Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1497518
32 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2023 talent we need. Second, just because it is the way it has always been done, doesn't mean that our competition is standing still. (Your compe- tition includes more than just other electron- ics companies, by the way.) ird, employees' expectations are high. More employees, both new and existing, say that they are willing to change employers, jobs, and even careers to be more fulfilled at work. ink about when you purchase a new $500,000 piece of equipment. You make sure delivery is on track. You may oversee the installation, ensure that those working with the equipment understand its purpose, and plan for its successful deployment. You need to approach your employees in the same way. ey are your most valuable resource. How do you onboard your most pre- cious asset, your newest team member? In my research on onboarding practices, I learned several ways to onboard successfully. Before their first day, let the HR department handle all their forms (i.e., payroll and insur- ance) online. New employees can review and submit these forms at their leisure, perhaps adding references if needed. On the HR front, this helps change their "to-do's" to much easier "to reviews." Ask supervisors to reach out to new employ- ees before they arrive for their first day of work. ey can email them a welcome message or advise them on any particulars of the first day, such as dress code. ey can invite them to lunch with the team, review upcoming team activities, or send them a first-day schedule. ey can provide them contact information should any concerns arise upon arriving at the company. When new employees know what to expect, they come to work feeling more com- fortable and confident. e team can reach out to new employees as well, but less formally. For example, they may contact them via LinkedIn to greet and share their enthusiasm for them joining the team. Once training begins, you may want to con- sider: • Outsourcing general industry training. Tying up your valuable resources in train- ing that covers more than what is unique to your company is a waste. Most likely, most of your uniqueness probably isn't that unique. Check out education.ipc.org if you need help on this front. • Focusing on the quality of training. Be sure the training is not just "a talking head" or some PowerPoint deck. Learning is the goal, not boredom or just passing the time. Your training should use various modalities of learning so that information is retained. • Balancing training with integrating new staff to the team and including them in meetings. All activities need to take place. • Ensuring that real interaction happens between the supervisor and the employ- ee's mentor. Yes, you're busy, but the path to not being busy is having team members who can do aspects of your job better than you. ese are just a few ideas. Hopefully, you get the idea that there are better ways to onboard. ere are real benefits to onboarding better, including higher retention, as well as greater job satisfaction and trust. If your organization needs help on this front, feel free to reach out to me. PCB007 Editor's Note: If you'd like to learn more about innovating the ways you hire, develop, and retain talent, John provides insights in his soon-to-be- released book, Fire Your Hiring Habits. Proceeds from the book help fund the electronics industry workforce through the IPC Education Foundation. More information can be found on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. Dr. John W. Mitchell is president and CEO of IPC. To read past columns, click here.