Page 281 - Successful Onboarding

262 • Successful Onboarding

into digital, interactive content available on the portal—eliminating
instructor costs, participant travel costs, printing costs, and facilities fees.
Other savings yielded from the portal include the elimination of printing
and mailing costs associated with the new hire welcome packet, which is
now available online for all new hires the day they accept their employ-
ment offer. Additionally, the portal’s automation of new hire data collec-
tion has yielded substantial process and labor cost savings.
Based on early data, Booz Allen expects its program will improve the
firm’s retention rates. Reduced attrition will likely result from the
enhanced onboarding program as early as Year Two, since new hire deci-
sions to stay or leave the firm typically occur at the end of the first year of
employment. In 2010, the firm won a Bersin Learning Leaders Award for
Excellence and an ASTD Excellence in Practice citation for this onboard-
ing redesign. Without question this effort has made an impact on its
employment brand and is paying dividends.
Booz Allen’s enhanced onboarding program was successful for a vari-
ety of reasons. First, key stakeholder involvement during the design process
generated early initiative acceptance and adoption. “Our process of social-
ization and vetting not only the completed products, but also the work in
progress allowed us to incorporate real-time feedback, ensuring our pro-
gram sponsors’ and stakeholders’ recommendations and direction was fully
integrated. Ultimately this streamlined the design and development
process and added significant value to our work,” notes Vince Gonzalez.
Second, using a waved approach to development, piloting, and imple-
mentation permitted the organization to adopt specific gold standard best
practices while ensuring ROI gain and continuous organizational momen-
tum and support throughout the process. Third, development of program
governance, provisioning, and administration frameworks and support
tools contributed to ensuring consistent delivery of a high-quality onboard-
ing experience for new hires.
What sets Booz Allen’s onboarding program apart from other similar
initiatives is the program’s integrated and systemic approach, which lever-
aged existing integrated technology platforms and performance manage-
ment systems at the company. By making use of Booz Allen’s existing
social media tool, the onboarding program encourages new hires to net-
work with their colleagues. Furthermore, deployment of an online new