Is your organization looking for new and creative ideas to refresh and improve the ways in which it on-boards new-hires. Below are some ideas, based on our research of employers of choice, that you could consider incorporating into your on-boarding approach to make your new-hires’ experience more engaging, interactive, enjoyable, supportive, and welcoming.

1. Orientation plans/checklists which detail specific orientation and on-boarding tasks, activities, and experiences that new-hires need to complete
2. Welcome kits or packages that contain information, resources, and aids (checklists, templates, guides, organizational chart, etc.) to support the new-hire
3. Interactive on-boarding games, activities, and presentations to enliven your traditional orientation program and add some fun components to the process
4. Meet and greet events, breakfasts, or luncheons that allow new-hires to meet and network with one another and their coworkers (particularly if your organization has several new employees starting work at one time)
5. Professional information about the new employee (profile, bio, etc.) and a photo of them that is distributed to your staff to familiarize them with the new staff member
6. Office “maps” with employees’ names and photos
7. Personal welcome gifts and touches such as gift baskets, flowers, gift cards, cards, notes, and calls
8. Creative welcome signs/banners and decorations on the new-hire’s desk or in their work area
9. A “go-to” person such as a mentor, “buddy,” coach, or on-boarding advisor with whom new-hires may ask questions, check-in, and access for help as they acclimate to the organization.
10. On-boarding systems or online tools that streamline communication with new-hires, paperwork completion, benefits enrollment, and information related to orientation/training.
11. Targeted new-hire “assimilation” training programs for new managers, emerging leaders, or common types of new jobs (account managers, nurses, social workers, etc.)
12. Specific training, one-on-one/group meetings, orientation programs, or educational sessions with your CEO on big picture items (i.e. mission, vision, strategy, direction, core values, etc.)

Continuing to improve upon and freshen your on-boarding approach is important in engaging new employees, and many of these tactics have proven effective for employers of choice in strengthening their on-boarding programs, further supporting new-hires, and welcoming new employees into their organizations.

The following white paper, based on analysis of the 2012 NorthCoast 99 winners, as well as national and local employers, explores trends in flexible work practices. Specifically, the white paper summarizes:

• Overview of trends in flexible work
• Research evidence: The business benefits of flexible work
• What top talent wants: The case for flexible work and work/life balance
• Best practices and examples of effective flexible work
• Recommendations for implementing flexible work

Download the White Paper

In the NorthCoast 99 program, we find that top employers typically provide preferential treatment to top performers. In general, our research finds that top performers are consistently given:

• Higher pay increases
• Higher bonuses and incentives
• More training and development opportunities
• High-profile projects and stretch assignments
• Leadership development, coaching, and mentorship
• Increased recognition and rewards
• More flexibility in work schedule
• Increased attention from senior leaders

While NorthCoast 99 winners aim to treat all employees with respect and as valued contributors in their respective organizations, their focus often is on giving preferred treatment to individuals who are driving organizational success and results. The basis for this preferential treatment is performance.

A recent study further confirms the positive benefits of this differential treatment. The study, published in the last year in the Journal of Business Ethics, finds that providing differential treatment to high performers for compensation, development, special assignments, coaching, and rewards and recognition may be beneficial. In the study, employees who were treated relatively better by a leader were more likely to experience heightened self esteem, follow workplace norms, and perform tasks that benefited their group.

The key, as the study found, is provide a baseline of respectful, fair, and consistent treatment to all employees, but differentiate rewards and opportunities to your top people. In addition, it's important to communicate what top performance means and how it can be achieved, to provide equal opportunities for all employees to attain this level of performance in the organization. This message will drive higher performance across your organization.

Source: Thau, C.T., Aquino, K., Pillutla, M., & De Cremer, D. (2012). Satisfying Individual Desires or Moral Standards? Preferential Treatment and Group Members' Self-Worth, Affect, and Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics.

The following document contains commonly asked questions and answers about the NorthCoast 99 Application process specifically related to registration, the application's questions, the new-hire and top performer surveys, reports, and more.

Download Applicaton FAQs

If you have additional questions, please contact nc99@yourERC.com or 440-684-9700.

Research is continuing to point to the importance of responding to job applicants and communicating with them at various steps in the recruiting hiring process.  

A new survey conducted by CareerBuilder shows that one in four job seekers reports having a poor experience when applying for a job. Specifically, responsiveness to job applicants is a major gap with three-quarters of job seekers saying they never heard back from the employer with which they applied for a job. Most also cited that their employer never let them know the decision after the interview.

Also, over a third of respondents indicated that their organization's representative did not present a positive experience and slightly fewer felt that the company representative seemed knowledgeable. Additionally, job seekers' negative experiences during the recruiting and hiring process seemed to affect their reactions and behaviors.

ERC's research in the NorthCoast 99 program shows that communication during the recruiting and hiring process is a factor that is core to candidate and new-hire experience. Based on data from hundreds of new-hires on their organizations' hiring, selection, and on-boarding practices in the 2012 NorthCoast 99 application process, numerous variables related to frequent updates and communication during the recruiting process strongly influenced participants' views of the organization and the hiring process. Additionally, new-hires who were more satisfied with their organization's hiring practices had more positive perceptions of their organization and work environment.

The conclusions we can draw from this research is that applicant and candidate experience are significantly important in influencing applicants' perceptions of an organization and their subsequent behaviors.

Looking to attract a larger pool of applicants for your open positions? Both national and local research shows that organizations which are recognized as local great places to work receive more applicants per open position than employers recognized as great places to work nationally.

On average, NorthCoast 99 winners receive 62 applicants per open position. This compares to an average of 42 applicants per open position reported by the Great Place to Work Institute, based on the best places to work it recognizes. This suggests that NorthCoast 99 winners receive more applicants than best places to work nationally, and the value of local recognition as a top workplace in attracting talent.

Below is the average number of applicants reported by NorthCoast 99 winners across industries.

Average number of applicants by industry among NorthCoast 99 Winners

With increasing challenges in attracting skilled talent, gaining recognition as a top workplace has helped a number of organizations recruit top performers. Recognition as a top workplace has many advantages, most notably validating your workplace practices, culture, and environment to potential applicants; providing further marketing opportunities to brand your company as a great place to work; and helping your organization stand out or gain attention when seeking talent in a competitive job market.

For more information on recruiting trends and practices among these top workplaces, download our white paper "The Right Fit: How Top Employers Find the Perfect Candidate." Or, to start the 2013 NorthCoast 99 Application process and become recognized as a top employer in Northeast Ohio, visit http://www.northcoast99.org/apply.aspx.

The following white paper, based on detailed analysis of the 2012 NorthCoast 99 Winners' recruiting practices, explores common and unique recruiting tools and practices of top employers. Specifically, the white paper summarizes:

• Preferred recruiting tools of top employers
• Unique and creative recruiting tools
• Overlooked talent pools
• The recruitment message
• Is your recruiting working? Tips for measuring success

Download the White Paper

We're now accepting applications for the 2013 NorthCoast 99 Award through April 19th! This year, our online application contains several new and improved features to save you time and make completing the application much easier!

Editing Past Responses

If you participated in 2012, the NorthCoast 99 application will now pre-populate your responses from last year! All you need to do is approve each of those responses, edit, and/or delete them. It's also easier than ever to paste from Word or Excel and format your answers inside of the application!

New Saving Features

The new application has saving features which automatically save your progress every 5 minutes as you are working on the application in case you forget to click "save progress." In addition, your company's application responses will be saved from year to year, beginning with responses submitted in 2012, saving you hours of time!

Downloading and Printing the Application

You can now download and print your application and responses at any time. Printouts have been enhanced as well, making reviewing your application much easier.

User Management

Each organization that applies for the NorthCoast 99 award will have one designated main contact. This individual will be responsible for submitting the application as well as inviting and managing users. The main contact may invite and remove users and assign them to edit or complete certain sections within the application.

Main Contact Changes

If your organization wants to change its main contact, it may change this individual within the application system.

Question Options

You have the option to view one question at a time ("Question View") or a list of all of the questions within the section ("List View"). Within these views, there are also several new features that allow you to easily track your progress in completing the application, including a progress bar.

Question Tips

This year, we've added helpful tips and additional information to help you respond to the questions in the application. These tips are included right next to each question within the application. Just hover over the icon at the end of the question.

Uploading Capabilities

The new application allows you to upload all of the policies required for the application process directly into the system versus emailing or mailing them to ERC.

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Questions? Contact nc99@yourERC.com or 440/684-9700. Get started on your organization's application today at: http://application.northcoast99.org.

IMPORTANT: If your organization applied for the NorthCoast 99 Award in 2012, your organization already has an account set up in our application system as well as a main contact for the NorthCoast99 program, so you do not need to create a new account. You need only create an account if your organization did not register to apply for the NorthCoast 99 Award in 2012. If you are not sure if your organization already has an account, be sure to contact us at nc99@yourERC.com or 440/684-9700 before you register!

Many workplaces are in need of a serious workplace transformation in 2013. They are fraught with employee problems, poor managers and leadership, high turnover, and an inability to attract and keep good talent. If these issues sound familiar, here are some resolutions you should to commit to in order to transform your workplace in 2013.

Make work/life balance a priority. Most organizations keep asking employees to do more with less (less pay, advancement opportunities, resources, training, etc.), but top performers eventually leave jobs that force them to make work a priority over their family or overwork them to the point that it strains their personal lives.

Give rewards that are long overdue. How many of your workers have not been given pay raises, not been recognized or rewarded adequately, and not given a promotion or new career opportunity in the last couple years? Make 2013 the year where you give back generously to your employees what they have given so openhandedly to your organization: their time, talents, and passion.

Get rid of punitive policies. Start treating employees like the adults they are. Eliminate workplace policies are that are too punitive, rigid, or over-involved. For example, start with your probationary period, attendance, paid time off, and progressive discipline policies. These are the usual culprits for policies that fail to create positive cultures. Plus, these policies usually make HR's job a lot harder.

Treat your employees better. Treat employees more fairly, considerately, and respectfully. Spend more time helping, supporting, and mentoring them. Communicate well and with decency. Recognize people when they do a good job and criticize them gently when necessary. If your managers can't do these things, send them to training or re-evaluate their performance.

Provide learning and growth. Top performers don't stay in jobs that are stagnant and unchallenging. They also don't respect managers who don't mentor them or encourage their learning and growth. You have a responsibility to care about your employees' growth and development into the best possible employees they can be. Start investing the time in helping them become better at what they do.

Give employees a voice. It's easy to make workplace decisions in a vacuum at the executive table, without considering the perspectives of your employees. Instead, this year, challenge yourselves to make decisions differently, with the help of your employees and especially top performers. For example, conduct an engagement survey, invite employees to a leadership meeting, or hold some focus groups.

As managers, leaders, and HR professionals, we have the opportunity, ability, and responsibility to make the workplace better for our employees and we can either resolve to do that in the new year or face continued workplace challenges. Fortunately, a new year can bring a new workplace, so long as your organization commits itself to some positive change.

Each year brings new practices and innovations to the workplace and 2013 will be no exception. In NorthCoast 99 program, we collect information about the creative tactics employers use to attract, retain, and motive employees and we’ve compiled some emerging practices and innovations (with links to case studies embedded) that forward-thinking companies are using to create a great workplace.

Mobile recruiting. With more job seekers using mobile devices, a handful of NorthCoast 99 winners have started using mobile applications to recruit by not only developing applications, but making sure their websites, job postings, and application process are mobile-friendly.

Dynamic and engaging content. Some NorthCoast 99 winners are creating engaging, personalized recruiting content for their job seekers such as employee-written blog posts, videos, graphics, photos, and other types to engage applicants in learning more about their organization and culture.

Hiring assessment. Several NorthCoast 99 winners have designed unique hiring assessment approaches to find top performers including job tryouts, assessment tools, and other experimental hiring tactics.

Learning “bits and bytes.” Some NorthCoast 99 winners are moving to short forms of learning to supplement classroom and online training. Short lessons, articles, podcasts, videos, learning games, etc. are now used by some winners to reinforce concepts participants learned in training.

Future leader initiatives. A number of NorthCoast 99 winners have created targeted, strategic future leadership and management development programs for unique groups of employees such as young professionals, thought leaders, and technical leaders.

Coaching and mentoring. Forward-thinking employers like many of the NorthCoast 99 winners are using formal and targeted one-on-one coaching and mentoring relationships and programs to a greater degree to supplement training and development initiatives.

Advancement resources. Some employers are moving towards creating specific resources to provide greater clarity regarding how employees can advance in their organizations. Such resources include interactive matrices and maps as well as career management websites and tools.

Line of sight programs and campaigns. Some NorthCoast 99 winners have implemented programs, initiatives or campaigns to communicate to employees how their work matters and has purpose – to their organizations, customers, and even the world.

Holistic wellness. A number of NorthCoast 99 winners are broadening the focus of their wellness programs, implementing tactics to improve employees’ social, emotional, financial, and even spiritual well-being.

Flexible workforce. Telecommuting, virtual work options, and creative alternative scheduling practices are gaining ground as some workplaces provide more flexible options that support employees’ work/life and can be customized to their personal needs.

Employee services. Innovations in services offered to employees continue to expand with more employers offering unique services such as concierge, holiday gift-wrapping, a hair salon, coffee bars, a seamstress, and more.

Engagement. Some organizations are creating programs to reinforce employee engagement like “engagement employee groups” to implement tactics to enhance engagement and create an engaging work culture.

Innovative cultures and workplace environments. For some employers, traditional workplace environments of stale wall colors and cubicles have been replaced with vibrant, open work environments equipped with areas for collaboration, tools for innovation, and an atmosphere that contributes to creativity.

These are just a few of many innovations we see in the NorthCoast 99 program, but perhaps are some of the most notable ones from 2012. The NorthCoast 99 winners consistently tackle and solve traditional workplace problems with new, innovative solutions. For more ideas and information about workplace innovations, consult the 2012 NorthCoast 99 Winners Report.