Bringing a new employee on board is an exciting time for any organization and for the new team members. Everyone has high hopes for new relationships, innovative ideas, and great collaboration after a new hire starts. The first few months can be crucial in determining whether that new hire will thrive in their role and become a valuable long-term asset.
With recent research pointing to new hires finding challenges with psychological safety, it is critically important for leaders to set their new hires up for success when they start.
By prioritizing onboarding, leaders can better equip new employees for success in their new positions. Here are some steps to ensure your new team member finds success quickly.
Develop a comprehensive onboarding program
A well-structured onboarding program goes beyond paperwork and introductions. It should:
- Clearly communicate. Ensure your new hire understands job expectations and performance metrics. They need to know what success looks like.
- Identify the new hire’s key Motivational Dimensions. During the introductory period, leaders should find as many shortcuts as possible to get to know their new people. Understanding how people are motivated can help leaders communicate more effectively to help their expanding team find success.
- Provide an overview of company culture, values, and goals. Understanding the nuances of an organization and expectations, such as how to use Slack or Teams, what’s expected during meetings, and the overall company mission, will alleviate any anxiety about unspoken norms.
- Include hands-on training for essential tools and processes. Make sure the new hire understands everything from how to request PTO to how to enter time tracking.
- Introduce key team members and stakeholders. Knowing the team’s expertise can help a new hire find answers quickly and provide answers and alerts when they identify problems or opportunities.
Ideally, onboarding should extend beyond the first week, with regular check-ins and milestones for the first ninety days.
Assign a mentor or buddy
Pairing your new hire with an experienced team member can help ensure they have opportunities for collaboration and a ready guide for understanding how the organization operates.
- Provide a mentor that can quickly and easily answer questions and provide guidance.
- Ensure the mentor has been with the organization for a while and can adequately help the new employee navigate office politics and unwritten rules.
- Make sure that the mentor can help accelerate integration into the team’s social fabric.
The mentor should be someone other than the direct supervisor, offering a different perspective and a more informal relationship.
Set clear goals and expectations
From day one, ensure your new hire understands your expectations of them and their position in the organization. They should clearly understand:
- Their role’s key responsibilities and how they fit into larger organizational goals.
- Short-term and long-term objectives.
- Performance metrics and how they’ll be evaluated.
Regular check-ins to discuss progress and adjust goals as needed can keep the new hire motivated and aligned with expectations.
Provide the right tools and resources
Nothing hampers productivity like not having the necessary tools. Ensure your new hire has the following:
- All required technology and software.
- Understanding of communication tools and how the team uses them. If a team is key to asynchronous communication, ensure the new team member understands this and what it means for your team.
- Access to relevant databases and information systems. New hires should get access to the tools they need for the job assigned to them. If they’re in charge of content, for example, ensure they have access to analytics and other tools to determine their
- A clear understanding of the available resources and how to access them.
Consider creating a resource guide or easily searchable intranet that new hires can refer to as needed. When your team fully integrates Motivation Code, a clear understanding of each team member’s Motivational Dimension and their MCode report can help a new hire better understand the people they’re working with. Getting up to speed on how best to communicate with their new team can help them integrate quickly and form more empathetic connections.
Foster open communication
Encourage a culture of open dialogue where the new hire feels comfortable asking questions, getting clarification, and sharing their new perspectives in a safe place. Ensuring new team members feel safe expressing concerns, ideas, and experiences is crucial for their success.
Regular one-on-one meetings with their supervisor can provide a dedicated time for these discussions.
Successful onboarding welcomes the whole person
When a new hire joins an already successful team, they may be reluctant to share their ideas, experiences, or thoughts with others for fear of being misunderstood, ostracized, or ridiculed. Ensuring that a new team member feels psychological safety is critical to their success and the success of the entire organization.
By implementing these strategies, organizations can create an environment where new hires feel supported, engaged, and equipped to contribute their best work from day one. Remember, a successful onboarding process invests in your organization’s future, leading to higher retention rates, increased productivity, and a more positive workplace culture overall.
If your team is expanding quickly, contact us to learn how Motivation Code can help you scale new hires and create high-performing teams of motivated people who will bring their all to your organization.
