Page 213 - Successful Onboarding

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THE ONBOARDING MARGIN

LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM:

ADMINISTRATION AND

GOVERNANCE

You are not alone if your company’s onboarding process is administra-
tively disjointed. On the surface, processing new hire paperwork; outfit-
ting recruits with the necessary supplies, access, tools, and development
resources; assigning new hires to a team, a mentor, and a first assignment;
among many other requirements, seems basic. It should be easy to man-
age, right? Unfortunately, it’s not.
At most companies, this process requires tight coordination between stake-
holders in almost every function—people who typically lack a formal report-
ing structure for this activity or accountability to each other. At a minimum,
Recruiting, Security, IT, Facilities, Payroll, Legal, Benefits, and the new hire’s
manager must play a role in welcoming the new hire. The remainder of the
year, a systemic program provides administrative coordination (and direction)
for the new hire, hiring manager and system-wide participants, assuring that
they can complete training, acclimation, acculturation, skill progression and
recognition, progress in role, career development, and performance review
activities. To pull it off, you need not only the right technology, people, and
resources in place, but a system of governance to measure performance,
ensure that all system participants play their role properly, and assess conse-
quences if they fall short.

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