In 2022, amid the height of the pandemic-induced employee exodus across the country, Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative Manager of Human Resources Kendi Cox knew she needed to make a change—not to the co-op's hiring process, but to its onboarding program.

“We saw higher turnover and at the same time, we were growing with the launch of a new fiber subsidiary," she says. “All of that made it clear just how important is it to make new employees feel welcomed, supported and set up for success from day one."

So, Cox set out to thoughtfully overhaul the Seminole, Oklahoma-based, 27,000-member co-op's onboarding program into a deliberate one heavy on employee engagement.

“We spend all this time recruiting and getting them in the door, and then we don't properly onboard them," Cox—speaking to broader industry issues with onboarding—told attendees during a breakout session of NRECA's Interact Conference in Washington, D.C. in August. “And they decide, 'Maybe this isn't for me,' and leave. And then you're back to the drawing board."

Since the onboarding program began at CVEC in 2022, overall turnover has fallen slightly—but turnover among employees with three years of service or less has dropped by 20%.

“This is a strong sign that our efforts to support and retain new employees are making a real impact," Cox says.

The program starts before the new employee even gets to the office. New CVEC hires get personalized “pre-onboarding" activities including a welcome email or phone call—or a text to voicemail message for younger employees.

New and current employees “meet" each other through online organization charts or the co-op's intranet. “That way they'll know who they're going to work with directly and can start putting names, faces and job titles all together before the new person walks in the door," Cox says.

The socialization flows into the new hire's start date, where an employee welcome crew handles preboarding and first-day logistics.

“I remind [the new hire] to bring two forms of identification, and then I usually say, 'I'm so excited to have you join our team, I can't wait to meet you in person,'" says Director of Communications and Member Engagement Carla Tollett, who began two years ago.

Relevant information is then trickled out in manageable doses. A short first-day briefing covers “non-negotiable" policies and the remainder are covered one month at a time for five months. NRECA “micro-learning modules" cover topics like the cooperative difference, cooperative principles and electricity basics.

“It's about not overwhelming a new employee with new language, acronyms and culture, but rather helping them learn as they are starting to do new tasks and getting integrated into the team," says CVEC CEO Gary Highley. “It brings much better retention and deeper learning without becoming intimidating."

Employee engagement starts on day two and is emphasized throughout the first 90 days.

“We're really interested in how well they fit with their team, and that they're highly engaged in that timeframe," Cox says.

NRECA Workforce Programs Manager Desiree Dunham says a strong onboarding program can “create committed and engaged employees from the start" because they've “developed connections, learn the culture and are equipped to succeed."

That's exactly what CVEC has worked to improve—and it's working.

“The culture has been super welcoming," says Member Services Rep Jake Poull. “Everyone has a good attitude, and they're willing to help."

“Onboarding sets the tone for your cooperative culture even before they start," Cox says. “During the first days, they're already making opinions about you and how their employment with you is going to go."