Author: Hays

Onboarding at any time of year comes with its hurdles and risks, but December perhaps even more so than other months. With increased annual leave and festive distractions, your new starter may end up feeling forgotten about if you’re not careful, which spells bad news for the possibility of them accepting a counter offer from their current employer – especially if they’re experiencing an uplift in morale in their current workplace as a result of Christmas team socials and a lightened workload.

With 8% of employers saying it’s their company policy to counter offer staff when they resign and a further 53% saying they sometimes do, according to our Salary and Recruiting Trends Guide, it’s important that your new starter feels positive about joining your team, rather than tempted to stay in their current role. Our expert accountancy and finance consultants at Hays understand the importance of effective onboarding, so our advice can help you avoid any hiccups and ensure the onboarding process stays as smooth as possible during the festive season.

Maintain constant communication

Notice periods in the accountancy and finance profession can vary, but whether a new recruit will be joining you in a month or three months, it’s important to maintain regular communication throughout to bridge the gap between them accepting the offer and their first day.

Schedule consistent video calls to touch base, provide onboarding updates and address any questions they have to ensure they feel like a priority, but don’t forget to let them know how to reach you outside of these scheduled calls for any urgent queries or concerns. This open line of communication will provide them with reassurance and reduce any worries they have about starting a new role – after all, this can be a nerve-racking time for some people.

Don’t assume other departments have it handled

As soon as a candidate accepts an offer, it’s crucial to let them know when they will receive essential paperwork like their contract, as well as equipment such as their laptop. Don’t just assume HR has informed them, especially not during the festive period when there’s often an increase in staff taking annual leave.

As onboarding typically involves multiple departments, including HR, payroll and IT, it can quickly become unclear what tasks have been completed if any staff members are absent, so be sure to regularly check in with these departments regarding timelines and keep your new hire in the loop. Let them know if any timelines change, such as seasonal postal delays meaning their laptop will be delivered at a later date, otherwise you could risk them feeling neglected and questioning your organisation’s competence.

Invite them to team socials

Before their start date, arrange for your new employee to meet the wider team. This will help them to feel more connected and less like an outsider. This is especially important in December when they’re likely attending their own office Christmas party and other work social events, which can be great for team bonding.

With a good fit with colleagues being the top reason (49%) employees are satisfied with their current role, according to our latest Salary and Recruiting Trends Guide, be sure to mitigate the risk of counter offer temptations by ensuring they have some bonding time with their new team too. Building these relationships can make the transition to an unfamiliar environment more comfortable, and what better way to facilitate this than inviting them to your organisation’s December socials?

At Hays, our expert accountancy and finance consultants will support you throughout the onboarding process when we place a candidate at your organisation. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help with your new year hiring plans.