Most people don't get much sleep the night before they start a new job. Their minds are too busy thinking about how long it will take them to fit in at their new company. Some even wonder if they've just made the biggest mistake of their lives. Does every employee have to go through this rite of passage or can companies do something to smoothly assimilate new employees into the organization?

Welcome onboard
Imagine a place where employees are welcomed before they set foot on company soil. This would be a place where employees feel connected before their first official day of work. Some might even start recruiting their current co-workers to join them on this new journey. Welcome to the world of Onboarding.

Right about now you are probably asking yourself, "What is onboarding and why should I consider getting on board?" Onboarding is the one chance you will get to create a positive new employee experience. Just think how productive you might have been during your first few weeks or months of employment had your current or former employer taken the time to make you feel welcomed, valued and prepared. You might be thinking that you don't have time to hold someone's hand or that all employees should have to suffer just like you did. Would you feel the same if you knew that with a little effort, you would have more time to focus on other initiatives besides replacing newly hired employees?

Still not convinced? Here are four more reasons why your competitors are jumping on board, while you are still sitting on the sidelines.

Shortened new hire time to productivity
You know you have people on your team who should have been traded a long time ago. You hesitate to do so because even if you hire a superstar, it will be weeks before they become productive. Your overworked team will have to pick up the slack until this new person comes up to speed.