4 Ways AI Makes Onboarding Better!
blog/4-ways-ai-makes-onboarding-better
2024-05-01
Did you know that you onboarding processes can have a direct impact on employee engagement, retention, and productivity?
A 2015 BrandonHallGroup study shows that having good onboarding processes can result in an 82% increase in retention levels.
Similarly, a 2021 study by Gallup indicates that only 29% of newly hired employees feel fully trained to succeed in their role after onboarding.
And a more recent onboarding study from 2023 reveals that poor onboarding is the result of 16% of new hires leave their job after the first week.
That’s 1 in 5 people that quit on their first week of their job.
And it’s for this reason (among many others) that the onboarding process is so important for companies to get right.
According to recent findings from Cardinal Services, 70% of recently onboarded employees who underwent exceptional onboarding experiences express high levels of satisfaction with their employers.
Now, we all know that Human Resources (HR) is a broad spectrum of functions within an organization, and the exciting potential of Artificial Intelligence for HR leaders is starting to shake things up within the HR community.
And while we’ve talked quite extensively about the future of AI and how businesses can find out if they’re AI-ready, it’s time to delve into how AI is useful today.
So, how do HR Leaders, managers, and new employees benefit from AI integrated into the onboarding process?
How is AI Making HR Leaders’ Lives Easier for Onboarding New Employees (and How Does it Help with Employee Retention)?
1. Say Goodbye to Resume Overload
Gone are the days of drowning in a sea of resumes.
AI tools now swoop in to analyze candidate profiles, sniffing out the perfect fit for your team.
Think of it as your personal talent scout, saving you time and energy so you can focus on what really matters.
Interestingly, during a recent Red Pill Labs HR Industry event, Red Pill Labs was given insight into how AI is interacting with AI when it comes to candidate matching:
“Nowadays, job posting descriptions are created by companies using AI. Funnily enough, candidates are also using AI to create their resumes and cover letters. And so you get this weird scenario where AI resumes are being matched with AI job postings, by AI algorithms…”
Now, while candidate matching is typically involved in the talent acquisition process, some smaller organizations may the same individual handling onboarding as well as talent acquisition, especially companies without a dedicated HCM.
2. Tailored Training, Anyone?
No more one-size-fits-all training programs.
AI can now step in to assess each new hire's skills and learning style, crafting a personalized training plan just for them.
It's like having a virtual tutor who knows exactly how your new hires like to learn.
For your new hires, AI can help you engage them by turning mundane learning tasks into engaging challenges.
One method to consider, especially for larger entities, is the utilization of AI to gamify the learning experience, which can new hires retain knowledge better (and become more engaged).
Onboarding gamification has been trending since 2019, with McQuaig reporting that engaging in a structured onboarding program increases the likelihood of new employees remaining with the same company by 58% after three years, and experience a 54% boost in productivity.
Additionally, from the same report, companies with onboarding programs report a 66% increase in the successful integration of employees into the company culture.
Just look at Duolingo:
The popular language learning app has gained millions of users and managed to become more popular than competitors through gamifying the learning experience.
3. Spotting Trends Before They Happen
Ever wish you had a crystal ball to predict how your new hires will perform?
AI analytics come pretty close.
By crunching numbers and spotting patterns, machine learning algorithms give you insights into performance trends, which is crucial in helping you steer the onboarding ship in the right direction.
Additionally, another benefit of having AI ambiently within your environment, is that throughout the onboarding process Ai is:
Listening
Gathering feedback from employees
Tracking employee satisfaction
Spotting pain points
Data like this is in invaluable for HR leaders to refine the onboarding process further, track engagement, and prepare for situations that would have been unexpected if not for Artificial Intelligence.
4. AI Powered Virtual Assistants
Need a helping hand during the onboarding frenzy?
Enter the AI-powered virtual assistant.
It's like having a digital sidekick who's always on call to answer questions, offer guidance, and keep the onboarding process running smoothly.
Internal AI chatbots have the potential to help answer commonly asked questions for new candidates, which in turn can help minimize managers’ “hand-holding” time.
Chatbots, especially AI powered chatbots however, have it’s pros and cons, and it’s especially important to remember that if you implement a chatbot within your technology stack, you have to do it right.
A poorly trained chatbot can deter engagement, lead to frustration, and ultimately waste time and productivity.
Not unlike any complex AI initiative/integration, which requires clean, structured, and organized data to be of any use at all.
The Key Takeaway:
In a nutshell, AI is the secret sauce that's transforming HR onboarding into a futuristic adventure for both managers and new hires alike.
AI can gather and present data in digestible formats, providing HR leaders a tool to make continuous process improvements faster than ever before.
With its knack for personalization, efficiency, and innovation, AI is taking the onboarding experience to new heights – and the best part?
We've only scratched the surface.
New technology is being developed everyday, and the HR landscape is not unlike all other sections of businesses: it is ever-evolving.