Welcome to the family: tips for onboarding new employees.

AuthorDee, Kevin M.
PositionHR Matters

Joining a new company is akin to getting married and joining a new family. And every family has a unique culture. It doesn't matter if your companies' culture is "The Addams Family," "The Waltons," or "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Everyone needs to be shown the ropes lest they get hung by them. The way each new person joins your organization will ultimately determine his or her overall productivity and contribution to your mission.

Human resources has a very large role in making sure that every new employee is qualified for work and gets the required trainings and paperwork handled. But if you stop at that then you will have missed the one chance to create a great employee from the start. Getting onboarding right is critical to engage and enroll your new employee. If they are just out of school they will want to engage with enthusiasm that, rightly directed and focused, will add value to your organization.

Onboarding is not a one day, one week, or even one month process. To do it right and get the right results it must fit the position being filled and it needs to be a dynamic process that changes as the company does. Some best practices include:

The List

Enlist a subgroup of employees at the same level as the new hire to create an accounting of the things each new employee needs to know when joining the group. Everything goes on this list. Include how to work the copier and where the restrooms are, who to talk to on different subjects, and how communication really works in your company. This is best updated on a quarterly basis if your company has a high rate of change. This is different than what managers want--though it does include system competencies.

Guides

Make the last person hired the orientation guide for the new hire. As the last one oriented, they are the ultimate keeper of the list and can modify it to add or delete items. If your refrigerator etiquette or IT policies have changed, then they are in the best position to update the list. This guide is the "go to" person for what can be a rocky trail for new employees. They would be the source for directing the new employee to subject matter experts that the new employee needs to know. Upon completion of the list the newly oriented person adds to or modifies the list and becomes the next guide.

Leadership 'TED Talks'

Have your leadership individually give five to ten minute meetings covering how what their team does helps the mission of the company and how best to succeed...

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