While comprehensive onboarding program contains many more features than what we have space to mention here, we are going to touch on just a few that are the most overlooked.

PRE-HIRE

• The most effective onboarding programs begin before the job even starts. Consider:
• Sending the new employee paperwork to be completed ahead of time. This way, their first introduction to our company isn’t “sit here and fill out endless forms.”
• Giving access to your intranet which can include:
• A welcome note from their manager
• First day instructions
• Welcome messages from team members and photos
• Downloadable copy of the employee handbook

FIRST DAY

• Creating an agenda for their first day
• Meeting with their manager to set expectations and introduce clear, short-term objectives
• Taking them out to lunch on the first day by manager and/or team. At this lunch: Assigning a mentor/buddy (someone who is approachable and accessible) for questions or anything else the new employee may need.
• Review roles and responsibilities for the entire team so the new employee knows who to go to for what.
• Tell stories that reinforce your company’s Mission, Values and Culture.
• Share something personal from each team member.

FIRST WEEK

• Training in whatever software, machinery, or processes they are expected to use. (75% of new hires said that training during the first week on the job is most important to them according to the BambooHR 2014 Survey.)
• Shadowing team members so the new employee can get an idea of the bigger picture of their department, division or company. (Tip: Team members must be informed of when they are going to be shadowed and what they should be doing during this time. This approach fails when teammates feel blindsided and convey irritation to the new hire.)
• Debriefing the employee at the end of the week to gather their thoughts and feedback on anything related to your business. New people only have “fresh” eyes for a couple of weeks so best to get their perspectives early on.

FIRST MONTH

• Checking in at the 30 day mark. This is ideally a two-prong approach: Creating an Onboarding Survey. If you’re curious as to how effective your current onboarding process is, consider surveying your most recent hires. To make this easy, we will share a sample survey for you to edit and use in coming weeks. (If you absolutely can’t wait, just respond to this post and we will be happy to send it now!)
• Check-in by HR to make sure the new employee is happy, challenged, productive and engaged.
• Check-in by their manager to review the first month and give thoughtful feedback and coaching.

FIRST THREE TO SIX MONTHS

• Checking in at the 90 and 180 day mark. Remember most employees decide whether to stay or go within the first six months.
• If possible, arrange to have a check-in every thirty days to connect with the new employee, measure progress, deliver feedback and talk about their future development.
• Switching focus from onboarding to development and retention. Where does employee see themselves growing from here? What will they need to focus on and improve to get there? What do they need from you in order to do so?

This list of ideas may seem daunting to some. If you’re starting from scratch, at a minimum, have a plan (even if it’s just a checklist) that covers the first few weeks of a new hire from a training and connecting perspective.

As long as we continue to wage this war for talent, proper onboarding needs to be a weapon in your arsenal. Onboarding shouldn’t be a single, one-week, event, rather, it should be an integral part of your ongoing talent strategy.

~The DISC Wizard