I get calls all the time from executive level candidates we place who are thrilled to have a new place to hang their hat. Life is good! Everything seems to be going as planned and the enthusiasm meter from their voice usually tells the story. Somebody gave them a jump-start and they are off and running! Starting a new gig is already a bit nerve-racking as new recruits engage in their new role, meeting strangers/co-workers, learning the company culture while establishing goals and expectations to measure how well they can perform. With a clearly defined on-boarding road-map employees have a sense of purpose and a yardstick by which they can measure their progress. Seems fair – right?
Unfortunately, I also get calls from some candidates who have a different story. They usually find a way to engage in their new gig – but without any road-map (NONE – NA-DA) from their new boss. There is no formal plan and no way to measure early success. So…unless the new hire is an inquisitive, highly motivated, self-starter, they run the risk of floundering for weeks before getting any real traction, and soon they become frustrated. This creates a total waste of time for the new employee, lost productivity for the company, and sends a loud message that there could be a clear and present danger ahead in this new gig. This total disregard for having a meaningful onboarding plan sets the bar for how the new employee views his/her experience for a very long time. Talk about letting the air out of their celebratory balloon…
This scenario makes no sense to me at all. Nope. I don’t get it.
Last year I wrote a story about the best on-boarding memory of my entire career. I was hired as VP of Sales for ActaMed (which later became Healtheon which eventually merged with WebMD) at the height of the dot-com era. The onboarding process was simply spectacular - and it did not matter if you were an executive or the receptionist. Everyone had the same exact on-boarding experience. Many might think that just because you are an executive that you will figure things out faster and on-boarding is not required. I disagree. I hit the ground running at this company faster than anywhere else I worked in my entire career. Onboarding for every employee mattered at this company – and I’m thankful they paid attention to every little detail. To this day, I give all of the credit to my boss (Nancy) who was responsible for the way all new employees were integrated into the ActaMed culture. And it wasn’t just my opinion. I recently attended a reunion at the 2010 HIMSS Conference with many of my former co-workers from the same company. We talked openly about how great the onboarding experience was. It really set the tone for our experience and made a life-long impression on me.
Some companies define onboarding much differently than others. With the cost of human capital to a company’s bottom line, much more attention needs to be paid in developing a comprehensive, well defined on-boarding plan. Period. It could make a huge difference in the overall performance of all employees of the company and increase the pride and enthusiasm workers have about their employer throughout their tenure. When coupled with a well defined retention strategy, organizations have a chance to greatly reduce turn-over.
While some may argue that on-boarding and retention are mutually exclusive initiatives – I believe there is much more linkage than you think. I’m just saying….
Tim, you’re absolutely right. Getting a new employee ramped-up quickly is critical, especially given the $$ spent finding, recruiting and hiring them. Ideally, it should begin during the interview process, and a savvy candidate should take an active role in making the start a successful one. ( http://tinyurl.com/y5c9m68 )
Brendan
It makes no sense to me to do it any other way. Bringing on a key exec is a huge investment so why not try to maximize the return up front! Thanks Brendan.
Great information! It is so frustrating to watch a company go through the time and expense of bringing on a new exec and then just dumping him or her at a desk and going back to the every-day. I read a stat that executives decide in the first week how long they will be with a company so this is a critical time for so many reasons. Thanks for bringing attention to this!
Bang on Brendan. Half of my clients are execs who end up sourcing Onboarding Coaching for themselves because their new employer hadn’t thought the process through or made the investment. Proactive execs will retain the services that can help them ramp-up effectively if they know where to look. But how much better if the employer made these arrangements during the offer process??
The other half of my business comes from smart companies who understand that investing to support the stars they hire will pay-off in spades (reduced time-to-productivity, higher engagement, positive impact on the new exec’s team etc.)
I’ll be posting your article to our LinkedIn Group- Onboarding Best Practices and welcome any of you who are passionate about this topic to join the group.
Sue Edwards
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/onboardingcoach
Sue:
Thanks for your post and for sharing this post with your group. It seems there is a different standard for on-boarding (of lack thereof) when in comes to executives. I would assume there is a strong demand for the types of services you offer. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Just posted the article to the LinkedIn group, Tim. I welcome you to join the conversation or happy to let you know what comments get added from the group.
Here’s a research report I offer on “Top 10 Success Factors and 7 Deadly Sins for Leaders Transitioning Into a New Organization” http://www.clearingthe90dayhurdle.com/top10-report.shtml
Search professionals like you do a great job of differentiating your service by providing info to help set up the execs you place for success in their new role. Tips like these can help!
Cheers!
Sue
It is perhaps useful to keep in mind that these are sins of omission, not commission. No hiring manager thinks about this and consciously decides NOT to help their new employee with their onboarding. The issue is that hiring managers and organizations often just do not think about it.
In these circumstances, the first step is for recruiters or new employees to help the new direct supervisor think about it. They can make a big impact simply by raising the idea, perhaps even directing them to our book: Onboarding, How to Get Your New Employees Up to Speed. (Couldn’t resist.)
George Bradt
PrimeGenesis Executive Onboarding and Transition Acceleration
http://www.primegenesis.com
Very good topic! Companies that do onboarding correctly no matter what level the new hire is reap the benefits in employee engagement and retention. I joined a company once where my new boss worked from home two days my first week. She didn’t even leave a plan for me. I knew no one and there wasn’t anything I could even pro-actively work on. This was before the days of full internet access at work so I couldn’t even do research that would have helped me in my job. It set the tone for my whole experience there. I started looking for a new job 4 months later and left after 7 months.
If you’re in the corner and have got no cash to go out from that, you will need to receive the business loans. Just because it will help you for sure. I take auto loan every year and feel OK because of this.