Organizations with a formal onboarding process saw a 60% greater year-over-year improvement in revenue per FTE and a 63% greater year-over-year improvement in customer satisfaction than those with an informal or ad-hoc onboarding process, according to “the latest research on onboarding trends for 2010 from Aberdeen Group.

“Onboarding: The First Line of Engagement,” conducted among 466 professionals from HR and line of business, found that the ability of new employees to contribute quickly and be well-equipped to serve the needs of customers will be critical to company growth.

A career development and planning program is a key ingredient in a successful formal onboarding process,” says Adam Alexander, Vice President of MasteryWorks, a leader in career development. “Career planning, already recognized as a key driver of employee engagement, is a great way for organizations to empower new employees with skills needed to build career goals and see the opportunity for them at the organization. A properly implemented career development program also gives the organization a ‘leg up’ in retaining and engaging new hires over a longer period of time.”

As Alexander points out, through a career development program, new employees are able to better identify and plan for a proper career fit for themselves within the organization --- choosing work that meets their values, sense of purpose and desire for being the best. With a better career fit, employees are more productive and willing to invest their own discretionary effort for their jobs.

When the economy begins to rebound and the job market improves, this talent will be less likely to search for other employment outside the organization because they can see the fit and the future opportunities for themselves at their organization. Urges Alexander, “Assure your managers understand the strong desire for autonomy, learning and having work with meaning. Now’s the time to listen to young talent and learn the value they can bring to your workforce.”

Adam Alexander is Vice President of MasteryWorks, a leading career development solution to large- to mid-size companies. For additional insights, he can be reached at aalexander@masteryworks.com<mailto:aalexander@masteryworks.com> or 703-256-5712.