HR professionals widely recognize that every employee goes through a \u201cjourney\u201d with an organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That journey, depending on who you ask, can be called:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- The employee life cycle<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The employee experience<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The employee journey<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
While no model of that life cycle is necessarily better than any other, it is important to have a clearly defined model. Without such a model, after all, it will be difficult \u2013 or impossible \u2013 to measure and improve upon the employee experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below, we\u2019ll cover some of the most important concepts that every HR professional should understand when it comes to their employees\u2019 journey with the company, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Attraction, recruitment, and hiring<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Employee onboarding<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Employee training and development<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Employee engagement<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Employee offboarding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Understanding the key metrics and performance indicators is also essential to making performance improvements, so we\u2019ll look at a few of those as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attraction, Recruitment, and Hiring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The first stage in the employee journey<\/a> is attraction, recruitment, and hiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During this stage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- HR professionals will post ads, create job descriptions, and seek out new job candidates<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Employees will be interviewed by the relevant parties within the organization<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Selected candidates will receive a job offer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Keep in mind that these stages are still considered part of the journey. They will, after all, still affect the employee\u2019s experience with and perception of a company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hiring process then marks the beginning of the employee onboarding process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employee Onboarding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The onboarding process begins after the employee accepts the job offer and the become matriculated into the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During this stage, HR will help the employee:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Complete documentation, such as benefits and contracts<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Obtain the required equipment for their day-to-day jobs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Integrate into their teams and the workplace<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It is important not to underestimate the importance of this step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employees\u2019 initial perception of an organization, after all, can directly affect metrics such as job satisfaction and employee retention<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could this be why so many workers quit their jobs within 12 months<\/a> of being hired? While every situation is unique, statistics such as this should underscore the importance of effectively integrating employees into the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employee Engagement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Another key step in the employee journey is employee engagement<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During this stage, it is crucial that managers, HR professionals, and other relevant parties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- See to new hires\u2019 needs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Monitor performance\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pay attention to sentiment<\/a> and job satisfaction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Listening to employees is an important part of this process, since employee feedback will help managers maximize engagement and minimize friction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employee Training and Development<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Employee](\"https:\/\/www.walkme.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/07\/Employee-Training-and-Development_3066a896.jpg?w=1024&h=474&crop=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe longer an employee is with a company, the more important it is to focus on importance. While that is true at the beginning, competency takes time to develop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As employees settle into their positions and performance takes the forefront, the focus should shift to areas such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Employee training<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Employee development<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Mentorship and coaching<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Leadership and management training<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The longer employees stay with a company, the more potential value they can add. This is one reason why many organizations focus on maximizing the performance of those employees who show leadership<\/a> potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employee Offboarding (Outboarding) Definition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Employee](\"https:\/\/www.walkme.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/07\/How-Google-Models-Change_2566a896.jpg?w=1024&h=573&crop=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe final stage in the employee journey is offboarding, or departure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This step shouldn\u2019t be glossed over, and it should be just as structured and measured as the other steps in the employee experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typical actions during this stage include, among other things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n