Page 14 - Successful Onboarding

Introduction • 3

to onboarding, one that leading companies are already applying to great
effect. Onboarding can and should be far more than a glorified orienta-
tion program, and in fact a number of progressive organizations have
already begun to design and implement strategic programs that bring
diverse stakeholders together to engage new hires over the first year plus
of their tenure. These programs incorporate an array of content, includ-
ing what we refer to as the four organizing pillars—early career support;
orientation to the firm’s culture and its performance values; insight into
the firm’s strategic position, intent, and direction; and activities and expe-
riences that enable the new hire to build beneficial relationships. Strate-
gic programs include important structural elements, including clear
diagnostics and a system of feedback and accountability, and are
customized for unique segments of new hires. They are also tightly inte-
grated with the enterprise’s primary business and operating processes. On
the most basic level, firms adopting strategic programs have begun
to craft seamless first year experiences that, by taking seriously the per-
spective of new hires, hiring managers, and the enterprise in whole,
address the ongoing needs of the business more effectively than ever
before.
Systemic programs have many benefits, not least that they can be
more cost-effective than the disjointed programs commonly in place
today. As we will demonstrate, strategic onboarding not only reduces
operating costs, and helps new hires improve their personal contribu-
tion to the enterprise; it also reduces regrettable attrition, and helps
the organization deliver against its strategic goals. The discipline
can uncover immense new value—what we term the Onboarding
TM
Margin —even as it improves the enterprise’s employment brand in
the eyes of employees and prospective recruits. Through real-world
examples from our work with Chief People Officers, onboarding lead-
ers at renowned universities, Fortune 500 HR executives, and other pio-
neers of the field, Successful Onboarding teaches the fundamentals and
state-of-the-art practices that can improve the onboarding performance
of any enterprise. Read on, and you’ll discover a framework for analyz-
ing and understanding the opportunities available. You’ll also take your
first step toward designing and implementing a best-in-class system for
your own organization.