Page 165 - Successful Onboarding

152 • Successful Onboarding

enterprises, but in a small outfit of 10 employees, all you need is a man-
ager or mentor to take a new hire under his or her wing, provide direction
and guidance during Week One, and then keep the conversation going.
Early career support initiatives benefit the enterprise by serving as a cat-
alyst for greater engagement and motivation. Just as companies reinforce
consumers about their selection after they make an initial purchase of a
given brand, so must companies reinforce a new hire’s decision to come
onboard. Offering early career support helps new hires see the value
proposition of their job from the outset. By demonstrating right away that
the organization cares about what new hires themselves deeply care
about—their success—firms can more quickly activate new hires to per-
form enthusiastically and at their best.
In the Harvard Business Review’s January 2010 issue, Harvard profes-
sor Teresa Amabile presented a study concluding that the number one
driver of employee motivation is an employee’s experience of progress.
As Amabile explains, “making headway in their jobs, or when they
receive support that helps them overcome obstacles, their emotions
are most positive and their drive to succeed is at its peak.” Significantly,
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the feeling of progress ranked higher than four other attributes that have
long been considered top factors—recognition, incentives, interpersonal
support, and clear goals.
Given our earlier position regarding the new hires’ view of Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs, we find it unsurprising that progress matters. Progress
will lead to job security, the feeling of belonging and being appreciated,
esteem, and ultimately self-actualization. When architected to align with
the hiring manager’s needs, progress will result in recognition, apprecia-
tion, and energy for further investment in the new hire. From the enter-
prise’s perspective, progress means that the company mission is being
realized—the very reason companies invest in new hires to begin with.
Early career support—understanding personal progress and prospect—
can increase new hires’ productivity. New hires are motivated to perform
better and reach peak productivity quicker, but they also receive help they
need to raise productivity levels. Many new hires remain unaware of incor-
rect behaviors that limit their current progress and long-term potential.
Early career support allows individuals to improve their reputations or per-
sonal brands within an organization. In many cases, a positive dynamic of