When 45% of new joiners tell you they don’t feel prepared for their first day, there’s a problem. We like problems. Seeking and solving them. So, when SUEZ approached us to look at the way they on-board new talent, we went to work.
In surveys, only 55% of new joiners felt prepared for their first day.
Suez are a Utility company who manage waste and wastewater. But they were wasting an opportunity to help new joiners start their career with Suez in the best way possible. Feedback highlighted that on day one, new starters didn’t feel prepared, informed or part of the family. We all know how daunting any first day can be, so we created a solution that would help every new starter be as prepared as possible.
Getting the right people involved at the start of any project is crucial, so we created a team of new starters, hiring managers, resourcing professionals and ourselves to design a process, both online and offline, that would ensure that every new starter would feel part of the SUEZ family even before they walked through the doors. And a rich candidate experience that would reach beyond the OnBoarding process to include their first day experience and induction programme.
We created a Recruiters’ toolkit that gave guidance to how best to bridge the gap between accepting an offer and joining on day one. This included a hiring manager portal and a ‘Buddy’ programme. We installed software that would prompt the hiring manager to ensure that the OnBoarding process remained on track.
Not to mention automatic notifications to every new starter and automatic updates to human resources, facilities, equipment teams and IT.
We’re a business that understands the two sides of the software coin. On the one side is technology and on the other is the human touch. We created a ‘What a great first day looks like’ workshop. A training session for our hiring managers that will help them shape the new starter’s first day, to make a great first impression and continue the great work that they did during the on-boarding process
The induction planner was a critical element of success for Suez. Through their portal the hiring manager can create a bespoke, one-month induction plan that will meet the specific needs of the new starter. This is a mixture of mandatory tasks (without which the planner cannot be submitted) and other optional tasks. There is also the opportunity to create brand new tasks that are specific to the new starter, their role and their department.
This site offers every new starter the ability to complete essential documentation online, be prepared for their first day, review their induction process and facilitate kicking off a relationship directly with their new manager. After two weeks and then again at six months, we survey each new starter about the process they have just been through, how they are feeling right now and would they recommend us as an employer.
While much of the process is supported by technology it is actually the continuous interaction between new starter and SUEZ hiring managers taking responsibility for their hire that is having the most impact. The technology ensures that Suez have full visibility of the end-to-end process and can be sure that everyone who joins them has experienced a robust, informative and interactive experience.
There has been a significant reduction in the number of telephone calls that Suez have received from new starters regarding the joining process. This is because the onboarding process has moved away from the resourcing team and towards the hiring manager. Who are using the resources that we have given them and are building meaningful and productive relationships with the new starters even before they walk through the door of SUEZ for their first day.