Tõnis Arro
Co-founder, Wisnio and Executive Lab
How to design an onboarding experience
Employee onboarding is a crucial last step in the hiring process, and it can significantly impact the new hire's success in the role. Onboarding ensures the new employee has the knowledge and resources needed to become a productive and integrated team member.
The onboarding process starts right after the hiring decision has been made and the employment contract signed. The process consists of three steps:
Agree on the start date and plan the first day;
Plan the first week(s);
Plan the first 100 days.
Apart from these, candidates also need to consider when they would like to meet their closest colleagues for the first time. Many new executives prefer to meet a week or so before the official start date for an informal get-together.
The first days of a new employee are usually packed with meetings. Thus, an informal gathering before the official start enables executives to get to know their team beforehand.
Day 1
The start date of a new employee is usually set together with the signing of the contract. This gives the company time to sort out practical things connected with the work environment (order a laptop, prepare a desk, etc.) and set up personal meetings with all relevant stakeholders.
The stakeholder meetings give the new employee in-depth information that wasn't available before. These hour-long meetings are not social chats but serious business talks. As such, the new employee needs to plan for these meetings and think through what they want to ask.
In bigger organisations, it's common for different stakeholders to have different expectations of what the new employee needs to achieve. And so these meetings are a perfect opportunity to clarify expectations towards each other.
Stakeholder meetings are not social chats but serious business talks. As such, the new employee needs to plan for these meetings and think through what they want to ask.
After all, all stakeholders are looking out for their interests - how they can get the maximum benefit for themselves. It's the job of the new employee first to understand what is important, set priorities, and talk them through with all the stakeholders. And not just talk through the priorities but get an agreement that these are things that s/he would work on.
At the end of the first day or week, it's customary to have a social event. It's important to ensure everyone is aware of the plan and can make it. It's not just a social event but part of onboarding the new employee.
First week(s)
The first weeks of a new employee are mostly filled with meetings (stakeholders, everyone the new employee has to work with, clients, partners, etc.) and reading (guides, plans, etc. - everything that was not available during the hiring phase).
Next, the work begins on planning the first 100 days. What are the first quick wins? What the new employee wants to achieve in the first 30 days, 60, 100, etc. Discussing and agreeing on these plans with all the stakeholders is important. You'll have to agree with the stakeholders that this is what you will be working on for the first 100 days.
The agreement with stakeholders is essential as it eliminates problems down the road. Issues like why didn't you work on X or why did you work on Y. Having an agreement beforehand removes this kind of questioning.
Team onboarding workshop
Another important aspect of getting up-to-speed and delivering results is deeply understanding your team.
At Wisnio, we use our platform's collected and analysed talent data (values, personality, and competencies) to get the new employees to deeply understand their team and the people they are working with.
The analysed results are used to understand how the new employee compares against each member and team. These data are discussed on a one-on-one basis with the hiring manager and the team.
Apart from that, the first weeks are capped off by a brief feedback survey. This allows for gauging how the new employee is settling in and if any issues need to be solved.
Example insights from a team on the Wisnio platform
First months
After finishing and agreeing on the 100-day plan with all relevant stakeholders, the first months are spent working on fulfilling the said plan.
The role of the hiring manager during this time is to give guidance, coaching, and feedback on the work being done. As a hiring manager, block time in your calendar for these tasks.
And although regular meetings should be the norm in any organisation, they become critically important during the onboarding phase to ensure a smooth start.
Repeating the team workshop after a few months is also a good idea. By this time, the new employee has had time to work with everyone and everyone with him. It gives more context to the discussions.
And finally, 360-degree feedback on the new employee's work that can be discussed with them personally or by bringing in the team if and when needed.
Conclusions
Onboarding a new employee is not something that just happens. To get a new employee integrated and up-to-speed, the company needs to work hard to make sure that the transition is a smooth one.
The process starts by planning out the new employee's first day and first weeks. This will create a solid foundation from which to build the 100-day plan.
And finally, the last is all about supporting and giving guidance if and when needed to make sure that the plan can be achieved.
