Page 94 - Successful Onboarding

The State of the Art: Essentials of Strategic Onboarding • 83

Summing Up

This chapter has presented a vision of what an ideal state-of-the-art
onboarding program might look like. Forged as a composite of design
principles we have seen during the course of our work with leading firms,
our framework seeks to design a superior experience for new hires as they
pursue the inherently difficult task of transitioning into an unfamiliar
organization. People navigate these transitions on their own, yet if we can
engineer a new hire experience much in the way consumer marketing
seeks to design a complete brand experience, the transition can happen
more rapidly and successfully, thus unlocking hidden value. At this point,
we are hoping that you, too, see it as quite strategic.
As we have discussed, the primary features of a state-of-the-art onboard-
ing program include coverage of four pillars, a year-long/complete business
cycle time span, the provision of resources and a structure befitting a key
strategic initiative, and customization of the program in line with the firm’s
strategic objectives. On an even more fundamental level, we’ve suggested
that successful onboarding reflects “design thinking,” an approach that
encompasses both observational research and deep empathy with key par-
ticipants in the onboarding process, especially the new hire and the hiring
manager.
The next five chapters expand in some detail on the four pillars, as well
as on the structural support required to deliver them. Before we dig in,
we’d like to spend just a moment thinking about a picture of human
nature that can inform your onboarding program. Human resource pro-
fessionals talk a lot about “hiring for fit.” Hiring for fit is important, but
we have learned that by and large people are quite adaptable. They have
a strong survival instinct, and many also have a strong ambition to thrive
when given the right conditions. When it comes to personality, interests,
and potential, a large majority of people can potentially “fit in” with most
organizations. Different cultures do exist, but just as tourists can get around
pretty well with some simple navigational aids, so too can most new hires.
What people share in common far exceeds the differences that divide
them. Likewise, the potential for adaptation is greater than the uniqueness
that exists among organizations.