Title Company Onboarding
As with everything in business, the success of onboarding a new employee is largely dependent on how much thought and planning you put into the process. And at a time when title agents are being forced to operate lean, your thought and planning is vital to retaining those new hires and maintaining service levels.
This is especially important in the title insurance industry where you may be bringing even a veteran employee into a cultural environment quite different from their previous position, as well as training them on an entirely different array of technology, systems and processes from what they are accustomed to.
From your perspective, you want to get them up and running and effective as quickly as possible. That cannot and will not happen if there is not a systematic training and orientation process in place – including surrounding them with colleagues who are welcoming and sincerely helpful and supportive during the critical first weeks.
Onboarding preparation
Before your new employee walks through the door, your team should check off everything that employee will need on the first day. This includes all of the necessary equipment as well as usernames and passwords to all of the systems and technology they will need to hit the ground running.
Most importantly, line up everyone on staff who will have an important role in orienting the new employee and create a schedule to accomplish that training.
The emotional aspect of new employee orientation
Most managers are pretty effective at getting the equipment and training aspect in line for new employees. But pushing a new employee rapidly through a barrage of training and orientation can be stressful and overwhelming. The most effective approach is to first create a warm and welcoming experience that sets the stage for a truly effective learning environment.
Begin with a big picture orientation. Let the new employee know who you are as a company and explain the kind of culture you are trying to create, including how employees are valued internally as well as how customers are served externally.
Next, share the company’s overall business goals. Explain to the new employee where you are headed and how you intend to get there. But most importantly, give the new employee a sense of purpose in all of that by describing exactly how they fit into that big picture and in what ways their role is integral to the success of the company.
Systems and technology training
In the title insurance profession, there is nothing more important than making sure staffers are up and running on all necessary technology and systems. Training on systems should include a thorough understanding of the importance of each aspect of your title process and how the technology you have chosen can help streamline their processes.
Don’t throw them into the deep end to see if they can swim! Make sure they have plenty of staff support in the early weeks to answer questions and help them over the rough spots.
Ongoing support and encouragement
Finally, make sure key colleagues and managers are lined up to check in on the new staffer to ensure they are not encountering any major obstacles. Offering some sympathetic reassurance to even the most experienced title professionals can go a long way to making them feel welcomed and confident in their new role.
And remember that a title office can be a busy and hectic place. Finding technology that eases the demands on your employee’s time can go a long way to helping new employees accomplish their goals and contribute most effectively to the company’s objectives.
Alanna.ai can help with this by taking on many of your repetitive communication tasks, freeing up your staff to provide improved customer service and contribute most effectively to your long-term success.