Page 79 - Successful Onboarding

68 • Successful Onboarding

These four content areas (Figure 2.3) do not, in themselves, reflect new
thinking about social, organizational, and business systems. Thought lead-
ers have written weighty tomes on subjects such as competitive strategy
and corporate culture, and we are not advocating that firms redefine these
areas. What is new is our melding of these important topics in which firms
currently engage employees into a strategic approach to onboarding new
hires. It is that simple. It is the power of what these four content areas
can do together when applied and customized to the new hire investment
and integrated into the fiber of the company that pushes the envelope and
the return.

Spotlight: Shell

The executive onboarding workshops at the energy company Shell, held at
the 6-month point of a new hire’s tenure, wraps all four onboarding pillars
into one exciting onboarding program element. External hires from around
the world take part in the program, allowing for significant networking
opportunities and the building of strong work relationships (interpersonal
network development). Workshop participants learn about the company’s
“global challenges and long-term agenda” (strategy orientation) and “lead-
ership behavior” (cultural mastery). They sign pledges relating to personal
development plans (early career support).

Source: Anna Munn et al. Executive Onboarding: How to Settle in a New Hire.
ceoforum.com.au.

Necessary Resources and Structures
Beyond tackling these four pillars, companies must put the same quality
structures in place that any significant organizational initiative requires to
succeed. An effective onboarding program requires a defined governance
structure, complete with a measurement program that lets us know how
things are going and what we should improve, and accountability and
instructional guides for making sure that the program runs as intended.
Your lean manufacturing system has this. Your quality systems have it. Your