Why is the first day on the job often the worst?
New employees tend to be greeted with stacks of benefits paperwork, technology hassles and dull presentations about company culture.
But some companies—hoping to create a first impression that really counts—are turning to orientations that seem more collegiate than corporate, complete with co-worker networking sessions, time for new employees to tout their skills and even officewide scavenger hunts.
It is the latest attempt by firms to make onboarding—the process of absorbing new hires and getting them up to speed—more effective.
A bad or underwhelming start in a new role may lead to higher rates of quitting because many workers decide whether to leave or stick with a company in the early months, studies show. The first few weeks on the job are “the first time the employee has the ability to look at a job from the inside,” says David Earle, chief executive of Staffing.org, a workforce research and advisory company.
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