Is your school staff onboarding process fit for purpose? 20 startling facts and figures that highlight the cost and damage if it is not.

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With the start of a new academic year around the corner, school leaders across the UAE and wider Middle East will be focused on ensuring a smooth transition for returning and new staff alike. However, did you know that how you onboard new hires could make or break their entire experience and ultimately impact student outcomes?

An ineffective process puts satisfaction, retention and your school's reputation at risk.

Here are 20 startling onboarding stats international school leaders in the region simply cannot afford to ignore:

• Employees who report a positive onboarding experience are 69% less likely to look for a new job within their first year.

• Only 13% of employees strongly agree they received enough information from their manager to feel comfortable starting their new role.

• It costs between 30-50% of an employee's annual salary to replace them. For teachers, this amounts to tens of thousands per lost hire.

• 46% of new hires form an impression of their employer within the first three months - and onboarding plays a huge role in shaping this.

• 49% of employers say new hires are not prepared for their roles upon completion of onboarding.

• 25% of new employees spontaneously leave a job within the first 45 days due to a poor onboarding experience.

• 60% of employees who had a positive onboarding experience said they would stay in their job for over 3 years compared to just 20% of those who had a negative experience.

• Employees who go through a structured onboarding process are 58% more likely to remain with the company 3 years after being hired compared to those who did not.

• Onboarding has a direct positive impact on productivity which leads to a 7% increase in profitability over 18 months.

• A well-designed onboarding process leads to a 57% higher retention rate among new hires within the first 90 days.

• Engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave their organization. Yet only 13% are engaged at work according to Gallup. Onboarding is critical to early engagement.

• 86% of candidates decided not to proceed with a job due to a poor candidate experience during the recruiting process such as onboarding.

• 91% of employees are more likely to stay at a company for three years or more if they feel supported through their onboarding and early employment experience.

• A positive onboarding experience can boost employee engagement by over 70%. Engaged employees are 21% more productive.

• 75% of employers say onboarding helps new employees get up to speed more quickly. Yet only 41% are satisfied with their onboarding program.

• Over 50% of new hires will start looking for a new job if the onboarding process takes longer than a month.

• Those who go through a strong onboarding process need half as much time to reach peak productivity compared to workers who received little onboarding support.

• The top reasons new hires leave within the first year are lack of onboarding/training and feeling isolated/not part of the team.

• Onboarded new hires are 69% less likely to quit during their first year of employment compared to those who received no formal onboarding.

• The cost of turnover for an employee making $30,000 per year is estimated at $15,000 when all expenses are counted. For 100 employees, that's over $1.5 million out the door.

With so much at stake, it is clear that investing in a well-designed onboarding plan for new staff is a strategic priority for international school leaders. A welcoming introduction sets the foundation for future success. So are you leaving anything to chance this year? Take action now to build an onboarding process that makes new hires feel properly introduced and prepared to hit the ground running from day one.

FAQs:

• How long should our onboarding process be? At minimum 2 weeks but ideally 30 days to 3 months for comprehensive support.

• What are some essential onboarding elements to include? Paperwork, IT set up, benefits overview, tour, buddy/mentor, goal setting, ongoing check ins.

• Who is responsible for onboarding? Designate an onboarding coordinator but involve managers and colleagues too.

• How do we track success? Survey new hires and monitor key metrics like retention, productivity and engagement over the first 6-12 months.

Conclusion:

A strong onboarding experience produces employees who are engaged, committed and bring value right away. In this competitive talent market, international schools must prioritise new staff support as a retention and performance strategy if they want to avoid the six figure costs of a subpar process. Use these stats to gain leadership buy in for an onboarding overhaul project at your institution this year. Your students and budgets will thank you.

Your Solution:

Don't miss out on learning insider HR tech strategies from industry leaders at our upcoming webinar - Navigating the Future of Education with Advanced HR Tech. Hosted on Wednesday 24th April, you'll gain exclusive insights on revolutionising onboarding, empowering HR with exit intelligence, navigating visa complexities, and gratuity mastery.

Spots are limited, so register now on the event page at https://webinar.educonnecthr.com/registration-page

I hope to see you there as we explore how innovative solutions can optimise your people operations and provide a strategic edge in today's changing workplace.