Many can relate to the excitement of accepting a job offer and expecting it to make our professional dreams come true, only to be disappointed by a haphazard or lax onboarding process that leaves doubts about our career decision.
Employees know if their decision to join a new company or manager is right or wrong within the first three weeks. So it’s vital for employers and hiring managers to execute carefully designed and personalized onboarding processes right away. A recent CareerBuilder study revealed that 93 percent of employees feel that a good onboarding experience is crucial to their decision to stay with a new company—or not.
Effective onboarding is the manager’s first step. The next steps are creating and delivering continuous personalized performance conversations designed to retain key performers. To learn more, read this blog post.
According to a recent Inc. Magazine article, the three key expectations of employees are autonomy, purpose, and mastery. Employees expect managers to facilitate their development and provide clearly illuminated career paths. A Work Institute study reveals the top-three reasons employees leave companies: lack of career development; lack of work-life balance; and ineffective manager behavior.
Most mangers and employers fail at effective onboarding. They invest significant money in screening and hiring, only to drop the ball once an employee says yes. To maximize success, adhere to these onboarding dos and don’ts
Week 1:
DO make them feel welcome and get to know them better.
DON’T overwhelm them with technical how-tos.
The most common mistake managers make during the first week of onboarding is overwhelming employees with how-tos and technical tasks. In this scenario, the new hire sits alone in a room reviewing product overviews. There is no contact from the manager, except for a midday, “Everything okay?”
Remember, new employees determine their fit during the first three weeks. Don’t waste this precious opportunity to reinforce their decision to join your team and organization. Instead of overwhelming them with the technical aspects of the job, do the following:
- Set aside time to get to know them personally. Ask why they chose this job and company. Dive into their motivators and learning styles. Ask what they most want to learn in the first week of the job, as well as in the first six months. Tap into their unique desires and skills in order to personalize the onboarding process. Some love alone time to dive into technical details, while others get energized from shadowing and attending meetings where they can learn from others. Your job is to personalize the process for each new hire.
- Check in at the end of each day. Assuming new employees are set when hired, most manager wait until the end of the first week to check in. This can be a major pitfall. We suggest a quick check-in (15 minutes may be enough) at the end of every day during the first week. Ask a few questions like, “What did you learn today?” “What did you enjoy the most?” “What did you find challenging?” Doing so allows the manager gain insights into what they are learning, are energized by, as well as how to adapt/adjust onboarding in week two.
Week 2:
DO make introductions and facilitate connections.
DON’T assume the job alone is why they joined your team/company.
Once a new employee has mastered computer/technology tasks, and is familiar with the job, it’s time to make them feel part of the bigger team. While the majority of people leave jobs because they don’t get along with or respect their managers, they stay because they have a sense of belonging with their teammates.
- Set up strategic connections, and ask who they want to meet. A great place to start is to set up quick “get-to-know-you” meetings with key peers or cross-functional team members. Provide a list of names and titles, and encourage them to make personal introductions. It’s helpful to share a set of “standard” questions to lead with: “Tell me more about your team’s role and how our work overlaps.” “What can I do in my role to help your team deliver most effectively?” “What are your biggest challenges and opportunities right now, and how can I (or my team) help?” Ask them to share their findings during your check-ins.
- Check in every other day. Shift the focus of the check-ins to every other day. Ask the employee to share what they are learning, what they need help with, and what they want to focus on the following week. Think of the first week’s check-in as “manager-led” and the second week is as “manager -employee-led.” The third week’s check-in is “employee-led.”
Week 3:
DO have a deeper conversation about their job satisfaction and role fit.
DON’T assume they have completely bought in.
At first, this may seem a bit odd. They’ve been on the job for over two weeks, and everything seems to be going well. Why should I ask if they are happy? Remember, most people determine if the fit is right during the first three weeks. If they realize it isn’t, they tend to stay put until they find a new job (which could take months). Consequently, you could be spending energy and time coaching and training someone who is mentally checked-out. To avoid this and gain an even deeper commitment, do this:
- Set up a 45-minute deep-dive conversation about job satisfaction and fit. Many managers avoid this step because they fear what they may find out. If the person is not happy or has joined the wrong job/company, it’s back to endless interviews. To make this process effective (and even enjoyable), set up a time outside the office for lunch or coffee. If working virtually, share a lunch via Zoom (and provide food delivery). Explain that you want to check-in to see how they feel about the job and company. Ask open-ended questions like, “How is the job matching (or not) your initial expectations?” “What is different or surprising?” ”What’s on and what’s off?” “On a scale of 1-10, how well do your skills match the requirements of the job?” “What additional skills do you want/need to learn to make it a perfect fit?” “What excites you about the job?” “What gives you pause?” Avoid asking questions that are too direct like, “Are you happy here?” or “Do you feel you made the right decision?” Instead, focus on their perceived fit and what they want to learn or explore to make the fit perfect.
- Check in at the end of the week. Shift the focus of the check-ins to weekly for the remaining two months of onboarding. Ask the employee to share or present their key learnings each week, as well as future areas for personal or skill development. Let them lead the check-in, and set this standard for the remaining sessions. As you progress into continuous performance coaching conversations, you’ll find this process makes for a seamless transition.
Creating and consistently executing this fluid, yet structured and personalized, process tells a new employee you care about their growth and development.
