Page 262 - Successful Onboarding

9

DRIVING

IMPLEMENTATION—FROM

BLUEPRINT TO IMPACT

In 2008, we helped strategy and technology consulting firm Booz Allen
Hamilton as it set out to renew its onboarding system. This rapidly grow-
ing firm of 22,000 employees works with clients, including government
agencies, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations to
“deliver results that endure.” Booz Allen considers its employees its most
valuable asset; therefore, attracting, developing, and retaining talented
people is essential to the firm’s mission.
Diagnostic analysis of Booz Allen’s redesign showed that though many
employees were enjoying their work, they felt less emotional connected-
ness (what we call “valued connectedness”) with the company than man-
agement would have preferred. The firm’s rapid growth, accompanied by
a dispersed workforce, created obstacles and inconsistencies in onboard-
ing processes and programs. Recent and unprecedented growth also chal-
lenged the scalability of Booz Allen’s existing onboarding processes,
technology, and systems. To support the firm’s operations while balancing
significant growth demands, the onboarding redesign team realized it
could cut its recruitment demands (i.e., reduce the number of new hires
it would need) and costs if onboarding protocols helped employees more
effectively and rapidly understand their roles, become productive, and rec-
ognize their value. The team also concluded that the new processes should
incorporate a concept for better connecting the aforementioned off-site

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