Onboarding Best Practices

Definition

Onboarding, also known as Organizational Socialization, refers to the coordinated experiences…through which new employees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become effective organizational members.

Benefits: Formal Onboarding

• Reduce time from Hire to Productivity

• Improve retention rates• Increased job satisfaction• Increased organizational

commitment

Pre-Hire Preparation

Ensure employees will be ready to start work immediately: • Network ID• Computer• Phone• Workspace• Forms completed prior to start

date (I9, W2, etc.)

New Hire Orientation: ComponentsConfirmation• Confirm Choice of Employer• Create positive 2nd impression

Company• Mission and Vision• Places, Products, Practices,

People• History and Culture

Connections• Presentation from Senior

Leaders• Meet-and-Greet with Manager

Celebration• Generate Enthusiasm• Symbolic gift such as a pin, a

shirt, a notebook, model airplane

Social and Role Integration

• New Employee Buddy / Mentor • Manager onboarding checklist:– Clarify role and context– Meet team members and stakeholders

– schedule lunches for employee in advance

• Support development of effective work relationships with team / manager

Social and Role Integration

Build in Multiple Touch Points • Employee Panels• Lunch-n-Learn Topics• Coffee Chat with Leaders• Online tools such as Yammer, New

Employee Portal, LMS • OD Assessments designed to deepen

an understanding of team dynamics. (Strength Finder, 5 Dynamics, Belbin)

• Formal Gap Analysis: Clear understanding of Future State

• Document and describe gaps following each orientation session

• Monitor retention data• Formal surveys of new-hires and

their managers• Informal check ins• Review Retention and Engagement

Data with HR

Identifying Gaps

Lean Processes to Resolve Gaps

• Describe and Document Gaps • Lean Tools:– RACI– PDCA – DMAIC– Ishikawa / Fishbone Diagram

• Diagnose, Test and Rectify Processes

• Communicate SOP’s

Thank You!