Companies with strong employment engagement usually have clearly defined employee onboarding programs. The best talent is drawn to environments where effective programs exist resulting in high levels of employee engagement and low employee turnover. While it seems like common sense to invest in creating and maintaining these programs, they are often overlooked.
Imagine a situation where a new hire has started at your company but there is no formal onboarding system in place. The new hire has a very important but sometimes undervalued role in the company as the Office Manager/Administrator. The direct supervisor is a recently new hire themselves so there is no clear direction of what to do. The Office Manager has arrived with a job description in mind but no formal training occurs, nor do they have opportunities to receive weekly or even monthly reviews. In addition, the busy sales company hasn’t had an Office Manager before as everyone just pitched in. It seemed like everyone assumes the new hire was clear on their job requirements and trained by the other team members.
The rest of the employees couldn’t draw upon history to assist the Office Manager in what to do. Frustration is building with the new hire and in a short time the Office Manager quits and everyone is in shock at what has happened.
This situation could create long-term damage to your corporate brand and could be prevented with an onboarding system in place. Ideally, companies need to plan their program before they start the hiring process. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Your company just needs a well thought out plan with a person accountable to see the new hire through a training-feedback process.
- Have your new hire’s desk ready with computer log-in, e-mail account and telephone system all up. Don’t forget about business cards.
- Assign a supervisor who is accountable for training the new hire.
- Assign a buddy for the first month – nothing breaks the ice more than with a person familiar with the company’s culture and core values. Most importantly – to greet them when they arrive on their first day and show them around.
- Take your new hire out for lunch on the first day – or coffee at very least
- Train the new hire with a concise orientation book about your company
- Seek feedback from the new hire- they can tell you where they need more assistance, clarity or direction
- Communication is key – use monthly reviews to provide feedback and encourage feedback
- Inform your employees in advance of the new hire’s arrival. Onboarding starts as soon as the offer letter is accepted, not simply just the new hire’s first day at the company.
Without an onboarding program, the investment in a new hire is likely to be wasted away. By simplifying the onboarding process, employers can expect new employees to hit the ground running, and be able to contribute more quickly to a corporation’s success.
In the past, reward was given to those who soldiered on the most, followed directions the best, and worked the longest hours. No wonder we used to refer to our daily work as the “grind”. Employees who are thriving today are nothing less than leaders in their own realm. Godin calls them “artists”, in the sense that they provide value to other peoples’ lives above and beyond what is expected of them. They are not replaceable cogs in the machine but “linchpins” as Godin calls them: indispensable components of the whole. You find them in your favourite coffee shop where the barista makes you feel so good that you would never think about getting your latte anywhere else. You find them in the flight attendant who puts a smile on your face with their wit and attention. They are the customer service reps who not only solve your problem but manage to make you laugh and completely forget why you were so frustrated before making the call. Linchpins are better listeners – they do what it takes to solve problems, and they engage with people. They are leaders at what they do; not because they have to, but because they can’t help but invest emotionally in the work they do.
Why are such leaders in everyday jobs still a rare find? The answer may be slightly more complex than you might think. People are leaders in their field because they are passionate about what they do. They truly care. The real challenge is that the majority of employees don’t do what they are really passionate about. They are in the wrong jobs, doing the wrong things that don’t really mean anything to them emotionally. This predicament was described by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles in their 1993 bestseller “
