Imagine. You are in your best suit, dress, jeans, and polo, or whatever is appropriate for your first day. Those butterflies are fluttering around in your stomach. This is the first day of the rest of your life and possibly your career. YESSSS! The excitement and anticipation are there to connect with this new group of co-workers and leaders. Most importantly, you want to contribute and make a difference in your chosen field. You believe that this company will be different and they will. Their pre-hire and on-boarding process set them apart!
Join us in this on-boarding journey through 5 areas of onboarding success.
Pre-hire
You are hired for BOTH who you are and what you know!
- During your interview process, you took an assessment that looked at your work styles, personality, and motivators that make you tick. This assessment was paired with a job analysis for your position to ensure the drivers of successful staff in that position role matched with your skill sets.
- Being transparent, this is shared with you as part of the interviewing process. Gaining your insight along the way, partnering together for both an organizational and personal success.
Decision Making and Dotting the I’s.
- The required compliance portion of orientation has been completed prior to your hire. You have already completed all of your payroll, I-9, and W4 forms online or been provided with paper copies to bring in on your first day.
- You have both read the FAQ from your soon to be co-workers about what it is like to work for this company.
- The employer provided you with a video that highlighted the employee handbook and benefits offerings. This was a crucial step in you making the decision to choose this company to work for.
- You had the direct number to both your supervisor and HR while you were making your decision. This company does not sell a bill of goods. They stand behind their promises and they expect the same of you!
Day One
Interaction.
- Interaction and action start when you do! You are welcomed by your team and they take you to your work area which is stocked with the tools that you need to be successful. Along with a few snacks for day one.
How do they know which snacks you love? They asked during the final interview, noted the answer for when you said yes and ensured that you received what you asked for.
Partnering for Success.
Relationships make the business happen. We do things for people we like and those that solve our problems. Your on-boarding connects you with your peers, managers, and mentors on day one. Providing you with the opportunity to connect and chose how to use these resources. Below are three options that you can choose to engage in during your initial onboarding and beyond.
- Mentors not on your immediate work team. When you have someone that you can connect with and reach out to assist you in learning the informal structure and getting your projects off the ground much more efficiently. You are more likely to build relationships and get what you need to serve your customers and the organization overall.
- Partnering with a member of your immediate work team. Learning the ropes of “how things are done around here” can be a challenge. This person gives you the ropes and resources as you learn within the first year.
- Partnering with a group of employees that have started in the past six months. Learning from others wins and mistakes while creating a collaborative team is important for belonging and getting things done.
Quick Wins.
We all want to contribute.
- On day one, you get to dive right in with a project that is completed the same day. You leave your first day feeling accomplished, a respected member of the team.
- You put on your best for day one when you left your house. Walking back into your house after a quick, fun and fulfilling day, you put on confidence. Confidence in the fact that you made the right decision to join this company and confidence in both the skill sets that you have and who you are to create an impact with this company.
On-boarding Final Thoughts.
If you like the way you were on-boarded into this organization, stay tuned for the next installment that will highlight onboarding in the first 30 days using an assessment tool. We recommend and utilize Drake P3.
We invite you to leave your comments on our Facebook page and reach out to learn more about implementing these in your organization. We partner with organizations to hire and retain staff for both who they are and what they know that is aligned with the specific organizational values.
Need more HR training support on On-boarding Practices? Contact us today to speak with a certified HR consultant.
