Onboarding: How to Welcome New Employees to Your Team
by Andrew Downing
Starting a new job or joining a new group is exciting but also stressful and isolating, which is why leaders must make onboarding as welcoming as possible. Picture the entire process as giving a new team member everything they need to succeed at their job, acclimate them to the culture, and integrate them into the team's cohesiveness.
Here are five suggestions to create a positive onboarding experience:
Personalize the culture with examples. Talk about your own experiences within the company. Explain the culture by mentioning your personal setbacks and successes within the organization. Knowing how to "fit in" is one of the best ways for new teammates to get over being an outsider. Work can be isolating and lonely if they do not perceive themselves as part of the team.
Create a sense of belonging. Assign a small support network and develop a mentor/mentee relationship. Eventually, the reception will end and the work will begin. This is when the inevitable decrease in energy occurs and the anxiety and self-doubt start to creep in. So when questions do arise, new team members need to be comfortable asking for help. You can address this upfront by assigning someone to be their go-to person. You must also take steps to reduce the "new employee mirage," the appearance that everyone around them belongs, knows what to do, and doesn't want to be bothered. You can tackle this problem by openly discussing everyone's vulnerabilities and their struggles when they first joined the group.
Find out what matters. Leaders need to ask some important questions during their first week. A year from now, what would make this a successful job for you? What about this job will create meaning in your life? What are the most important takeaways you look for in a job? Where do you want to be in five years, and how will this position help you achieve your goals? You need to ask these questions, take notes, and directly address any concerns. Take this time to talk about growth opportunities, advancement, and career paths. Connecting their present work to a successful future is the best way to illustrate that you care about them and their success in life.
Make their arrival a celebration. Introductions and lunch with the team on their first day are not enough. Schedule happy hour celebrations, welcome gifts, and team-building activities. The first week is about making them feel welcomed and accepted. Create situations to induce small talk, find commonalities, and make personal connections within the team.
Onboarding is a year-long process. Initiation is more than welcoming a new colleague. You must check in on them and design a process to keep them engaged for the long term. According to Work Institutes 2020 Retention Report*, 37.9% of new hires leave their organization within the first year. You can reduce the first-year turnover through proper training and asking for feedback. When someone does leave, create a trusting atmosphere and conduct an exit interview. Within my lifetime I've left 10 companies/organizations, and I've never been asked to do a proper exit interview. From a leadership perspective, I consider this a crime.