Page 69 - Successful Onboarding

58 • Successful Onboarding

Among firms that have embraced the onboarding moniker, the limi-
tations of many present-day programs have become all too clear. Because
most programs are so short, information is presented so quickly that new
hires feel overwhelmed, as if they are drinking out of a fire hose. Many
report “tuning out.” And most new hires never even bother to read the
lengthy binders that are passed out in an attempt to cover the material
that didn’t fit into the classroom time. As much as 90% of the content is
typically delivered so early that the new hire hardly has the context
required to understand and internalize it in a meaningful way, as depicted
in Figure 2.1.
Ninety percent of the material shared in these introduction sessions is
usually not reinforced at a later date. Also, the information delivered tends
to target the lowest common denominator; it applies to all new hires, with
limited customization for specific new hire groups (defined by level of
experience, line of business, function, role, location, etc.). Without con-
text and well-considered reinforcement, and when limited to the lowest
common denominator, the content organized and delivered has modest

Figure 2.1 Early Content Delivery