Page 126 - Successful Onboarding

Teaching Culture So That Our New Hires “Get It” • 115

As a Starbucks’ VP told us, “this kind of flow of communication among
different segments is just what staying [culturally] small is about.” The pro-
gram’s volunteer nature, and the fact that it is so well attended, itself con-
veys the company’s performance value of being motivated to understand
customers and the customer experience. Perhaps one of the most exten-
sive in-the-field programs we know of is at an industrial manufacturing
company that makes diverse products for various markets. The company
invests in a 270-day immersion program for their senior hires. Through-
out that period, and before taking on their actual duties, managers spend
their time going from business unit to business unit, function to function,
and meeting to meeting, soaking in literally dozens of businesses and the
cultures that support them. By the time they take on their roles, new hires
can operate at peak effectiveness relative to the organization’s needs, since
they possess deep knowledge of “company-think” an understanding of
performance values, and strong social networks. This is an outstanding
investment on the company’s part. Even if your company can’t afford the
same commitment, the company’s approach suggests what state of the art
looks like, offering general principles that can inspire your own, less inten-
sive program design.

Summing Up

Cultural acclimation is a vital component of a best-in-class onboarding
program. To improve retention, productivity, and related goals, and to
enlist new hires in cultural transformation, firms should pursue open, hon-
est, authentic conversations about organizational culture with new hires.
The point isn’t to assure total conformity, but rather to raise awareness of
cultural realities so that new hires can better navigate them. Program
designers first need to take stock of their organizational culture via a cul-
tural audit. With a sense of the culture in hand, managers should then
frame and deliver messages that truthfully convey over time the subtleties
and nuances of the culture. Overall, orienting new hires properly isn’t a
quick and dirty task; it requires thoughtful program design and the involve-
ment of stakeholders across the organization. It’s worth the effort, though.
As top firms know, taking the time to talk about culture results in happier,
better-adjusted employees who work effectively for the ends intended.
Simply put, it surfaces and releases hidden value.