Employee engagement has been linked to higher retention rates, improved job satisfaction, better customer service and increased productivity. Despite these known benefits, many companies are still struggling to improve employee engagement in the workplace. According to a recent Gallup poll, 70 percent of employees do not feel engaged in the workplace. The best way to improve employee engagement in the workplace is to make it part of the company culture from the very start. In fact, you can start engaging with your new hires even before their first day of work. Using the preboarding process to initiate employee engagement is instrumental in creating an engaging culture.

Clear Communication

A Harris Poll showed that 91 percent of the employees surveyed listed communication as one of the biggest problems with management. Tackle this problem right from the start. Be sure to create clear and concise instructions for all new hires, and keep a line of communication open during the preboarding phase, so that incoming employees feel free to ask any questions they may have.

Stress-Free Paperwork

Everyone knows that onboarding paperwork can be quite a headache. Preboarding can minimize this problem by allowing new hires to complete this tedious paperwork from home prior to their first day on the job. It is important to make sure that you use a versatile platform, such as efficient ERP software, that will enable the new employee to complete this paperwork over a variety of mediums, including desktop, tablet and smartphone.

Learning and Training

Today's employees expect to be working on the job from day one. To make this happen, you can use the preboarding phase to develop your new hires. You can create company videos and strong job descriptions to show the new hire prior to their first day on the job. This will give your incoming employees a better understanding of the what is expected of them on the job.

Acclimate to Company Culture

More and more employees are leaving their jobs because they feel that they don’t fit into the company culture. New hires should understand the company culture, and how they fit into it, as soon as you make the job offer. Use the preboarding phase to share information about the company culture, policies, goals, mission and work environment. This will help acclimate new hires before they even start the job. Don't miss a great opportunity to engage with your new hires. Create a preboarding and onboarding process today that will strengthen employee engagement in the workplace. An efficient ERP platform can help with this process, by providing an effective way to communicate with new hires throughout the preboarding and onboarding process.