How a New Employee Engagement Program Improves Retention
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- How to prevent early turnover from new hires
- What to include in a new hire retention program
- How to use technology to control for variables in the process
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Leadership support for the initiative
- A single point of accountability for ownership of the program
- (optional) a Team Engine subscription to automate the process
At A Glance
Challenges
High employee turnover
Lack of communication with front line workers
No consistent process for gathering employee feedback
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Outcomes
Significant reduction in turnover
More oppurtunities for employees to provide feedback
Direct line of communication from the front lines to Human Resources
The Problem: High Employee Turnover in the Warehouse
When Ryan, the Training Development Manager at O’Neal Steel, noticed that high turnover was occurring in their warehouse, he started digging into the data to try to understand why.
"We realized that within the first six months of new employee tenure, the turnover rate was over 60%. And then once you cross that six-month threshold, it was dipping down to around 30%. So, you're cutting in half if you get them through the first six months," Ryan concluded, and started wondering what they could do to get people engaged and get them bought in over the first six months.
"We believe that if they understand our culture—if they see how we do things—that they'll stay long term," he said.
The Solution: An Automated 6-Month On-Boarding Program
Ryan and his team knew they needed some kind of simple (but structured) program to guide new hires through their first six months at O’Neal Steel. So he developed a robust orientation program to facilitate engagement between the new employee and their manager. They branded it as “The 180 Day Experience” and defined the goals of each phase of the new hire’s tenure.
Ultimately, they wanted to make sure the employee felt welcome and invested in by the organization. Ryan knew he wanted the program to have the following components:
- Weekly 1-on-1 check-ins for the first month
- Monthly 1-on-1 check-ins for the remaining 5 months
- Periodic reminders with helpful information, such as how to retrieve paystubs and use company communication platforms
- Periodic check-ins from HR asking if training has been adequate, what additional training they would like, if the job is meeting their expectations, and what else they need to be successful in their role
What he didn’t know, however, was how to execute the program. That is, until he found Team Engine.
The Impact
Not only was Ryan able to configure the entire program to run on Team Engine, he did it in a way that automates each employee’s experience and controls for as many variables as possible.
For example, managers are notified a day before one of their direct reports hits a new milestone and is due for a check-in. The reminder emails are effective at making sure the meeting happens, but Ryan took it a step further. Rather than just reminding them to have the meeting, he lays out specifics on where the employee should be in their onboarding journey, as well as talking points for discussion.
He also sends text message reminders to the new employees with helpful information and reminders as they hit certain milestones in their first 180 days.
Turnover in the warehouse at O’Neal Steel has been trending downward since implementation of The 180 Day Experience. Fewer new hires are leaving because they’re more engaged with their jobs, which Ryan and Mindy, the HR Manager at O'Neal Steel, believe is a result of the sense of belonging and acknowledgement they have at work.
They’ve seen additional benefits to using Team Engine outside of The 180 Day experience, too, including improved communication among the leadership team and fast communication with team members.
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How Team Engine Improved Employee Turnover at O'Neal Steel
Automated Text Message Workflows
Ryan used Team Engine's text message workflows to automate a 6-month on-boarding program that helped new hires feel welcome, informed and valued.
Better Communication Between New Hires & Managers
The onboarding program also reminds managers about check-ins with their direct reports so that they are prepared to meet for regular in-person check-ins.
Quick Response Time to Employee Inquiries
Employees love being able to text in with questions—whether to their manager about shift times or to HR about benefits.
Start Texting With Your Employees & Applicants Today for a More Engaged Workforce Tomorrow
Make it easy for your blue-collar personnel to communicate with you by meeting them on the channel they prefer most: text messaging. Make it easy for you to communicate with them by using Team Engine’s texting software with automations, surveys, language preferences & more.