Onboarding process at the current company which is mainly carried out informally via filling of forms and simple health and safety briefs by the line managers is an area where there could be great potential. This non-systematic practice makes a poor contribution to meeting the strategic objectives of talent and does not capitalize on onboarding as a key strategy in the cultivation of influence on staff retention and performance. The high-competitive environment of the fast-pace logistics and delivery business demands the formalization of a process that successfully ensures stability in the current working force, increases engagement, and facilitates overall operational efficiency.
Among the considerable benefits of good onboarding especially to ImportantParcel is the fact that it will help address employee turnover. In operations-oriented, highly competitive settings like logistics, high rate of attrition can cause severe upheavals, ensure increased recruitment expenses, and lower the spirits of the team. According to the research by Cable, Gino, and Staats (2013), onboarding programs that focus on personal strengths of the individuals and allow them to be themselves can prevent the effects of early-stage attrition by over 30%. This observation supports the claim by the study conducted by Anlesinya, Dartey-Baah, and Amponsah-Tawiah (2019) that strategic talent integration plays an important role in improving the results of retention. In the case of ImportantParcel, the issue of onboarding is not centered on the idea to spend more to ensure a more planned onboarding process that would reduce the fluctuations in the availability rate of the working force during peak demands attached to the situation, and, at the same time, help contain the financial effect that the high turnover pace may lead to.
More so, there is a positive relationship between productive and engaging outcomes by onboarding and the capacity of ImportantParcel to meet its delivery objectives and end-service quality. Its seems that an employee who underwent the process of onboarding that incorporates him or her into the organizational culture and the possibility to create in it through the use of personal strengths will achieve productivity faster and show a high-level rate of commitment (Cable et al., 2013). Gibson (2021) emphasizes that in situations of dynamic operation of such detailed organizational environments, it is necessary to align the individual with organizational program goals in the initial stages. Within the ImportantParcel scenario, where the efficiency of operations depends on flawless working partnership among different positions, it is very important that the onboarding exercise gives certainty to role-related expectations, performance levels, and work norms of group work.
Furthermore, Marchington et al. (2020) emphasize that onboarding must not be considered only as an initial stage but a continuous process of engagement that lasts for a couple of months. Tucker (2022) also argues that onboarding is an important tool in handling the skills shortages, particularly in operational areas where a combination of technical and customer-friendly soft skills are relevant, of which the courier teams of ImportantParcel are of greater interest.
References
Anlesinya, A., Dartey-Baah, K., and Amponsah-Tawiah, K., 2019. Strategic talent management scholarship: a review of current foci and future directions. Industrial and Commercial Training, 51 (5), pp. 299–314.
Gibson, A. (2021)Â Agile workforce planning: how to align people with organizational strategy for improved performance. London: Kogan Page.
Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R. and Kynighou, A. (2020) Human resource management at work: the definitive guide. 7th ed. London: CIPD Kogan Page.
Taylor, S. (2021)Â Resourcing and talent management: the theory and practice of recruiting and developing a workforce. 8th ed. London: CIPD and Kogan Page.
