Page 90 - Successful Onboarding

The State of the Art: Essentials of Strategic Onboarding • 79

cultures and environments. Does it make sense to integrate new hires
the same way in both places? A strategically designed onboarding program
will balance the features and content that should be consistent across
all new hire segments with customized features and content so as to yield
the most value for the new hire. Other parameters of new hire segmenta-
tion include generations, geography, traditional employment categories
(exempt, non-exempt, union, non-union, expatriates, etc.), business unit
assignment, functional assignment, role assignment, degree of prior indus-
try and function experience, diversity categories (ethnicity and gender),
skill sets, and interest areas, among others.
This is a long list, and you are not going to win by seeking to cover them
all. In most companies limited resources won’t allow such coverage. As
part of the diagnostic process that kicks off the design of any onboarding
program, designers need to identify strategic priorities and determine
which of these unique populations will move the needle and achieve the
desired business results.

Onboarding Case Study: John Deere
Although we know of no single company that has adopted all the features
of the ideal onboarding program, some innovative onboarding initiatives
in recent years go a long way toward realizing the vision we have outlined
thus far. One example is the program implemented for executive new hires
at John Deere, the world’s largest manufacturer of farm and forestry equip-
ment and a major player in construction equipment as well. For years, all
John Deere hires went through a fairly standard online orientation process.
Before they arrived, new hires received information on their work loca-
tion, where to park, training to complete within their first year, and a map
of the company’s sites. They received roadmaps with year-long calendar
of milestones, and they participated in a two-day orientation process fea-
turing large-group informational meetings.
In 2007, HR implemented a new, enhanced onboarding program for
executive hires. The company was concerned that the wave of Baby
Boomer retirements would leave the organization short of leaders. All that
experience could not be replaced by new college grads, so the company
would have to start hiring more mid-career people. It is expensive to do