from ServiceNow, organizations that offer inadequate onboarding programs have twice the chance of facing employee turnover. The first impression is crucial and will have a significant impact on new employees’ expectations. 3. Clarify the Company's Mission By making the mission a central part of the corporate culture, employees are more likely to feel aligned with the company's goals and motivated to contribute to its success. When employees know the overarching goals and values of the organization, they can see how their individual roles contribute to larger objectives. To effectively communicate the company mission, management should integrate it into all aspects of the workplace, from onboarding sessions and training programs to regular team meetings and company communications. Leaders should consistently emphasize and relate back to the mission in daily interactions and decision-making processes, helping employees connect their tasks to the company's broader goals. Additionally, creating opportunities for employees to engage directly with mission-related projects or community initiatives can reinforce their commitment and understanding of the company's purpose. 4. Set SMART Goals and an Action Plan Without any goals, an organization doesn’t have a direction to follow. What does it want to achieve? What does it need to improve? What is the role of the strategy? All these questions need to be answered first. Moreover, the goals that you set need to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely—that is, S.M.A.R.T. With tangible outcomes in mind, managers will be able to properly execute the strategy and figure out whether it is following the expected results or not Once the particular goals are in place, prepare an action plan on how to attain them. At this stage, the allocation of resources and definition of key performance indicators (KPIs) are taken care of to facilitate the measurement of progress. The effectiveness of the action plan is the responsibility of the direct supervisors. Employee engagement rates soar when they distribute the results and propose future endeavors. One of the ways to ensure this is to let your employees know how significant their contribution is. There are different ways on how to do staff recognition. Tell them how it is helping in achieving the organization’s business objectives. Simply speaking, organizations need to start making their employees feel that they matter. 5. Be People-Centric Employees are not robots; they are human. Organizations that tend to see employees as a commodity, but your employees are not another factor of production. They are prospective champions of your organization’s values and principles. Companies can become more people-centric by prioritizing employee well-being and development at the core of their business strategies. Actively listen to employee needs and feedback, providing comprehensive support systems like mental health resources, career development opportunities, and flexible working conditions. 6. Create an Office Environment Conducive to Work Giving employees a space that enhances productivity and satisfaction involves ensuring that all employees have the necessary tools, information, and training to perform their jobs effectively. First, the physical workspace should be designed to promote focus and efficiency. This means organizing workstations to minimize noise and distractions, providing ergonomic furniture, and ensuring that the office is well-lit and temperature-controlled. Adequate technology and resources, such as high-speed internet, modern computers, and effective communication tools, should be readily available to all team members. Second, maintain an open line of communication where employees can easily access the information they need and feel comfortable requesting additional support. This can be facilitated through a well-structured intranet, regular team meetings, and clear documentation of workflows and policies. 7. Offer Remote and Flexible Work Offering flexible work hours can be a powerful way to improve employee engagement and foster a positive work culture. Here are a few benefits of offering flexible hours: Improved work-life balance Increased productivity Greater employee retention Improved morale There are a few different ways you can offer flexible work hours, such as allowing employees to choose their own work schedule within certain parameters, offering flexible start and end times, or allowing employees to work remotely. 8. Promote a Strong Company Culture By prioritizing a positive and inclusive company culture, organizations can create a workplace where employees feel valued and inspired to contribute their best work. A strong company culture is built on clear values that are actively practiced and integrated into every aspect of the organization, from hiring practices to day-to-day operations and decision-making processes. Management should lead by example, embodying the company's values in their actions and communications. Regularly celebrating achievements that align with these values, such as teamwork, innovation, or customer service, can reinforce their importance. Additionally, creating opportunities for employees to connect with one another, such as team-building activities, social events, and collaborative projects, strengthens interpersonal relationships and fosters a supportive community. Lastly, encouraging open communication and feedback through town hall meetings, suggestion boxes, and regular check-ins can help maintain transparency and ensure that the culture evolves in a way that continues to meet the needs of its employees. 9. Establish a Sense of Community An organization is essentially a community; each member fulfills a specific task and serves the community as a whole. To encourage this community spirit among your employees, any engagement activity can help, from organizing a big annual event to simply taking a team out to lunch. Notwithstanding the hierarchy of the organization, it’s better to maintain a certain level of equality and unbiasedness where everyone feels they are important to the community. This philosophy is typical in the new-age technology startups where they adopt a more casual, no-walls organizational policy. Though sustaining this new business approach might be tricky, it can lead to highly engaged staff. 10. Recognize Employee Contributions Two out of three employees feel they do not get enough recognition for their work, according to Office Team data reported by Forbes. As a result, most employees will not deliver their maximum potential and may engage in unwanted behavior. And highly-trained and qualified talent will always be looking for better job offers. For this reason, it’s wise to create a recognition-rich environment where good work is rewarded with perks and incentives. At the very least, a few good words and a certificate of appreciation can go a long way in letting others feel valued for their work. 11. Invest in Career Development For many, just coming to the office, doing the work assigned, and taking the paycheck back home isn’t enough. They need to know there are sufficient growth prospects for the role they are fulfilling. If your employees feel that you don’t care about their professional development, they may begin to look for work elsewhere. Whether it’s by running a proprietary training program or sponsoring higher education for your employees, you are not only investing in the future of your company but also creating a sense of loyalty among your employees. Remember, every employee loves a company that supports them in their professional career and adds value to their personal lives. Want to retain top-notch talent in your organization? Ensure their professional growth and you will reap the benefits. Providing opportunities for employee development can be a powerful way to improve employee engagement and drive better outcomes for your business. Here are a few strategies you might consider: Offer training and development programs: Workshops, seminars, or online courses help employees learn new skills or advance their careers. Encourage continuous learning: Learning opportunities outside of formal training programs can include attending conferences, participating in webinars, or taking online courses. Set up mentorship programs: Match employees with experienced mentors who can provide guidance and support as they learn and grow. Provide opportunities for career advancement: Offer opportunities for employees to take on new challenges and responsibilities, such as leading a team or taking on a new role within the organization. Promote self-directed learning: Encourage employees to take ownership of their own development by providing them with resources and support to pursue their own learning goals. 12. Hire Quality People Managers Your secret weapon to spur employee engagement is the managers—they are the middlemen between boardroom members and the employees. In most cases, the employees interact with the top-level executives rarely, if ever, but have daily interactions with their immediate bosses. Whether they are feeling secure, angry, or ignored depends on how you manage employees. Gallup’s chairman, Jim Clifton, once said: “Employees—especially the stars—join a company and then quit their manager. It may not be the manager's fault so much as these managers have not been prepared to coach the new workforce.” While organizations can choose to educate their managers on how to better engage their employees, it’s always better to hire a capable manager first. Check their professional background and try to see if they are suited for the tricky job waiting for them. 13. Introduce Team-Building Activities Team-building activities can be a great way to improve employee engagement and foster a positive work culture. Here are a few ideas for team-building activities that you might consider:Trust-building exercises: Some of the examples include "Human Knot" or the "Trust Fall."Communication challenges: Activities that require team members to communicate effectively can help improve collaboration. Problem-solving activities: Examples might include "Escape the Room" or "Mars Mission."Outdoor activities: Getting team members out of the office can help them bond and have fun together. It can include a team hiking or camping trip, or a group outing to a ropes course or other adventure activity.Creative activities: This can be in the form of painting or art competitions, singing and dancing events, etc. It's important to choose activities that are appropriate for your team and that align with your goals for employee engagement. 14. Provide Incentives for Work Achievement Incentives can be a powerful tool for motivating and engaging employees. Here are a few ideas for incentives that you might consider Monetary rewards: bonuses, pay raises, and other financial incentives Time off: offering additional vacation days or flexible work arrangements Recognition: publicly recognize and praise employees for their hard work or send a hand-written note Professional development opportunities: training programs, mentorship opportunities, or professional certification courses. Special perks: reserved parking spot or a choice of office location Another option: a recognition and employee rewards solution, like Workmates. Our solution is customizable and offers a unique set of advantages, as an ideal recognition solution. Workmates increase employee engagement and boost productivity in the workplace. Workmates Self-Guided Tour We’ll show you how Workmates can engage everyone in your organization, transform your culture, and drive productivity to new heights. Start Now 15. Encourage Collaboration Encouraging collaboration can be a powerful way to improve employee engagement and drive better outcomes for your business. Here are a few strategies you might consider: Encourage employees from different departments or teams to work together on projects or tasks. This can help break down silos and foster a sense of teamwork. Encourage employees to share ideas and feedback with one another, and create a culture where it's safe to speak up and share perspectives. Host team-building activities or outings that encourage employees to get to know one another and work together in a more relaxed setting. Encourage a culture of collaboration and teamwork by recognizing and rewarding team contributions and successes. Utilize tools like project management software, virtual meeting platforms, and online collaboration spaces to make it easier for employees to work together and share ideas. 16. Facilitate Two-Way Communication Top business leaders generally believe in the open door policy and do not use “top-secret” information to their advantage. If organizations act secretive and only divulge information on a “need-to-know” basis, it will likely cause lower engagement rates among their employees. Transparency begets trust when employees understand how corporate decisions affect the workplace. But simply disseminating information isn’t enough. Communication should go two ways—the employees should be encouraged to share their concerns so they don’t feel ignored or unvalued. Here are a few strategies that can help your organization: Create a culture where it's safe for employees to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback. This might involve setting aside dedicated time for open discussions or establishing a suggestion box where employees can anonymously share ideas. Encourage employees to communicate openly and honestly with one another and with management. This might involve creating dedicated channels for communication, such as a team chat platform or a suggestion forum. Be open and transparent with employees about company goals, plans, and challenges. Regularly solicit feedback from employees and actively listen to their ideas and concerns. This might involve hosting team meetings or one-on-one conversations with employees. As a leader, model open and honest communication by being approachable and transparent in your own communication style. 17. Utilize HR Software Implementing HR software can be a powerful way to improve employee engagement and streamline HR processes. Here are a few ways that HR software can support employee engagement: HR software can help automate and streamline HR processes, such as payroll, benefits management, and time and attendance tracking. This can help reduce the administrative burden for HR staff and free up more time for engagement and development efforts. Many HR software platforms offer features such as team chat, task management, and document sharing, which can help facilitate communication and collaboration among employees. HR software can provide employees with access to self-service tools, such as a portal for viewing and updating personal information or requesting time off. This can help empower employees and improve their overall experience with HR. Some HR software platforms offer tools for setting and tracking performance goals, which can help employees stay focused and motivated. Many HR software platforms offer features such as learning management systems, which can help employees access training materials and track their progress. 18. Conduct Employee Surveys Circulate questionnaires and surveys that permit your employees to express their opinions and concerns. The more you ask for their opinions, the more they feel esteemed, entitled, respected, and like they belong to the organization. Conduct the survey in such a way that it will yield the most thoughtful, timely responses. The catch here is to keep the surveys short and conduct frequent employee-pulse surveys. This lets employees think properly and reply at a higher rate. Additionally, it’s a great idea to build a habit of transparency and share the results. Sharing all the data collected from surveys will demonstrate transparency and help you to engage employees. 19. Engage Departing Employees Offer appropriate transparency when offboarding an employee. Each will have their own reasons why they depart. The appropriate details provided by the team members when they depart can aid the rest of the employees in processing the change without making cynical guesswork. Apart from that, recognize your employees’ reasons why they are leaving voluntarily. When you understand and categorize the reasons employees leave, it will help your organization to improve. If any engaged employees are leaving voluntarily, stay connected with them. You can consider curating alumni networks to be in contact with past employees. It will give you access to expanded networking and employment opportunities. Plus, it might make some employees come back to your organization with new skills and experiences when new positions open up. Try Workmates Interactive Demo Click through it yourself withinteractive demo. Try It Now About the Author This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

In the modern world, hiring and recruitment have changed considerably, with far more interviews and candidate screening being done remotely. Improvements to internet access and technology, as well as limitations and convenience, have all led to these changes, and as people get more used to the idea of remote working and remote interviewing, it's becoming far more commonplace when conducting a job search. Despite the growing trend of companies hiring without actually meeting their candidates face to face, there are still a lot of concerns over remote interviews. It can be more challenging for both the hiring managers and the remote workers themselves, as sometimes it's difficult to properly read someone through a video call. Some candidates find it more awkward to do a video chat interview, and while it's true that it can be difficult, there are lots of things you can do to have a more effective interview. Just as with interviewing in real life, it pays to practice, but we'll explain some of the most commonly used tips for remote roles here. Use Effective Screening Before the Interview Stage Interviewing should be reserved for the best possible candidates in order to save time and resources that could be better spent elsewhere. As a result, you should always aim to screen candidates carefully before starting the interview process. Simply reading and trying to assess the quality of each candidate through their CV is one of the least effective forms of screening. There's no standard format, and there's no way to know if the information is correct. Pre-employment evaluations offer a far better solution. All of your prospects will be tested on the same parameters during pre-employment examinations. These tests assist you in quantifying the skills and abilities of each client that are most important to your open position. They also score them on the same scale so you can see who stands out when compared to other options. You can make use of a full product tour of employment screening evaluations before you make the next step. Review Your Interview Process Switching to fully remote interviewing is a big step and requires a lot of careful planning to ensure it goes to plan. If you're switching to remote interviewing, now is a good opportunity to review your current method. Think about how efficient and well-organised the current process is and whether anything can be improved at all. The majority of businesses do not have a specific hiring process, which leads to hiring unqualified candidates. You need to plan the hiring process and how it looks, taking care to consider the following aspects: From your team, who will they meet? What should they do in advance? Is it going to be an audio or visual call? Do you want them to be able to share their screen with you at any point? Prepare a Proper Introduction to the Company for All Candidates Create a branded content package that candidates can read and view before the video interview to acquire a sense of the company's culture and values. When preparing the content, here are some things to consider adding that will help candidates get a picture of the company they're interviewing for: Recent company announcements as well as any press or media coverage Glassdoor evaluations and employee profiles Client testimonials Perks and benefits Prepare the Technology When interviewing remotely, the technology you use needs to be in proper working order for things to go well. Technology is the heart of any remote interview, and if it doesn't work properly, the amount of insight gained from the interview is going to be extremely lacking compared to a face to face interview. This will be one of the most time-consuming aspects of the remote hiring process. Check for a good internet connection, as well as all other parts of technology that are used in the process. This includes webcams, microphones and a general sound setup for your video chat. Most video calling software offers a way for you to test out the call quality before calling, which is a good way to check if your setup produces a clear picture and sound. If internet problems are frequent, you should also be prepared with a backup way of communication in case the network's connectivity fails. Plan Ahead Just like with a real interview, it makes sense to book a time and date specifically ahead of time. Give the candidate plenty of time to respond to the appointment, so you're not asking them to attend an interview that day or the following day. You should also make sure to allow enough time for others to set up their equipment. Remember that not only you but also the candidate will be sitting through the interview. Lastly, you should make it clear that this is a formal interview and that, as such, it's important for the candidate to present themselves correctly, even if they're interviewing remotely. Conduct the Interviews Where Disturbances Are Unlikely If you're interviewing remotely, the chances are that you and your candidate are both working from home. If this is the case, ensure that you're in an area where you're unlikely to be disturbed. If possible, book an office out for the day while fitting multiple interviews into the same day and consider the acoustics and lighting of the room. You should also request that the candidate do the same to ensure the interview doesn't face disruptions. Body language and eye contact are just as important for virtual interviews as they are for the real thing. Consider Changing Your Questions for the Remote Setting While it's normally not advised to completely reinvent your interview questions, you might want to change them a bit for a remote interview. Consider asking questions specifically related to remote work, such as how much experience they have working from home and whether they have many distractions. Still, although these aspects are important, it's critical that you judge each candidate on their skills and merit. Have a Backup Plan in Place While you can test your setup and make sure it's working correctly, there can still be times when it doesn't work as it should be. In these cases, it's a good idea to have a backup plan that you can switch to. If your computer isn't working, you can switch to a phone interview or move to another device. Make the Most of Software and Tools Conducting an interview remotely is seen as a disadvantage to some, but if you make the most of the tools you have available, it can be a big advantage, saving time and resources as well as making it easier in certain aspects. There are plenty of free tools for video conferencing and interviewing that integrate into your existing apps such as calendars and more, to make interviewing much simpler. Consider Using Virtual Hiring Events For a slightly less conventional approach, you and your company can make the most of virtual hiring events and conferences, which offer a great way to reach new potential talent as well as network with other companies in the industry. There are now lots of these events taking place in all kinds of different industries, and they're usually very easy to find and join. Here you'll be able to get to know some candidates directly as well as learn more about current trends and industry insights.

Brands rely on customers to thrive. Thus, satisfying customers is necessary for your business to succeed. One crucial aspect that affects customers’ contentment is how promptly their concerns are addressed.Research indicates that nearly a third of customers anticipate receiving an email reply from businesses in under an hour.If your response time exceeds this, you may miss out on fulfilling customers’ expectations and lose significant business opportunities.Do you struggle with reducing your customer service response time due to an overwhelming number of support tickets? Fear not, as we have the solutions.This article will explore the ins and outs of first response time in customer service and provide ten exceptional methods to minimize it. What is first response time in customer service?In today’s customer service, the primary goal is to enhance the first response time, which refers to the time that elapses between receiving a customer service ticket and an agent providing the initial response.Responses generated by automation are not considered in calculating a company’s initial response time.Whether the ticket is about responding to a product inquiry, handling an unhappy customer, or finalizing a sales deal, prompt responses can significantly impact the outcome.First response time is an essential customer support KPI that you cannot ignore.Focusing your customer service efforts on minimizing it has the potential to enhance customer satisfaction, boost conversions, and even regain lost customers.How to measure first response timeTo be prominent in their respective markets, businesses need to set an exceptionally fast first response time as one of their performance standards.Record individual ticket response times by measuring the time elapsed between when a ticket is created and when the agent adds an initial response. Then, take the average of all your first response times in a set period by using the following formula:The best tips to improve first response timeAfter measuring first response time, it is necessary to closely examine and evaluate the data for patterns.This allows you to discover what causes delays in first response time, determine which agents respond the quickest, and interrogate how those agents are the fastest—these are crucial questions that must be answered to steer improvement efforts in the right direction.The following are ways to improve first response time:1. Train your agentsTraining and developing your team give it a strong foundation to rely on to pursue faster response times. Your customer service staff represents your business and helps resolve issues for clients. Here are some training tips:Encourage your team to focus on improving communication, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution abilities.Ensure that your agents have an in-depth understanding of your support policies and practices.Invest in your agents’ knowledge of and skills with the product or service to improve their customer service performance and enhance the customer experience.When agents possess comprehensive knowledge of the product, they can respond to customer inquiries more efficiently, reducing the time spent searching for answers.2. Take advantage of customer service softwareManaging customer emails and tickets manually is a daunting task. If you’re dependent on traditional approaches to addressing customer inquiries, achieving quick response times will be nearly impossible.Luckily, there are numerous customer service software options available that can simplify your workflow and lighten the load.Some help desk software empowers teams to access and respond to customer inquiries from various platforms, including social media, emails, web chat messages, and more, all from a unified dashboard.You can arrange inquiries according to various criteria, such as the date and time of receipt, priority, and subject matter.3. Create an adequate knowledge baseProviding customers with the opportunity to help themselves can often be the most effective form of support. This can be achieved by:Providing customers with fast and easy access to information without the need for individual assistance.Creating a comprehensive knowledge base that includes product guides and tutorials, establishing a self-service platform for your customers that will reduce the number of tickets created.When the incoming ticket volume is reduced, your support team achieves better response times and boosts agent efficiency. Agents are freed up to focus on intricate and pressing cases.4. Prevent agent burnout and reduce multitaskingEven the most productive agents may lose their drive to meet their targets when they experience burnout.When a large number of support tickets accumulate in their inbox, it can cause anxiety for agents and hinder their ability to meet response time targets.Managing multiple conversations simultaneously and responding to customer emails in between phone calls or live chats is an unrealistic expectation. It is not a sustainable practice.Therefore, your support team should pursue methods that maintain agents’ motivation, such as following a timetable that allows agents to concentrate on a particular channel for a few hours.This technique can enhance precision and excellence, translating to fewer interactions and quicker resolutions of customer concerns.5. Set targets and track response timesSetting measurable goals is essential to enhance average response times. At minimum, you should:Develop a strategy outlining how you will attain your objectives within a defined period.Establish targets that are tailored to individual communication channels.If you fail to define and track relevant KPIs like the average time for first response, handling time, and number of resolved tickets, it’s easy to lose track of how effective your support team is.Conducting thorough assessments before outlining the KPIs you plan to measure will provide valuable insight into staffing sufficiency, acceptable benchmarks, and areas for growth.Establish realistic goals and communicate them to your customers to manage their expectations.6. Prioritize tickets and categorize themCustomer tickets vary in urgency and importance. Some have the potential to cause significant issues if left unaddressed, while others may not be as severe.Therefore, it is important to categorize customer tickets according to their level of criticality or urgency.Though tickets have different priorities, each one is an issue that must be solved. The ultimate goal of customer support is to resolve each issue as swiftly as possible.To quickly solve critical queries or tickets from valuable clients, it’s advisable to assign proficient and well-experienced agents to them.This will give less experienced staff to address simpler concerns and become more comfortable in performing their duties.7. Prepare customer service response templatesIt is likely that a significant portion of your support tickets will be similar, if not outright the same.Instead of having your team create unique responses to identical inquiries, you can provide them with pre-written email templates to simplify their work.This approach not only hastens your response time, but also ensures consistent communication.By utilizing scripts and email templates, your team can avoid the repetitive task of typing the same answer to frequently asked questions, resulting in more efficient and more prompt responses.Over time, you will notice recurring queries. Ensure that your customer service team is equipped to handle these matters swiftly.8. Create an FAQ pageAn FAQ page, like a knowledge base, gives customers the ability to find their own solutions. Having a well-crafted FAQ can be a significant time-saver for both your company and service representatives in addressing user concerns.Be sure to provide a link to your FAQ page in various communication channels, such as email, websites, automated messages, and social media profiles.9. Establish a standard processBusinesses may struggle to improve their response time if they lack a proper structure or process for providing support.The most successful organizations establish clear procedures that make it simpler to handle customer service communication.Establishing a standard procedure for handling customer service inquiries is critical to ensure prompt and efficient responses.The procedure should address who should respond to inquiries, how queries are prioritized, and how long a ticket with a particular urgency should take to resolve.This enables everyone on the customer service team to know how to handle inquiries as soon as they arrive. When the correct process is in place, reducing customer response time is no longer a difficult task.10. Employ more agents when necessaryInsufficient staffing in customer service departments is a common cause of slow response times for many organizations.If you have all the previously mentioned techniques in place and are still struggling to achieve your response time objectives, it may be time to enlist additional customer service specialists to manage the workload.The important thing to keep in mind in this situation is that though it is easy to add more personnel to handle your ticket load and connect with customers, you need to account for the training and onboarding time required for them to make a noticeable impact.On the other hand, if the long response times is a sudden, short-term problem, you could ask members of operations or development teams to assist the customer support team on a part-time basis, such as an hour or two per day.Why is improving first response time so important?Businesses can significantly enhance the customer service experience and distinguish themselves from competitors by improving response times. Focusing on achieving optimal response times can deliver the following rewards to your company:Improve customer service efficiencyEfficiency means accomplishing more tasks in less time without exhausting your agents. Prioritizing response and resolution times ensures agents concentrate on essential tasks.Service representatives manage their schedules effectively and handle a higher number of tickets than the average agent.Improved customer satisfaction is associated with a low first response time.Knowing the first response time helps support team leaders identify necessary actions to decrease it and prevents customers from experiencing long wait times that may lead to frustration. Dissatisfied customers are more likely to switch to a competitor.Boost customer loyaltyPrioritizing customer service is crucial for brands as it engages customers and attracts potential customers. The loyalty of customers toward big brands like Apple is a testimony to this fact.By providing prompt support, brands can improve the overall customer experience, satisfy customers, and ensure customer retention. It is the positive customer experience that encourages customers to return.Enhance customer satisfaction and agent efficiencyCustomer service excellence doesn’t always entail resolving a customer’s issue on the first contact.Sometimes, acknowledging their email and informing them that you’re working on a solution is sufficient to keep them satisfied temporarily while also allowing your customer service team some breathing room.If the problem cannot be solved right away, your primary objective when responding initially is to recognize the customer’s issue, inform them that a representative has been assigned to their ticket, and give them a timeframe for when they can anticipate a solution.By sending a comprehensive initial response, you can ensure that customers remain content and understanding while your team focuses on their follow-up.Reduce support team workloadAlthough achieving fast response times may seem daunting, slow responses can actually increase the workload of your customer support team.If you fail to assist a customer promptly, they may contact your company multiple times through various channels, resulting in multiple support tickets for a single issue.This can overwhelm your team and cause unnecessary confusion, which could have been avoided by responding to the initial query promptly.Quicker resolutions make more moneyThere are numerous situations wherein promptly addressing a customer’s inquiry can result in increased revenue for your business.For instance, if a customer has a query about your product, responding swiftly could prevent them from exploring alternate products, potentially resulting in a sale that you may have otherwise missed out on.Improve your company’s reputationYour brand image can suffer due to slow response times, regardless of whether it is fair. As a business, it is important to foster brand loyalty and maintain returning customers, but slow response times can impede this goal.Bear in mind that customers anticipate rapid response times due to the abundance of companies that can fulfill those expectations.If your company fails to keep up with the customer service standards set by your competitors, your brand reputation will be negatively impacted.Potential buyers will also take notice of a company that provides exceptional service. Your market and rivals will acknowledge your brand as one that responds promptly to customer needs.Higher customer satisfactionProviding a prompt solution results in a favorable brand reputation and promotes customer satisfaction. When satisfaction scores are elevated, customer lifetime value is also increased.If you respond to your customers promptly, it indicates that you value their concerns, prioritize their needs, and go beyond their anticipated level of service.Better handle changes in ticket volumesBy monitoring and analyzing the first response time, you can develop strategies for agent productivity, staffing levels during peak periods or outages, scaling up or down for seasonal demands, and other factors.Develop empathy in your support staffBy correlating the first response time with customer satisfaction, you can gain valuable insights into how customers react to long waiting times.A high first response time can lead to customer churn and negative word-of-mouth, whereas a low one can leave customers feeling satisfied and happy.It is a common misconception among customer service representatives that they can delay responding to a question until they have all the necessary information.Even if agents are waiting for more information from the customer, it is vital that the customer and their problem be acknowledged promptly.Because the first response time indicates how quickly customers are informed that their problem is being addressed, it is often more critical than the overall resolution time.ConclusionIn our personal lives, prompt replies to messages leave a positive impression, while delayed responses or no response at all can be aggravating, disappointing, or both.Because customers expect a certain value delivered in exchange for their money, businesses are held to a higher standard and are obliged to treat customers with respect.The speed of customer service is crucial as it makes customers feel valued, but also determines their likelihood of returning. Perhaps even more important than resolving a customer’s issue is how fast the company’s first response time is.Schedule a live demo to discover how LIKE.TG can help your business improve its first response time. Start a free trial to explore its many capabilities. If you have any questions about the product and its features, feel free to contact the LIKE.TG support team.Related blogsWhat is Average Handle Time and How to Minimize ItTime to Resolution: What It is and How to Calculate and Reduce It in Customer Support7 Best Techniques for Reducing Customer Service Response Time

Every business leader has a responsibility to make their employees happy and efficient. Employees are the important asset of a company, and having them engaged in business activities leads to business growth. However, planning an effective strategy is conversely difficult, as it needs too much thought and time. That’s where the role of human resource management comes to the fore. How do HR departments ensure that they keep the employees productive despite the hustle of their work-life? This blog focuses on a similar discussion, giving you the most actionable tips to keep employees productive and the business successful. 1. Make a model of clarity and feedback. It is crucial to create an atmosphere where everything is clear. Like, if the manager does any mistake, it is their responsibility to admit it. Being honest plays a great role in the company's growth, and getting to admit your blunder is the most significant factor in building an atmosphere of trust and scrupulousness. It has been seen that whenever a person performs in a leadership role, they try to express their power by proving themselves right in every situation. Moreover, it takes a lot of strength to accept when they are wrong, so forming a transparency layer whenever making any mistake will enhance your image in front of management and raise a new learning environment. 2. Provide a Pleasant and Motivating Working Setup Another thing you can do is to create a suitable work environment for the employees. So, you can outline it in a way that makes the employees feel satisfied during working. A healthy work environment usually helps the employees stay focused and free of distractions. For a relaxed atmosphere, you can keep in mind some things like Ample lighting, fixed setting, Pleasant temperature, Conventional space, Admirable food, and so on. Even meeting the necessities like Fresh and Clean air can make employees feel satisfied and keep them motivated the whole day. HR mistakes impact your entire organization. Learn how to avoid the 12 most common mistakes with our free ebook. Download now 3. Give your team certain tools When you decide to give your team all the high-quality tools, they will not feel needy and not lose their time asking the leaders to give them what they need to perform the task. Moreover, if the employees are working from home, try to give them the best management tracking applications that will enable them to efficiently connect with the team members and take precise feedback from the team. Also, the employee can put their queries through the tool. This can create a professional environment this is significant for every organization. 4. Help employees to feel valued. Whenever any employee does the task at hand on time or delivers on other metrics, like improving the profits, it will work if you appreciate or credit them. Organizations that do so successfully build a feeling of pride and are admired by the employees. They try to perform better next time, and this is how they remain encouraged. If any employee commits a mistake, instead of yelling at them or punishing them, give them the word "it's ok." This will not discourage the team members and make them more responsible for the future to not commit the same mistake again. Also, through support, employees dedicate themselves to work, which increases their engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. Being a manager or a team leader, you can create a positive impact on your employees. Only a positive environment among all will be the most suitable option to get the desired outcomes. 5. Keep Employees Occupied If you want your employee to stay productive and deliver great work, you can create a complete manual in a simplistic style. Keep in mind that the employee guidebook will consist of aspects like handling a specific situation or other things. To make them feel like a part of the organization, you can also ask them about their manual approaches. Other than this, it will work if you have regular meetings with your employees to keep them occupied. Make sure that everyone gets the chance to raise their concerns. This will create a positive work-life balance that eventually leads to the company's progress. People feel that the entire team cares about their opinions when addressing their particular issues/products/services. 6. Dodge micromanagement Earlier, the companies hesitated to provide remote work, as they were not convinced with the idea and believed that the same level of productivity could not happen remotely. However, these days, everyone is doing remote work. Therefore, managers find it easy to micromanage their teams to upscale their business. But, at the same time, companies should also respect their employees and set clear expectations. As per the analysis, it has been noted that almost 59% of employees who worked under the manager were micromanaged. While 55% stated, it served them being fruitful. On the other side, 68% find that they overcame their confidence. Therefore, it is not easy for a manager to bother their juniors to monitor everything going around. Instead, both should correspond to the specific goals, and if the goals are met, managers don't need to worry about the place and how. 7. Allow your team to work at a flexible schedule. A 9-5 work schedule doesn't look fit at all. However, each employee who works under this span doesn't have to be productive. Thus, you can choose to provide your employees with adjustable work hours like the other companies without considering the negative aspects. This will allow the employee to build a flexible schedule. Most likely, they will be more productive during the timings that they choose for themselves to work. Also, this will make them happy and content, which ends in boosting productivity. At first, you can analyze everything by outlining the guidelines regarding attendance, information, and availability. Then, continue to start with a manageable schedule for a single unit and watch the employee's performance accordingly. If, after doing this, you find the employee to be productive then, you can decide on giving manageable timings to the other units. Don't forget to review their performance from time to time. 8. Allow Breaks Most times, you will find your employees to be bored and dull during work hours. It implies that they need a pause from your side to refocus over. Therefore, it will be ideal if you give them a rest of 10-20 minutes after one 101 hours of working, as it will help them revive their mind and refocus later on. Suppose you encourage breaks, whether, for a snack, tea, bathroom, a glassful of water, or to move, you will find that your employees will stay stimulated, which continues the business' progress. 9. Make your employees part of the bigger picture. As a team leader or a time manager, you can notify your team about the company's ultimate goals and strategies. This will strengthen communication, and it is an excellent way to keep everyone on the same page. Your choice can make your productive employees feel appreciated, and it will direct them to work with more devotion for the company's growth and attainment of collective goals. 10. Be compatible If you want everything to go smoothly, keep in mind to stay steady. At the same time, it is great to connect with the team members at every level. This will make you aware of employee happiness, and how they work to meet the organizational objectives. Hopefully, after getting the information given above, it will clarify that both the commitment and productivity go concurrently. Therefore, by following the tips, you can create an environment that boosts up the employee's productivity, confidence, and recognition at the same time. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!

What is An Employee Onboarding Process? An employee onboarding process is a way of introducing new hires to the organization’s culture and environment. The time taken to complete the employee onboarding process varies from organization to organization but typically extends for a period of 90 days. Post this time duration, the employee is considered to be up to speed with the company culture and values. For nearly all organizations, the employee onboarding procedure starts as soon as the offer letter is sent out. Employee onboarding is crucial as it is the first impression an employee gets of the organization post the lengthy interview process. A successful employee onboarding process leaves a positive impression on the employee and serves as a motivation to join the company. It is also necessary to help new hires settle down in their jobs, get to know about the company, and socially connect with the team members. Tips for Successful Employee Onboarding Employee onboarding covers a number of activities to make new hires feel that they are an integral part of the company. The activity list is provided to the new hire in the form of an onboarding checklist. Here is a list of top 10 tips for successfully onboarding new employees, 1. Don’t wait till their first day The first day of work is always nerve-wracking. Employers must include new hires in the team's communication from the time the offer has been made instead of waiting for the first day. The process is commonly known as employee pre-boarding. During pre-boarding, employers send materials to clients to get them up to date with the team dynamics and job duties. You can take help from one of the best onboarding tools to stay organized. Employees considering joining the organization usually have a lot of questions and answering them in advance would improve the chances of them actually joining. Pre-boarding communication ensures employees get to know their coworkers. 2. Prepare managers to welcome the new hires As part of new hire orientation, it is important to prepare managers in advance in order to speed up the onboarding process. It helps to get employees fully productive 25% faster than usual. Onboarding checklists for managers should include welcome messages for new employees, assigning a mentor/buddy for the new hire, discussing roles and responsibilities, setting up on-boarding check-ins, helping them build a social network, etc. Ultimately it is beneficial for managers if the new hire starts contributing as soon as possible. New hires should not be considered as an individual entity but an integral part of the team. 3. Teach team dynamics to new hires New hires must get familiar with the inner workings of the company as well as their respective teams. The employee onboarding process includes helping new hires understand the team dynamics especially because acclimatization to this may take more time as compared to getting started with duties of the job. Ensure that the new hires get started on the right foot by educating them in the healthiest way possible. The person mentoring the employee might pass on their own biases which is not an ideal situation. During employee, onboarding keeps things transparent and let employees build their own opinion. 4. Define robust expectations Avoid ambiguity while setting expectations at the beginning of the new job. Do not completely rely on employee handbooks and job descriptions to convey your expectations to the employee. Employee onboarding must consist of managers preparing a robust set of guidelines including topics such as deadlines and how deliverables will contribute towards company growth. This should be a living document that can be revised multiple times throughout the new hire orientation process. The document must cover company culture along with team-specific issues. This process helps in bringing the employee to full productive power in no time. 5. Schedule regular check-ins Employee onboarding is an ongoing process. As discussed earlier, the employee onboarding process should start at the moment an offer letter is handed over to the employee, similarly, the employee onboarding process must go beyond the point when the employee is considered to be up to speed with everything. The best way to implement this is to schedule regular check-ins between the new hire and their manager. This is the time when manager and employee can both sit together and revisit the expectations to set new ones. Onboarding best practices like this help new hires to stay on track. 6. Do not forget to assign a buddy/mentor Mentors can be greatly helpful for the new hire orientation process. Several companies have adopted a mentor program or a buddy program where a high-performing employee assists the new hire in the initial days and greatly contributes to increasing their chances of success at the organization. During employee onboarding, the person assigned as mentor shall answer all the questions a new hire might have and take a more personal interest as the manager is not always available. Mentor/ Mentee relationship will help new hires form social connections and have a positive role model in the office. 7. Ensure that they get to know the team Onboarding best practices include ensuring that the new hire gets to know their team and form connections. It may be an opportunity to form relationships with coworkers that will last for years to come, even beyond their employment at the current organization. As soon as the new hire gets comfortable in their working environment, they will start being productive. It should be a priority to make them feel part of the team. 8. Encourage new hires to ask questions During employee onboarding, New hires are full of questions regarding their work, their team, transport, cafeteria, compensation, benefits, health, insurance, etc. The new culture, new tasks, new coworkers, new jargon, might confuse them and they will seek guidance at some point. To proactively deal with this problem, create an FAQ addressing some common questions that may confuse the employees. Create an environment of openness and comfort to encourage new hires to ask questions without worrying. Assigning a mentor is another great initiative to make sure all the questions of the employee are being answered promptly. 9. Announce the new hires arrival Sending a welcome message for new employees can be part of the announcement that is aimed at letting the team members know about the new joiner. Schedule meet and greet events with collaborators and teams so that the new employee gets acquainted with the team. Scheduling meets and greet with the company leaders can help new hires learn from their experiences by hearing their stories. Meet and greet events can be organized in both remote and physical settings. Ensure that the new hire feels comfortable with the team and doesn’t hesitate to ask for help from anyone. 10. Employee engagement and team building must be an ongoing process Once the onboarding is successfully completed, there is still a lot that can be done in terms of employee engagement and team building. Provide new hires with ample opportunities to build key relationships by organizing team-building events. Pair the new hire randomly with different team members for virtual coffee meetings. Recognizing the efforts and providing recognition can be useful in motivating the new hire to keep contributing positively. Ask new employees to fill up a candidate survey to know how your employee onboarding program is performing in reality. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!

The hiring manager is one of the most influential people for the new hires during the first workdays. The manager’s primary role is to help the employee adapt to the new position and ensure that he/she understands the responsibilities and company’s values. It is possible to compare the hiring manager with the paper writer expert. Both of them provide necessary recommendations, help overcome challenges, and share all vital information to finish the tasks. Here, we will talk about the best practices for the hiring manager to ensure the successful onboarding of the new workers. 1. Start with Preboarding Starting with pre-boarding is the best strategy to make the whole process comfortable for the new hires. No doubt that the employees suffer from anxiety after they sign a job offer. Thus, the first day at a new company is very stressful. So, the main aim of the hiring manager is to help the new hire overcome this challenge. Here are the main steps for the pre-boarding: Send a welcome kit and introducing email to tell about what to expect on the first day; Make sure that the new employee finished all the admin tasks; Host informal team session to introduce the new hire to the team; Prepare the onboarding checklist. 2. Prepare the Plan for Onboarding One more good idea is to prepare the plan for the whole onboarding. You should list all necessary tasks to complete during this period. Think about what information is crucial to be shared during the first days. A good plan should be well-structured and diverse. The next step is to split the list of tasks into several periods. Then, you need to set a deadline and plan a meeting after each period. This way, the onboarding will be effective to its full extent. 3. Introduce Company’s Values The company’s culture and values are among the top interview questions asked by job seekers. And it is not surprising at all, as the values are a crucial part of the working process. So, the hiring manager's goal is to introduce and demonstrate the company's culture as soon as possible. You can prepare presentations or send an email/a short guide with main values. However, only reading about it won’t be effective. Additionally, you can engage the team members in this process. Other workers can share the stories from the company’s experience to demonstrate each of the values. 4. Involve the Team in Onboarding Process Social interaction is also an integral part of the onboarding process. The new hire should feel the part of the company from the first days on the position. That’s why the hiring manager should inform other workers about the new worker and encourage them to welcome him/her. One more nice idea is to arrange a welcome meeting where every team member will introduce himself/herself and talk about main responsibilities. This way, the employee will get a more clear vision of the team and main work processes. 5. Assign a Teammate to Help the New Hire The next step is to assign a teammate who will help the new hire to adapt to the company’s atmosphere. Sometimes, employees feel confused when asking for advice from the hiring managers or the team lead. Hence, someone from the teammates can provide a helping hand during the first days of work. And the new hire won’t hesitate to ask mundane but very important questions. 6. Let the New Hires Learn in the Workflow No doubt that it is easier to learn something new in the workflow. This way, the new employees will get the answers to crucial questions right when they need them. One of the best ways to ensure workflow learning is to prepare the course with specific information about the main job responsibilities. Creating a collaborative learning platform is also useful to provide the new hires access to all mandatory data during the onboarding process. Hence, the workers will combine the work process with necessary learning. 7. Do not Overload with New Information The hiring managers should remember that the excessive amount of new information during the first workdays is not a good idea at all. If you want to improve work efficiency and ensure that the worker adapts to all processes, divide the whole data into several blocks. Provide enough time for the employee to learn all the information and understand how to use new data in practice. Also, the new hire should have an opportunity to ask questions during the onboarding process concerning each process in the workflow. 8. Conduct Regular Check-Ins Conducting regular check-ins will ensure that the new hire learns all necessary information. Also, it is a nice opportunity to discuss the progress, find out possible challenges, and prepare the strategy on how to solve all issues. One more benefit of regular check-ins is the ability to analyze the worker’s performance. So, make sure that you set up the deadline for each training period and arrange a meeting at the end of the timeline. 9. Collect and Analyze the Feedback Collecting and analyzing feedback from new hires is necessary to understand how the employees are engaged in the process. Furthermore, it helps to clarify whether the new worker understands his/her role and the company’s policies. While communicating with the new employee, ask whether he/she is satisfied with the communication with the manager and other team members. Finally, ask for possible suggestions on how to improve the onboarding process. 10. Celebrate First Year Anniversary After the new hire finishes the onboarding and probation periods, it does not mean that you should forget about him/her. As the studies show, the onboarding process continues right till the first anniversary. So, it will be a good opportunity to celebrate and reflect on achievements. The hiring manager should discuss the main employee's achievements, set up new goals for future development, and ensure that the worker is satisfied and happy with his/her position Final Words Now you know all the secrets of effective employee onboarding. But we would like to add that the new hires are really vulnerable and need your help and support. So, remember that you are the main person who will guide him/her for quite a long period. Author Bio: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!