When a new employee starts at your company, they're a blank slate.

They have not yet had the opportunity to contribute to your company’s success or failure.

In the first few days and weeks of their employment, they will be learning the ropes and soaking up information like a sponge.

It is crucial that you provide them with all of the information that they need to perform excellently in their new position. If you don’t, you could see your new employees become discouraged or frustrated by their lack of understanding about how to do well at their job.

It can be difficult for managers to dedicate time to onboarding, but providing training and support isn't just a nice thing to do — it makes business sense. New employees who go through formal onboarding are 58 percent more likely to still be with the organization after three years.

Read: 'Employee Attrition: How to Reduce it with HR Analytics'

Here are seven tips for making sure that new hires get off on the right foot:

1. Onboard new hires with a comprehensive, personalized plan.

‍Onboarding is more than just paperwork and training. It's about making new hires feel welcome, engaged and prepared for success.

The first day can be overwhelming for new team members — so give them more than a thick stack of paperwork to fill out.

You can make it easier with an online onboarding platform that can walk them through the process (and capture the data you need) before their first day.

2. Clearly define responsibilities.

‍One of the biggest frustrations for new employees is not knowing what their job is or how they're being measured.

Make sure you have a clear job description, and that you communicate this during the hiring process and again when they resume so there are no surprises.

3. Don't overwhelm them with information.

‍The first day on the job can be overwhelming for anyone, but it's particularly bad for new hires. Don't try to cram too much in — just focus on the basics and let them learn more as they go along.

4. Assign them a buddy.

‍A buddy is someone who can show the new hire the ropes and answer questions about company culture and office life.

The buddy’s job is to help the new hire feel comfortable in their environment so they can settle in quicker.

5. Make their voice heard.

‍A new hire brings fresh ideas and new perspectives, which can only enrich your organization as long as you listen.

In addition to providing formal opportunities for feedback, encourage managers at all levels to give everyone's input equal weight when making decisions.

6. Set up a system of reviews and communication.

‍It's hard to know how well someone is doing if you don't have regular check-ins and performance reviews.

Make sure that you have a system in place to measure progress and provide feedback at regular intervals so everyone knows where they stand at all times.

7. Be prepared to deal with mistakes.

‍Mistakes are inevitable, even from skilled professionals, and can most likely occur when someone is learning a new role or new business processes.

Read 'Your top performers are actively thinking about leaving. How do you keep them?'

Once you've hired someone, it's likely that you want them to stay.

That's why before the ink is dry on the employment contract you should consider creating and implementing an employee training system soon after hiring new staff.

Hopefully, this article has given you some fresh insight into the practical steps you can take to ensure that your new hires are off to a great start.

These tips aren't just for training employees; they'll work for almost any new situation.

If you want to ensure that new projects or initiatives go off without a hitch, the same basic principles apply.

Keep in mind that each individual is unique, and needs are bound to vary from person to person—but a little personalization goes a long way towards improving your odds of success. We hope our tips help!