Onboarding With A Purpose

A guide to ensure new employees are getting the welcome they deserve

Entering your next professional opportunity can be an intimidating experience at any level of employment. It’s up to the new organization to make the transition memorable for the right reasons. Onboarding is a costly process, that when done incorrectly, will have negative impacts on your company’s culture and individual performance.

If the first 90 Days are such a critical investment, why are so many organizations dropping the ball on day one?

Critical Components Not to Miss

Employees are looking for those few elements that create the A+ new hire experiences you read about on Glassdoor. Throughout my career, I’ve placed an emphasis on key engagement pieces that comprise a successful first 90 days. Make sure to include the following components to elevate first impressions and effectively engage your #newhire from the start:

1. Preparation
2. Engagement
3. Big Picture

It’s All in the Preparation

The key to crafting a successful onboarding experience begins before they enter the building. Your ability to lay the necessary groundwork will set the expectation and allow for more engaging activities. Let’s be clear, the point is not to expedite the onboarding process. Preparation gives you an opportunity to create a manageable game plan that highlights the organizations’ processes and ensures both parties reach success. Regardless of your orientation style (formal classroom or a series of one on ones), avoid wasting valuable time shuffling through paperwork or examining your employee handbook. Have new employees complete the required paperwork in advance to ensure their first impression goes beyond papercuts and small print.

Now that the heavy lifting is out of the way, take time to ready the environment. Regardless if they were onsite during interviews, treat the first day like they are entering a new space. Having had my share of underwhelming onboarding experiences, it’s clear there is a correlation between the effort put forth by an organization and the value felt by an employee. A small welcome gift or decorated workspace are the type of details that say, “We are excited to have you join our team!”

Engage Throughout

A successful onboarding program is a two-way street, plain and simple. Take this time to describe the wonderful perks, but make sure to listen to what your new hire has to say. Pay close attention to any red flags (deep breathes), or opportunities for future development. Getting honest feedback while the experience is fresh in their minds is critical to perfecting your program for maximum impact in the future.

Engagement doesn’t stop once they are cut loose and expected to perform. As a new employee navigates their first 90 days, create a plan for recurring check-ins. Predetermined checkpoints will give you an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the onboarding program and gauge the overall new hire experience at your organization.

The Big Picture

When you’re a small fish in a big, competitive pond, it is nice to see where you fit. No matter the position, each role helps drive the organization towards a goal. From day one, illustrate how valuable the new hire’s expertise and point-of-view are. Relate each position to the company Mission, Vision, and Values to empower people by the work they will do. A helpful exercise that I use during orientation is challenging new hires to create an Elevator Pitch. This activity is impactful because it helps identify purpose in their own words... and it comes in handy when asked the dreaded “So what will you be doing?” question in the breakroom.

Understanding the importance of an effective #onboarding program will give your company the head start it needs when creating a culture that compliments the business. Because there is no one correct formula, take pride in designing a program that highlights your company wins and the exciting future ahead.

#wearehiring #orientation #training #employeeexperience #startup