SMEs and big businesses are losing money because they are failing to properly onboard employees, a new report has suggested.
The study, published by Cezanne HR, shows that nearly a third of office workers say they haven’t started a job despite accepting the initial offer.
The problem is more pronounced in big businesses, where that figure rises to around two in five (41 per cent).
The reasons for this vary. Some workers simply say they were approached by a different employer after the initial interview process. But around a third (33 per cent) say they didn’t start because of a poor follow up call, no contact at all, or an unattractive first day.
Likewise, a number of employees (around 42 per cent) say they quit a job within six months, reasoning that they “didn’t feel welcome”, disliked the culture, or didn’t get on with their new boss.
Others said the job simply was not what that they expected.
As a result, poor onboarding is costing the economy and employers a significant sum. And with some studies suggesting it costs an employer around £30,000 to train the average worker, an onboarding process may be well worth the investment.
Sue Lingard, director at Cezanne HR, said: “If companies can engage and enthuse employees before they start, they are much more likely to fit in faster and a lot less likely to be tempted by a higher offer elsewhere – money is rarely the only motivator.
“It’s not enough to simply make the offer and wait for them to turn up on day one. Chances are they might not and then you are back to an expensive square one.”