On Board, or Over Board?

Too much info, your new employees will be drowning!

Hi all,

It's been a while, but I've been traveling quite a bit lately, so thanks for bearing with me.

When it comes to building a successful organization, we've already agreed it comes back to the people. First it starts with a leader that has a compelling vision. Then that leader grabs like minded individuals who will be partners to that vision. Then the selection process of everyone that aligns with that vision begins. Once you bring someone on to your team though, the work has just begun.

Employees need a few things to be successful and also happy upon joining a new organization. They need to understand their roles, and they need to understand the company culture they are a part of. If you don't provide these things, you run the risk of setting the employee up to fail, or worse, damaging your credibility with that employee and their network. Here is the benefit of investing in an effective on boarding program...you can cover both of these things.

US and UK employees cost businesses an estimated $37 billion every year because they do not fully understand their jobs, according to IDC

Here are a few areas that you can and should control when developing an on boarding program:

1. Duration
• When  you select people to join your team, understand that there is a need on both ends. The department or office needs the new person to fill the void that's currently open, and the new employee needs to be trained to be the person the department or office is looking for. We are guilty of wanting everyone to be factory equipped and ready to roll on day 1. That's just not fair to the new member of your team. On the other hand, you can't take weeks to get someone in the office so that they are "fully prepared".
• Be moderate in the time your on boarding process takes. You have to balance the need to fill a void with the need to be successful, and you can do that with a process that isn't a millisecond long but also not a century. Traditionally a week is long enough to create initial acclimation to culture, systems, and people, as well as set expectations for future growth and success.
2. People



The right people need to meet your team...make a good impression!

• When members of the organization come to see new selections, they are getting an opportunity to see new talent, and also explain what their roles are within the organization. It's a "who's who" introduction within your company. Who should your new selections meet during their on board process? It would be easy to say everyone and anyone. Unfortunately, the way schedules are and the way companies are moving, this isn't possible. Everyone has responsibilities and meeting the newest members of the team isn't always on forefront of their minds. The best way to do this is to divide the introductions into two areas: nice to know, and need to know
• Nice to know:
• These are your executives, high ranking members of various departments, and maybe even an emeritus if you have one. You don't need them all to come, in fact you don't want them all there because it's not a productive use of the entire team's time to be at a new employee orientation. One representative per area usually can do the trick. 
• The visibility of these individuals enable each new employee to see that the company is globally invested in each and every one of its people, to the point that they want to see the new talent coming into the organization. Also, it creates some facial recognition and approachability for new employees, who can see that the even the members of the highest level of the organization are friendly faces who still exemplify the company values to this day
• Need to know:
• These are direct supervisors, and people that each new employee will deal with on a consistent basis. Some examples include a member of HR, Accounts Payable, a Benefits Administrator, etc. 
• These introductions and the explanation of their roles will clarify who to go to when the employees need a specific service. You don't want to be the reason an employee asks their direct manager about when they're being reimbursed every time. You'd rather that go through the proper channels. The on board process is integral in creating and maintaining effective and efficient communication within an organization. Without it, too many people get copied on too many emails that don't even concern them. This drags out the resolution process, and in turn creates frustration between teammates. Head it off at the pass guys. Introductions to the "need to know" will pay off dividends that you'll never need to see to know they're effective.
3. Content
• "Manage the message"
• We hear this a lot in business these days, and it's not a bad thing if the spirit is pure. Meaning, you manage the message to create the right environment for your new employees to flourish. Your employees should feel informed, educated, and most importantly excited with the content you provide them with. Some key areas you should cover in the on board process are new hire paperwork, company policies and procedures, culture, and systems training. If you touch on these areas, you ensure that your team is clear in the expectations set for them by the company from a tactical and cultural standpoint
4. Mentorship



Mentors do wonders...even among felines

• Mentorship is an overlooked component of the employee life cycle. It's a shame, because individuals who fit this mold can really make a difference in the employee experience. Mentors are "A" player individuals within your company. The ones that you wish you could clone and then clone again. These individuals have unique traits that you hopefully look for in other employees you bring on, but they are the ones that are usually the most excited about and engaged in the company and it's future. Many times they are the most successful individuals you've ever had on your team. Do your best to pair up each individual with a mentor in their RESPECTIVE department. Succession planning comes into play huge here, because if you're identifying your talent and nurturing it, then selecting individuals to be mentors shouldn't be hard. Your performance review and succession planning processes have already identified who your "A" players are, and then they should have mentorship ingrained in them at a relatively early age in your company.
• Mentors are not just for the on board period. They should be providing status updates and coaching throughout the first 90 days of being on the team at minimum. They are building a relationship that should help the new employee get acclimated to the company, and at the same time give HR and the department manager a pulse on how the new member of the team is coming along.

Ultimately, the on board process can be a game changer for you. Individuals who are better prepared to do their jobs are naturally more successful. But employees who better understand your company's values, culture, and what they stand for are more inclined to be more invested in your company, because it becomes their company as well. Involve every department, whether through development of content or appearances, in the on board process so that you can create global value for the program throughout your organization. The more people that know this program happens, the better and more successful it will be. 

May your on board processes be shorter than a century, and longer than a millisecond. All aboard!

Stay inspired, be developed, be the change!
~AI