On boarding of a new employee can be both frustrating and
daunting and with good reason. Both
parties have something to gain and if done incorrectly something to lose. For an employer they want employees who are
informed and up and running as soon as possible to effectively help meet
objectives. For the employee they want a
supportive and informative experience to, you guessed it, get up and running as
soon as possible to effectively help meet objectives. So how should your
company or learning team approach on boarding?
It really boils down to 3 steps.
Pick the right method!
Depending on your companies structure there are four
options:
Create a blended
training program that balances both times with an instructor or mentor and
time on the computer. A great balance! This method helps capture the need for an
employee to have personal and supportive care while letting the company be cost
effective when content can be shared across multiple channels. One of the most
common pit falls is not discussing the expectations at each step. Be sure to
document either on a piece of paper or in email format what the employee should
be doing in between meetings. Be sure to
give enough time for the slower paced learners and extra “nice to haves” for
those who can handle a faster pace. To implement this method you’ll need to
come up with a schedule, develop presentations, outline a communication
schedule and material, and develop courses.
Create a Web Based Training
(WBT) program where the learner gains information by accumulating time on
the computer. ICK! Can you imagine
getting hired in, placed at a computer and just staring at the screen until
your first assignment? How impersonal
and unsupportive! Be sure to tailor your
training so it makes the employee feel included and provide them with a contact
or mentor for once their done. To implement this method you’ll need to come up
an outline of a communication schedule and material, develop a curriculum, and develop
courses.
Create Instructor Led Training
(ILT) program where an instructor or mentor works the employee through
everything. My personal favorite! If this was cost effective across all channels
I would recommend this to each and every person I have a conversation with
about on boarding. When it comes down to
taking time away from an employee or hiring and full time instructor then you
run the risk of losing productivity or working off a budget that isn’t
lean. Keep in mind that the person
chosen MUST be someone who is personable and can accurately represent your
company, brand, and values. Since they
are the main delivery of information the lasting impression has to be there
otherwise you’re just developing a plan that’s doomed to fail. To implement this method you’ll need to come
up with a communication schedule and mateiral, develop a schedule, and develop
and design presentations.
Create a virtual Instructor
Led Training (vILT) program where a person teaches over the computer. Great compromise! I love this option
because it provides the values of Instructor Led Training with less financial
overhead. Meetings can be scheduled
around the instructors schedule without the need to be in a physical location. This is also a great alternative for
employees who work from home or who have teammates that work across the country
or globe. To implement this method you’ll need to come up with a communication
schedule, develop a schedule, and develop and design presentation.
Come up with an
awesome game plan!
The training should be comprehensive taking into consideration
both the employee and employers needs. Here are some basics, which can be
applied across all methods:
Everyone, no matter how experienced or eager, will be
nervous. It’s a physical response to the
unknown that we all share and there’s nothing wrong with that. One of the first things I like to do with a
new employee is make them feel at home.
Show them where the bathroom is, explain how the teams are physically
are split up, go over emergency procedures, show them to the lunchroom, and
introduce them to teammates. Don’t forget to add in little personal touches
like letting them know what bathroom has been christened for #2s (yes, that’s
happened to me and yes, I’ve shared that information!)
Always take your content from looking at the big picture to
explaining the employee’s relative small part.
This gives the new hire an understanding of why something is done that
way or how a team works. It also helps
to slow down the process of information overload. This is a great time to go
over the: who, what, when, where and why of the company, department, and team.
Keeping in mind to only provide relevant information (so make sure your
instructor doesn’t like to go off on a tangent.)
No matter what method you pick, make it visual and impressive. A person who is engaged and interested in
your presentations is more likely to pay attention and retain information. Keep
your tone and general message consistent while inserting impacting slides,
pages or conversations. This is also the time for the company’s brand to really
show through. So work with Marketing or your Branding department to brand the
crap out of anything that will be used! Why not use videos? They’re great visuals and can be consumed
quickly and easily. Need to explain the
company? Why not create a company
history documentary styled video that can be shared with new hires and
potential customers!
Which brings up a great point; work across channels! Since each employee has an ultimate different
ending seat why not create content that can be used and reused. Master courses are great ways to promote a
unified look and feel while saving time and development costs. As a special bonus you’ll have the few and
far in between chance of bringing every department together to work on the
project. This means a company wide needs
analysis!
Make them believe in your company by including information
about the company’s culture and value.
What does your company do really well in the eyes of its employees and
customers? Will people be expected to
participate in value-based initiatives? But make sure you’re being
authentic. No likes a forced culture
atmosphere!
Go over the expected behaviors, competencies and metrics
that will be used to evaluate and promote.
Encourage their desire to develop these skills to the fullest by
explaining the rewards of a job well done.
But don’t make promises you can’t keep like an expected wage increase
unless it’s information shared by HR.
Provide documents to supplement their learning
experience. This can also help to streamline
work efforts especially in the case of checklists and forms. Be sure to keep the documents visually
appealing and branded when necessary.
One great example would be a customer persona fact sheet so the new hire
can get to know your standard customer and their behaviors.
Don’t forget soft skill training! Not everyone starts off at a company
understanding the best way to communicate with co-workers or deal with an angry
customer. Providing the training up
front means the new hire is more likely to handle the situation as the company
wants instead of going off of previous experiences or training.
Don’t rush through the workspace, desk and/or computer set
up phase. It’s important for a new hire to feel comfortable in his or her new
area. Give them ample time to set up
things to their preferences (keeping in mind safety standards or any other
regulations that could effect decisions.)
If they aren’t sure how to set it up then go through why you choose to
set up your station in a particular way or explain the potential pros and cons.
Incorporate them into the team every chance you get. Schedule training around team meetings or
call a special meeting just to introduce the new hire. I personally hate the “get to know me” games
because they seem so forced and dated.
If your team gets a kick out of doing them by all mean include it. Otherwise I suggest having the new hire
explain their background then let co-workers ask one burning question. Yes, the new hire will probably be
uncomfortable but at least they’ll get a small glimpse into everyone’s
personality and not be asked the same question fifty times in two days. To really wow your new hire make sure they
have someone to sit with for the first couple days. I’ve seen work friendships flourish and many
people thank me for not having to awkwardly join the table (You can’t sit with
us!)
Include follow up and touch points! This
is by far the most important thing to include in an on boarding training
program. Having scheduled follow up
meeting and touch points means that both the employee and employer have a
chance to praise or offer learning experiences.
This also creates a mentor program, which has been shown in countless
studies to drive retention. Mentorships
are really their own program that can be incorporated into a new hire program
so I encourage you to your own research.
Would you like to see an article soon discussing the topic? Comment below or catch me on Twitter.
Revisit and Refine
OFTEN
Companies, departments and teams evolve. Be sure to revisit the content and refine
based on feedback and performance scores.
Including a follow up survey to ask how the new employee felt about the
program is a great place to start collecting data. I suggest revisiting the
training program in 6-month increments if you’re not sure where to start.
