Last week we talked about the main reason employees don’t stick (if you missed it here is the link). Now let’s talk about onboarding success.
There are nuances between roles and companies, so this subject can get heavy. Which is why I am going to try my best to keep it simple and give you a skeleton of what I have seen make the biggest difference to shift from a so-so onboarding experience, to one that breeds success.
Here goes. It’s a trifecta. You get to onboard them not only on the nitty gritty of their role, but you also get to onboard them into the culture and team and dare I say more importantly onboard them into their life. The last one is the kicker; and often most overlooked.
Let’s dig in.
The first one is pretty self explanatory. Role specifics. They have to get up to speed on what success is in their role and how to achieve it.
Personally I take a page out of my time in the medical field and follow a see one – do one – teach one approach so I know they got it.
Your first 90 days with them are critical to not only build on your momentum but to help them suggest so I suggest breaking their first 90 days into weeks and having “one big thing” per week.
What this does is not only give you a tangible way to see if you are on track but it also helps them be less overwhelmed. Instead of a looking up at Mt. Everest they can clearly see each step in the journey starting at base camp.
The other part of having a great 90 days comes down to having a really solid check in at the 30-60-90 day marks. These questions are not just about performance, it is about getting a pulse on them and where we are hitting the nail on the head or missing the mark so we can adjust as quickly and effectively as possible.
I am going to give you a few of my very favorite (and most effective) check in questions in next weeks installment so keep a weathered eye on your inbox.
The second part you want to onboard them into the team and culture. This is especially important for remote workers, but honestly humans in general thrive in supportive communities they feel a part of. No one wants to be just a body.
Help them feel like they are part of the company, not on an island.
The way I help with this is a buddy system.
It’s a bit like if you ever went to a new school, they pair you with a fellow student who helped you feel less alone and show you the ropes on your first day. The premise is the same here. Pair them up with someone over the next 90 days in the organization that is complementary to them.
Some of my clients like to kick the traces on this one but I like to pair people who are complementary and different so they can help with each other’s blind spots. I’ve seen many cases where the buddy system helps and supports the veteran as much as the rookie. This person should not be their manager or in any sort of hierarchy with them because you want to give them a safe and trusted confidant to ask questions, share, learn from and make them feel like they are part of the family.
The second part of integrating with culture and team are little things that make a big difference such as taking and talking through one of your core values every week. Explaining what it means to the company and what it means to them in tangible actions in their role and life. I have seen many a team have friction because people assume you are all talking about the same thing re core values and you’re not. This solves that.
Now the last one, which is the one I am sure made you all go … ‘what on earth is she talking about?’ Is the one I see most business owners and leaders miss.
This is where you onboard them into how the business is going to help them create the life that they want and achieve their goals.
So often we focus on how this new team member is going to help the business that we forget that the human behind the success has goals and dreams too.
This is why one of the big areas on the scorecard is their “path towards success” – I want to know where they want to be in a year professionally AND personally.
If they want to buy a house, how can I support? If they want to start a family? How can we make sure that we set everyone up for a win win so they don’t have to worry?
Maybe they want more training or a degree. Phenomenal!
I want to know it all so I can make sure they know I am on their side and want them to win just as much as I want the company as a whole to win.
When we support our team members in this way it creates a new level of trust and connection. It shows them they are not just a number or a body, but a human being who is leveraging their expertise in our business to create the life they really want.
The cost of losing someone after 90 days is astronomical when you think about the hundreds of hours of your time, your teams time, their time so don’t fall in the trap of skipping this last part of onboarding or you’ll kick yourself.
Does that make sense? Do you see how someone who feels like you have their back and are vested in THEM will be much more likely to stick?
Alright. That is my 2 cents on what makes a very effective onboarding landscape for your new team member. Which one was your favorite or made you go ‘huh?!’
If you have a particularly effective step in your onboarding process I would love to have you share. Together we can build some really wonderful teams and make each others onboarding processes even better!
See ya next week when I share a few of my very favorite (and most effective) check in questions in next weeks installment so keep a weathered eye on your inbox.
Until next time,
Lauren
p.s. Office Hours are TOMORROW starting at 10am CST ☕️
Got something stuck in your craw or keeping you up at night? Pop in tomorrow, August 17th, anytime between 10 and 11am CST to pick my brain – I’ll put on my COO hat and help you problem solve about anything having to do with business operations, teams, profitability, leadership, or scaling your business.
