The technical recruitment process can be lengthy and drawn out because competition for candidates is fierce. It can be hard to attract engineers and job seekers in technical fields, making it all the more important to choose the right candidate. Whilst many companies do a relatively good job at this stage, some see a high turnover following the acceptance of a job offer, largely due to failures in the onboarding process.

BMS Performance is a leading technical recruitment agency. We provide expert advice and support to clients throughout the recruitment process, including onboarding. To help you avoid losing your newest engineer, here are some top tips you should take note of to successfully onboard your latest recruit.

Get everything in place before they start

Engineering candidates have the pick of the bunch and could easily find a new employer to hire them. This means as an employer, the pressure is on to make the right first impression. A big part of this is taking the time to prepare everything they need ready for the day they start.

If a candidate turns up and their desk isn’t ready, people don’t know they’re starting, training documents aren’t in place, and team members don’t have time blocked out to train them, this could leave your new engineer with a sour taste in their mouth. Preparation is key because it not only shows that you’re a diligent employer, but that you’ve been eagerly anticipating the new starter and care about giving them the tools they need to get started.

Give them a warm welcome

Too many companies introduce a new starter and leave them to it. This can leave the new recruit feeling cast out, especially in workplaces with tight knit teams where cliques and friendships have formed. Rather than leaving your new engineer in silence, make sure everyone gets the memo to welcome them warmly. A good way to do this is to have a company-wide lunch together. This will make sure no one is left behind or alone.

Provide a mentor

There’s nothing worse than starting a new job, having questions to ask, and not knowing who to turn to. This is especially the case in the engineering field where there are often new systems and processes to get used to. As a tech recruiter, you can make the onboarding transition easier by assigning each new engineer with their own mentor who will be responsible for guiding and teaching the new candidate.

Assign small starter tasks

Too often, employers make the fatal mistake of throwing their new recruits in at the deep end. They do this either because they want to see what the candidate is made of, or because they have a shortage and want to maintain their productivity levels. This is not a good method of onboarding and often results in people becoming overwhelmed and out of their depth, resulting in a negative onboarding process that leaves then 2x more likely to go on the hunt for a new job. Avoid this confusion by assigning small starter tasks to allow new recruits to get used to the systems, company, and culture.

Don’t centre onboarding around HR paperwork

Another fatal mistake companies make is to centre their onboarding around filling out HR forms. Onboarding is much more than administrative paperwork – it’s about giving your new employee the tools they need to succeed, allowing them to settle in, understand their new role, and ask all the questions they need without being rushed to reach full productivity.

Don’t be in the 58% of companies who focus their onboarding around paperwork – focus it on the employee and training them rather than ticking boxes.

Fill technical job roles with BMS Performance

If you’re an employer looking to hire your next engineering candidate, or if you need support surrounding the onboarding process, get in touch with us today.