Good Communication is Your Most Effective Retention Strategy
Are you treating your onboarding process like a free trial of a streaming service?
If so, your employee might be the one to “cancel” after the trial is over.
Don’t lose them to AppleTV+!
Give them an experience they can’t live without. Minus the Severance. #iykyk
Be Onboarding-Obssesed
There’s a reason why high-performing organizations obsess over their onboarding experience.
The first 90 days are more than a trial period. That initial window is a prime time to shape culture, establish trust, and spark long-term loyalty.
But—yikes—many companies still treat onboarding like a formality instead of what it truly is: the secret sauce to your employee retention strategy.
If you want to build a team that’s connected, aligned, and committed, your onboarding must do more than introduce systems. It must lay the groundwork for meaningful communication, a shared language, and a deep sense of belonging.
Trust Starts Early
Trust isn’t just earned over time. It begins the moment a new employee walks through the door. The tone you set in the first few days speaks volumes.
Do they feel welcomed or processed? Are their questions met with curiosity or condescension?
There are a myriad of ways to improve trust within a team. At its core, it’s about mutual respect and understanding. When leaders embody this essential principle, trust is far more likely to trickle down to all other employees, new hires included.
Leaders and managers who model openness and listen actively communicate the company’s genuine desire to help new hires succeed. This type of trust is invaluable.
A Shared Language Builds Unity
Every organization has its own “language.” But it’s more than just jargon or acronyms. A shared language unifies how a team talks about goals, feedback, accountability, and success. If new hires don’t understand or resonate with that language, they’ll struggle to find their place.
Intentionally teaching the cultural vocabulary of your organization is essential. What do “collaboration,” “ownership,” or “leadership” mean here, not just in theory, but in practice?
What phrases reflect the values of the team? How do leaders give and receive feedback?
Creating a shared language ensures everyone is aligned, especially across functions or levels. It promotes clarity, reduces miscommunication, and helps new employees feel fluent in their environment.
Intentional Communication is Your Most Powerful Tool
If you want employees to stay, they need to feel seen and heard. That begins with two-way communication that’s honest and consistent. Onboarding isn’t just a time to tell new hires about the company. It’s a time to invite dialogue.
Intentional communication is the linchpin that will make or break your company’s onboarding efforts.
Connection v. Compliance
Intentional communication encourages new employees to share what they’re observing, what’s confusing, and where they feel energized. Great leaders prioritize regular check-ins with managers, peers, and cross-functional colleagues.
Asking real questions based on real feedback fosters a culture of communication rather than compliance. Communication is the catalyst for helping your new hires feel invested in the company rather than being a name on a time sheet.
Intentional communication builds psychological safety—a key driver of retention and performance. When employees feel they can speak up without fear, they’re more likely to stay and contribute.
The 30-60-90 Day Path to Integration
Structure still matters. A strong 90-day framework helps new hires gain traction and understand how they’ll grow in the role.
Days 1–30: Focus on building trust and understanding the culture. Introduce the shared language, core values, and key relationships. Assign a culture ambassador who can offer informal insights and answer the “unwritten” questions.
Days 31–60: Start embedding them into real work. Set clear goals, clarify expectations, and provide feedback early and often. Prioritize regular communication loops so they’re never wondering, “How am I doing?”
Days 61–90: Help them stretch. Encourage them to offer ideas, contribute to team discussions, and take ownership. Celebrate progress and reinforce their impact on the team.
Retention is Built One Conversation at a Time
When done right, onboarding is a relationship-building exercise. Communication, clarity, and trust are so much more than skills on a resume. When done correctly, these skills can be some of your most effective retention strategies.
Want to reimagine your onboarding as a retention strategy? Contact Leadership Delta today to learn how.