Onboarding Advice for New Employees – How to Succeed!
Remember how that was? Being the new kid on the block? Trying to establish yourself in a new neighborhood, a new company, a new department? How the look on everyone’s face seemed to ask the question, “Who is this guy?”
The answers to that question take many forms. Some have to do with character, some with competence, and others with various social skills. Some can be answered with a single action; when the new kid is knocked off his or her bike by the neighborhood bully and gets up and pokes the bully in the nose, everyone learns immediately that the new kid is not to be taken lightly.
There is a cautionary adage that recommends that not every opportunity to fight should be taken, that would be a form of recklessness, but that one should choose their fights depending on the importance of the issue involved and the likelihood of success. The adage is a useful tonic when tempted by annoying but inconsequential provocations. But there is another side to the coin, some fights should be fought even though one knows going in that one is going to lose. These fights are over moral and ethical values.
But back to our new kid on the block; there he or she is, the wrong gender, the wrong color, the wrong accent, the wrong something or other. She doesn’t fit in. He is not us. Still we have a wonderful capacity for inclusion; we can overlook issues as long as we can find a compelling reason to bring the newcomer into the fold. In the example above, the response to bullying is perceived as an admirable quality, representing a kind of person worth having in the group. It is not dependent on fighting skill but on the willingness to stand up for oneself. Or by extension for the group.
This is not a recommendation to stand up in a meeting and poke the meeting bully in the nose. Tempting as that may be. But the principle underlying the response is the same. Your proposal has been dismissed without due consideration. Why? You have done your homework; your supporting facts and data are relevant, the strategic fit has been taken into account, the opportunity is fleeting and resources and immediate action are required. Time to take a deep breath. What other factors are you not considering? Is the failure to persuade in the proposal or in you? Is it a matter of trust or a business issue? Business issues need to be addressed with business answers. Trust issues relate to character and competence.
Trust does not travel well. A player from a Super Bowl team being traded to your team is a matter for both enthusiasm and skepticism. Yes, he played a role in winning the Super Bowl. So why did they trade him to us? What did they see that we do not? And so the new guy has to begin again to demonstrate, on and off the field, how he contributes to your team. Trust is a renewable resource.
Onboarding Advice – Tips for Success:
- ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #1 – PROCESS: The onboarding process should be an experience every new employee will appreciate, remember, and view as a positive experience. It is to the benefit of the employee and the corporation for HR to take time to come up with a detailed plan for each step on the onboarding process.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #2 – MULTI-MEDIA INTRODUCTION: Nothing kills the interest or enthusiasm of a new employee than being handed huge stacks of paperwork and worksheets the first day of hire. Using video, in person talks, classroom lectures, written presentations and online learning can help improve employee retention and make the onboarding process more engaging for your new team members.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #3 – FEEDBACK: You can never underestimate the value of employee feedback – even from a new employee on the first day. Even if your onboarding process is well structured, the opinion of the employee experiencing it is invaluable. Take time to gather and analysis feedback and continually improve the process.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #4 – REALISTIC JOB DESCRIPTION: Job descriptions and responsibilities that are not defined realistically during the onboarding process are a recipe for disaster (i.e., unhappy or disappointed employees leads to high turnover). Make sure your new team member knows what they are signing on for, what to expect from the position, and what they need to do to be successful in their new position.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #5 – PACE NEW EMPLOYEES: You should always consider new employee onboarding a marathon – not a sprint. Rushing new employees through the process can result in them missing out on valuable opportunities to bond as a new team member. You don’t want to force them to choose between mastering their job duties & accumulating to the corporate culture.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #6 – CULTURE: Every company has its own culture with unique language and jargon. Dropping new employees into the conversation without teaching them the “lingo” sets them up for failure. Make sure your new employee is educated on the corporate buzzwords, lingo, and acronyms. It is equally important to fill new hires in on any inside jokes, traditions, and other important bits of your company’s culture.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #7 – POSITIVE INTERACTION: The key to a new employee’s success is tied to their relationship & level of comfort with their immediate manager. Managers should be included in the onboarding process, and actively engaged in enabling the new employee’s success.
More about the “New Did on the Block” next time.
About RJ Winston Consulting: Reginald Winston, CEO and founder of RJ Winston Consulting, Inc. has 25+ years’ experience in Organizational Development with a focus on Executive Coaching & Training, Team Building, Group Facilitation, Conflict Management, and Professional Life Coaching. Before consulting, Mr. Winston held positions in numerous large organizations including Ameritech, SBC, Motorola, Advocate Health Care, Corning Consumer Products and the Federal Reserve. In addition, Mr. Winston’s service in the US Marine Corps and assignments with the United States Department of State gives him a unique insight in the challenges management teams & leaders face in the expanding global world market.
Mr. Winston has extensive experience in working with Hospital Administrators and Senior Medical staff (doctors, nurses and executive-level hospital administrators) in a wide variety of hospital settings and departments. His experience also extends to the public & private sector, as well as industrial, manufacturing and corporate environments where he has provided coaching services to C-Level Executives, Mid-Level Directors & Managers and teams. Mr. Winston holds a Master of Science Degree in Organization Development (MSOD) from Loyola University, in Chicago, Illinois.
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