Summary
Onboarding new employees to your team is all too often treated as an afterthought, or best case, as an at-the-moment-thought. Employees deserve a well-thought out experience that includes them from the very beginning–from the creation of the position description—to that time after they’ve become integrated into our teams and organizations. We can trace some of these imperfect scenarios all the way back to the creation our performance profiles or position descriptions, and how they were created. When we understand the entire journey from candidate to employee we see the value of treating onboarding as an ending of a particular process instead of a solitary event in time.
Key Insights
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Onboarding is an ecosystem, not just a process or event.
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Performance profiles should focus on expected outcomes rather than job descriptions.
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Structured interviews provide consistent experiences and align questions with organizational goals.
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Maintaining communication with new hires after the offer prevents feelings of abandonment.
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Creating a comfortable first day begins the transition from candidate to employee successfully.
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Buddy systems can support new hires and integrate them into teams more effectively.
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Internal projects provide a safe space for new employees to learn and contribute without the pressure of high stakes.
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Feedback from new hires is crucial to improving the onboarding process.
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Treating the first day as a 'commencement' reinforces the significance of the new role.
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Engagement before the start date sets a positive tone for the employee’s journey.
Notable Quotes
"We need to always be aware of how every interaction we have with candidates impacts their experience."
"Hiring managers have it rough; it’s not easy begging for someone to get hired."
"Onboarding should be seen as an ecosystem centered around people."
"Effective onboarding can be the difference between a smooth transition and a frustrating first day."
"We must treat our hiring process with the same empathy we apply to user experience design."
"The performance profile workshop involves the whole team to determine what success looks like for a new hire."
"If you focus more on the experience, you can improve recruitment significantly."
"We need to graduate our candidates to employees in a way that feels special and supported."
"We often forget the candidate experience once they pass through the hiring door."
"The reality of onboarding is that it should not feel like a bureaucratic nightmare."
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