Onboarding How to Successfully Integrate New Employees Written

Onboarding How to Successfully Integrate New Employees Written by David Berke Supplemental Self-Study Presentation

Onboarding Overview

Onboarding Introductions to a company’s policies, procedures, and other formal rules have always been a necessary first step for new employees. This was called an orientation. Today, however, that process has evolved significantly. So has its name. Onboarding takes employees further. Unlike an orientation, it is an integration process that not only provides the company information new hires need, but also ensures that they become actively involved as quickly as possible, jumpstarting their contributions to productivity. Onboarding walks you through a model with four overlapping elements: Resources, Rules, Relationships, and Roles.

Onboarding Introduction Part 2 Orientation usually addresses only the first two, resources and rules. These areas often have been formalized with various written policies and procedures. Because of this, Human Resources (HR) frequently handles orientation instead of the new employee’s direct manager. In contrast, onboarding addresses all four areas and includes direct involvement from the manager of the new employee, particularly when it comes to addressing relationships and roles. Relationships and roles are the two areas that have the greatest impact on an employee’s immediate productivity and satisfaction in their new position.

Onboarding Introduction Part 3 Of the four elements, Role Clarification is the most important. That is because clear expectations between a manager and his/her direct reports (expectations going in both directions) can make the difference between a relationship that succeeds and one that fails. In fact, research shows that the manager–direct report relationship is the most important. And when it fails, turnover usually follows. It is for this reason that the program places much emphasis on roles. While this element is discussed in more detail than others, at the conclusion of the course, you will, nonetheless, be better able to actively translate each element of the onboarding model into specific action steps you can take in your own situation.

Onboarding Module 1: Defining Onboarding

Onboarding—An Employee Perspective To implement a successful onboarding experience for your new employee, it is helpful to look at the experience from their perspective. A good way to obtain this kind of insight is to think back to your own experiences and expectations when beginning a new job. When you begin a new job: • How do you feel? • What do you want to know? Most people feel a combination of uncertainty and excitement when they begin a new job, and most people want to know what needs to be done in order to integrate smoothly and be successful.

Onboarding The Purpose of Onboarding The purpose of onboarding is to help the new employee establish a foundation for success. This is done by helping the employee to: • Confirm or reaffirm his/her decision to take the position. In other words, the employee should feel good about his/her decision. • Learn about and adjust to the culture and rules in his/her new job as well as get to know the people with whom he/she will be working. • Become productive quickly. It is easy to delegate much of the onboarding process to other people or organizations like HR; or to assume that putting information online is all you need to do. At best, that is incomplete. Effective onboarding also involves face-to-face interaction between the manager, the new employee, and his/her coworkers.

Onboarding The Onboarding Model The model illustrates the interrelated relationship between the elements. A strong foundation in these four areas can make for a good beginning at work. Of course, even when someone is no longer a new employee, these elements continue to be important.

Onboarding Key Onboarding Elements Resources: Providing the equipment, tools, and materials needed to do the job. Roles: Establishing clear expectations among employees, managers, and coworkers the new employee will have to depend on to get the job done. Rules: Sharing organizational and departmental rules, policies, and procedures needed to do the job right. Relationships: Establishing an effective network for necessary information and support. Whatever the employee’s position, it is important they: • Have the resources necessary to do the job. • Know the formal and informal rules for doing the job and getting things done within the organization. • Have clearly defined expectations with coworkers, and their manager, that are updated periodically to avoid unnecessary conflict caused by faulty assumptions.

Onboarding Test Your Knowledge Read the question, then click on the answer. Which strategy is the most effective way to ensure the success of your onboarding program? A. Leave it completely in the hands of your HR department because its employees are the experts. B. Include plenty of face-to-face interaction between the new employee and his/her manager and coworkers. C. Offer it entirely online so new employees can refer to it 24/7. D. Let each new employee guide the process so they get their individual questions answered.

Onboarding Module 2: Planning for Onboarding

Onboarding Resources and rules are the part of onboarding that most people are familiar with. These two elements primarily touch on organizational processes and requirements. We’ll begin by discussing resources. Employees should have a clear understanding of the resources available to them. Resources include anything that enables an employee’s integration into both the company and the position. Organizational Programs and Benefits • Review the organizational programs and benefits available to the employee. Programs and benefits may include: • Medical, drug, vision, dental • Life Insurance, disability insurance • Retirement plans, savings, profit sharing • Sick leave, vacation, holidays, family leave, jury duty • Training and development programs, mentors, tuition reimbursement, EAP (Employee Assistance Program), ridesharing, flex hours

Onboarding Resources Part 2 Standard Forms for Hire • Ensure employees complete the necessary forms for hire. This may include forms for: • Tax purposes (e. g. W-4) • Payroll deductions • Enrollment in benefit and retirement plans

Onboarding Resources Part 3 Organization Information • Review the organization chart, * mission, vision, history, key products and services, etc. • Introduce the employee to their work/desk space. • Train the employee on the proper use of equipment (phone, computer, etc. ). • Show them where to access supplies and tools as well as where to obtain their uniform, if appropriate. • Go over working hours, start and stop times, overtime, breaks, lunch, etc. You should also consider when the necessary resources will become available if they aren’t already and what the alternatives are if they won’t become available. *an organization chart illustrates reporting relationships and/or the relationships among departments or functions

Onboarding Rules Every organization and department has their own set of rules by which employees must follow. So it’s important to review them with new hires. Common Policies and Procedures Some of the most common organizational and departmental policies and procedures that employers review with their new hires regard: • Schedule: working hours, start and stop times, overtime, lunch, breaks, etc. • Dress code • Commute/telecommute options • Family/child care; elder care • Drug testing • Procedures related to doing the job – Example: If you’re a bank teller, you may need a supervisor to sign off on deposits above a certain amount, or if you work in a store, there may be certain questions you have to ask or certain approvals you have to get to accept returns.

Onboarding Rules Part 2 Common Policies and Procedures (continued) • Use of the Internet and social networking sites • Safety and security rules • Handling conflict of interests in the workplace • Confidentiality • Specific department or unit rules, if appropriate • Volunteering/community involvement • The unwritten rules: What is generally understood to be okay or not okay to say or do? What are the cultural dos and don’ts? – Example: In some companies it is the expectation that individuals will be “nice” to one another.

Onboarding Roles Role clarification is defined as: Making explicit what the employee can expect of the manager and what the manager can expect of the employee. Why would a manager want to establish explicit mutual expectations? The reason is to minimize misunderstanding. Often it’s not difficult for the manager and employee to agree on mutual expectations. But if that doesn’t happen, the manager has final say—unless he or she decides not to. It is important for the manager to explain this to the employee before they begin the role clarification discussion. In most cases, employees don’t get to determine their role and what is to be expected of them. Understanding Role Clarification Role clarification: • Can or should include coworkers, especially if the work itself requires interdependence • Is essential for establishing and maintaining trust • Is successful only when assumptions are made explicit • Should be updated periodically as situations change

Onboarding Elements of Role Clarification Role clarification includes making sure you and the employee are clear on: • Performance expectations • Interaction preferences • Resources • Decision making • Development Performance Expectations • Determine the level of clarity needed. • How specific can you be? • Will this be behavioral and/or quantitative? • What is the highest priority task? (There can only be one. ) • How will the employee know when it changes (if it does)?

Onboarding Elements of Role Clarification Part 2 Interaction Preferences • Preferred communication (email, phone, face-to-face) • Frequency • Level of detail • Type of issues to consult on before making a decision (e. g. financial, commitment of resources, time off, relations with other departments, etc. ) • Conflict style/preference • Feedback preference – Some managers will only deliver feedback if something is wrong. Some managers are reluctant to deliver any feedback because they are conflict averse. If the employee knows this and would like something different, he or she can express that. Similarly, some managers want to get feedback from their employees, but most employees—especially new ones—are reluctant unless the manager specifically asks for it. Resources Given expectations, does the new hire have enough resources (including people) to do the job?

Onboarding Elements of Role Clarification Part 3 Decision Making • Which decisions can the employee make on their own and which must they make only in consultation with the manager or a coworker? • Which decisions can’t the employee make? Managers often have varying degrees of comfort with the amount of autonomy they want an employee to have. The type of job an employee has and the level will determine what specifically an employee can decide on their own. There are many possible examples where this could apply. Here a few: • Financial decisions • Committing one’s self and/or others in the organization to a course of action • Agreeing to provide resources—people, money, etc. • Approving work done by someone else • Deciding when to take a vacation, schedule a doctor appointment • Meeting with someone from a different department/work unit

Onboarding Elements of Role Clarification Part 4 Development Employees develop their knowledge and skills in a number of ways including workshops, coaching, and developmental assignments. • What opportunities are available for the employee to learn about the organization, enhance his/her job performance, prepare for future positions, etc. ? • How will you determine what development the employee needs? • What is your role in the development process (provide money, provide coaching, provide time to attend, etc. )? • What internal resources exist to support your efforts to develop this employee? • What does the new hire need to learn to do the job? • What types of assignments and other learning opportunities are, or will be, available? • What does the new hire want to learn? How does this link with organizational needs and his/her career goals, if any?

Onboarding Performance Expectations: Role Clarification for a Manager The purpose of role clarification is to establish clear expectations between a manager and an employee. Below are items that a manger likely wants the new employee to know; these touch on the four onboarding elements. Consider your answers to each of them in preparation for your role clarification meeting with your new employee. You may add or delete items as appropriate. • What are the department’s or unit’s critical priorities? • How does the team and department contribute to the success of the business as a whole? • What is the purpose of the position the new employee is filling? • What should the employee know about their coworkers’ jobs–when might they need to coordinate with them? • How does the employee’s job contribute to the success of the team and department?

Onboarding Performance Expectations: Job Tasks and Measureable Goals Identify the key tasks in the employee’s job and the measurable goals or standards for each. Here are several examples: Key Tasks • Answer the phone at the reception desk • Handle difficult customers • Maintain client records in database Measurable Goals or Standards • Answer by the third ring, use a greeting that includes your name, the department name, and “How may I help you? ” • Remain courteous and helpful at all times, ask questions to gather information, follow through to demonstrate commitment and responsibility for resolving their problem. • Input data with 100% accuracy, maintain confidentiality of client records.

Onboarding Performance Expectations: Role Clarification for an Employee The purpose of role clarification is to establish clear expectations between a manager and an employee. Below are items that a new employee often wants to discuss with their new manager; these touch on the four onboarding elements. These questions should be provided to your employee prior to your scheduled role clarification meeting so they may adequately prepare to discuss them. You may add or delete items as appropriate. • What do you want to know about critical priorities in your new department, function, or unit? • What do you want to know about the work your new department or unit performs? What do you want to know about how you will be contributing to that?

Onboarding Performance Expectations: Role Clarification for an Employee Part 2 • What questions do you have about the key tasks in your job, their priority, and the specific standards that will be used to measure your performance? • Given your current understanding of the job, what areas do you believe are your strengths, and in what areas are you still developing knowledge and skill? What types of activities will help you further develop in those areas? • What do you want to know about work and office rules such as hours, dress, pay, etc. ? What questions do you have? What preferences or requirements do you have?

Onboarding Interaction Preferences: A Manager’s Perspective It is important to communicate your preferences for interaction with employees during onboarding. The questions listed here are ones you will likely face when leading an employee through the onboarding process. It is important to set aside time to discuss these questions. Otherwise, the result can be misunderstanding and unnecessary conflict. To develop a broader sense of options, it is also useful to discuss these questions with other managers at work. Think of a new employee at your place of work. If you do not have a new employee, consider instead a current employee. Respond to the following questions with that employee in mind. • How often should he/she provide status reports regarding what and how they are doing on the job? • Are there specific areas you want him or her to focus on? If so, what? Why? For how long?

Onboarding Interaction Preferences: A Manager’s Perspective Part 2 • What type(s) of interaction do you prefer or find most effective, given the logistics of the job (travel, co-located, etc. )? For example, do you prefer face-to-face communication, email, voice mail, staff or web meetings? Why do you prefer that type of interaction? • When receiving input from an employee, do you prefer detail or summaries? Consider an example, if possible. • What is the best way to approach you if he/she has a question? For example, might you say: – It’s okay to ask any time. – If it’s not an emergency, I prefer you schedule an appointment. – Consult someone else in the department first if I’m not available.

Onboarding Interaction Preferences: A Manager’s Perspective Part 3 • How will he/she know whether they have performed or not performed to your expectations? For example, will you: – Tell them immediately. – Wait until a performance review. – Have someone else tell them. – Let the employee figure it out. • How should he/she approach you if they are in disagreement with you? • Do you find it acceptable to receive feedback from an employee? The feedback could be on any number of topics including assignments you give the employee, how you interact with the employee, decisions you make about the unit you manage, etc. If yes, how do you prefer it be communicated? Do you want to set any limits on feedback topics?

Onboarding Interaction Preferences: An Employee’s Perspective It is just as important for an employee to have an understanding of his/her interaction preferences and to communicate those preferences to their manager; this ensures respectful interactions between the two of you. You should provide these questions to your new employee prior to the role clarification meeting, so that he/she can adequately prepare to answer them. Keep in mind that you can add or modify these questions as appropriate. • How much interaction with your manager about your job do you prefer? For example, do you prefer to be given a goal and then left alone to complete it, or do you prefer to be able to check in with your manager regularly? On what does this depend?

Onboarding Interaction Preferences: An Employee’s Perspective Part 2 • • Are you comfortable voicing a question, disagreement or concern in person with your manager? If you are not comfortable doing this in person: – What would be a more preferable form of communication for you? – What can you do that would help you become more comfortable? What can the manager do? How would you like the manager to approach performance feedback with you? How often? What are your reasons?

Onboarding Resources, Decision Making, and Development—An Employee Perspective It is important to get the employee’s perspective on resources, decision making, and development. Ask the employee the following questions to gain this insight. Resources • What resources do you believe you need to do your job effectively? Why? • How will you find out if you don’t know? Decision Making Given your current understanding of the job and your knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses: • What types of decisions do you believe you can make on your own? • What types of decisions do you believe you need your manager’s approval or input on? • Ideally, how much autonomy would you prefer on the job? Please describe.

Onboarding Resources, Decision Making, and Development—An Employee Perspective Part 2 Development • What types of development would most benefit you in this job? Please explain. • What types of development would you like to prepare for future jobs? Please explain. • What are you willing to invest in your own development—time, money, etc. ?

Onboarding Planning for Onboarding Relationships Having an effective network is critical for success. The network can include subject matter experts the new employee might want to visit to get advice and feedback, people who will be working on the same projects as the new employee, and people who know the company and its history and can provide important background information about what has been tried in the past, what has worked, and what hasn’t worked. The list could go on. The point is that just about everybody depends on other people for some part of their success. So it’s particularly important for a new hire to meet other people who can provide the support the new hire will need. Think of a new employee at your place of work. If you do not have a new employee, consider instead a current employee. Make a list of the activities a manager can do with their new hire to facilitate network building.

Onboarding Facilitating Network-Building As a manager, you can help the new employee to build an effective network by doing the following. • Define an ideal network prior to the new employee’s first day, and discuss your reasoning with him/her. • Give him/her a centrally located office; or, if they work outside of the office, put the new employee on teams that will enable them to meet and develop relationships with people who could be important for their success. • Place him/her on work teams that interact often with other teams. • Make strategic introductions—subject matter experts and coworkers who can help them with task-related questions.

Onboarding Facilitating Network-Building Part 2 • Design initial work assignments so that the new employee must establish a large network. • Identify a “buddy” or mentor to whom the new employee can go on a regular basis for answers to questions about their job, the organization, etc. • Provide opportunities to get to know others through training, team building, and orientation activities. • Prepare briefing documents about and be able to describe the roles of the new employee’s coworkers/peers in your unit and others the new employee might deal with regularly. • Prepare briefing documents about, and be able to describe, your chain of command, important organizational issues, etc.

Onboarding Plan Outline An onboarding plan is essential to successfully prepare for and organize the onboarding process. It should be completed with input from HR and others in your organization. Before Onboarding Resources Send any benefits and similar material to the new employee for review and sign-up. (Depending on the company, some people receive this before they begin the onboarding process; others receive it the first day. ) Prepare the work area. Set up an email account, telephone, and voice mail account. Rules Identify and prepare information about items such as: Hours Salary review Safety Procedures for being late, sick, or absent

Onboarding Plan Outline Part 2 Before Onboarding (continued) Roles Prepare your answers to role clarification questions. Prepare job standards. Relationships Identify and assign a “buddy. ” Prepare the “buddy. ” Identify a relationship network and schedule introductions.

Onboarding Plan Outline Part 3 During Onboarding Day One Managers can help the new employee feel welcome and ease anxiety by: Coordinating a meaningful first job assignment. Arranging for lunch with the appropriate person(s). Providing a tour of his/her work area and the building. Allowing them time to complete forms—if they were not completed before onboarding began. Reviewing his/her job description, an outline of their duties, etc. Providing the role clarification forms to the new employee to complete and scheduling a meeting to discuss them. Weeks One to Three Managers can help the new employee establish a firm foundation for success by discussing: Role clarification and other topics as needed (i. e. , relationships, resources, rules) The initial assignment(s) Whether the employee needs assistance to meet with people who can help him/her become established

Onboarding Plan Outline Part 4 After Onboarding After One Month Follow up with your new hire by discussing topics such as: The extent to which the job meets expectations Gaps that may exist between expectations and the job Additional training that would be appropriate at this point Areas for additional coaching Goals, objectives, and work plans The employee’s progress with his/her “buddy” and others The employee’s progress with initial work assignments After Six Months Follow up with your new hire by: • Reviewing goals, objectives, and work plans • Identifying and reviewing training and development programs attended and those to complete • Completing an informal performance appraisal to prepare for the first official appraisal • Discussing career development—based on the employee’s performance, his or her experience on the job and in this company, career goals, etc. • Following up on earlier discussions such as those mentioned in the section, “After One Month, ” above

Onboarding Test Your Knowledge Read the question, then click on the answer. Which of the following is NOT an element of role clarification? A. Resources B. Decision making C. Promotion opportunities D. Interaction preferences

Onboarding Review

Onboarding CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Read the case study and answer the questions that follow in order to put your skills into practice. Organization: Triple A Events, a large event planning/trade show company People: Cathy, purchasing manager and soon-to-be supervisor of Scott and Bonita, new hires. Situation: Triple A Events is growing like crazy. Cathy has been with the company since its start. She wears many hats as the Purchasing Manager, which up until now was a one-person department. She has been solely responsible for all aspects of purchasing: vendor/supplier sourcing, contract negotiations, quality control, inventory management, purchase orders, etc. The company recently decided to split up those responsibilities and hire people to fill two new positions: Vendor/supplier sourcing and relationship management, and inventory management.

Onboarding CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Part 2 Cathy found two great candidates and is eager to have them begin. Scott has just been hired to handle the vendor/supplier position and begins in two days, while Bonita will handle the inventory. Her start date is three weeks away because she has to fulfill a commitment at her current position. Because Cathy is so overworked, two days fly by and she doesn’t have time to prepare for Scott’s arrival. Cathy: “Welcome, Scott. You don’t know happy I am to have you on board! Let me walk you to your desk and I’ll show you how to access my files so you can jump right in and review the vendor/supplier history. Then I have a meeting I just can’t miss. But I’ll be back in a couple hours; we can go to lunch and then we can go over all the hiring paperwork and policy manual. ” Scott: “Uh, okay. I hope I can make sense of it all. ”

Onboarding CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Part 3 Cathy returns from her meeting. Cathy: “I cancelled an afternoon meeting so I can spend more time showing you all the forms I’ve developed. I have found they are really helpful for keeping track of all the contacts I have made and subsequent follow-up conversations. ” Scott: “What about the hiring forms and policy manual? ” Cathy: “Oh, we’ll get to that too. It will be a jam-packed afternoon. ” At the end of the day, Cathy feels great. She really likes Scott and she believes she showed him everything he needs to be successful in his new position. Meanwhile, Scott ends the day feeling mentally exhausted and a bit unsure of what he’s actually supposed to do first. But he knows how busy Cathy is and wants to make a good impression, so he tries not to ask too many questions. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem there is anyone else to go to for help.

Onboarding CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Part 4 Two weeks later, Cathy and Scott meet for a one-on-one session. Cathy: “So, how do you think it’s going? ” Scott: “To be honest, it’s a struggle. I can’t tell if I’m doing what you want me to do, and I feel isolated from the rest of the company because no one else does what I do. ” Cathy: “You sound unhappy. During your interview, you told me you liked working autonomously and taking initiative. That’s what this job is about. ” Scott: “Look, I’ve made more than 30 new contacts since I started. I have no problem taking initiative. I just need more feedback from you about whether I’m spending my time on the right things. And just a heads up—I know that Bonita is starting soon, and I suspect she will feel the same way I do. ”

Onboarding CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Part 5 Scott’s comments got Cathy thinking. Cathy (to herself): “I’ve been so focused on handing off my work that perhaps I haven’t thought enough about it from Scott and Bonita’s perspective. I’m going to do things differently when Bonita starts. ” On Bonita’s first day, Cathy is ready for her. Cathy: “Welcome, Bonita. I’m so happy to have you join the company. I want today to be a great experience for you, and the start of a long and happy career with us. Please meet Scott, part of our team. Together, we’re going to help the company succeed by providing top-quality services in our Purchasing department. ”

Onboarding CASE STUDY—Questions to Consider 1. Considering each of the element of the onboard model: resources, rules, roles, and relationships, which did Cathy handle well, and which could be improved? 2. Clearly, Cathy didn’t provide a comprehensive onboarding experience for Scott. What negative consequences are possible, or are already occurring? 3. How should Cathy adjust the timetable of information and activities she provided to Scott? 4. Cathy promised that Bonita’s onboarding experience would be different. If you were Cathy, what would you do to ensure that Bonita has a successful onboarding experience? Review the ideas and suggested answers provided on the following slides.

Onboarding CASE STUDY—Suggested Answers 1. Considering each of the element of the onboard model: resources, rules, roles, and relationships, which did Cathy handle well, and which could be improved? Resources: Cathy provided Scott with many forms from her own work, which although helpful, might have been overwhelming to go over all of them on his first day, in addition to company-wide forms and paperwork. Rules: Cathy specifically mentioned that she was going to cover paperwork and the policy manual on Scott’s first day, so the element was handled appropriately. However, she didn’t cover unwritten rules, which are often the heart of an organization’s culture. Roles: This element was glaringly missing. Cathy didn’t discuss performance expectations, which led Scott to feel confused and uncertain about how he was doing, and if he was even working on the right stuff. In addition, Cathy didn’t discuss interaction preferences (hers or Scott’s), and as a result, Scott was hesitate to bother Cathy because she was always so busy. Relationships: Cathy didn’t provide Scott with any information about her existing network of relationships; this was one of the biggest shortcomings of Scott’s onboarding experience. He felt isolated, and had no idea whom to contact for help. Cathy was Scott’s default buddy, but he clearly felt uncomfortable going to her with questions, so that wasn’t an effective buddy relationship.

Onboarding CASE STUDY—Suggested Answers Part 2 2. Clearly, Cathy didn’t provide a comprehensive onboarding experience for Scott. What negative consequences are possible, or are already occurring? The overall purpose of onboarding is to integrate the employee into the organization, ensuring that the new employee becomes actively involved as quickly as possible. By leaving out the Roles and Relationships aspects of onboarding, Cathy missed an opportunity to help Scott feel committed and a part of the company. She also made it difficult for him to know what was expected of him, how he would be evaluated, and how he should interact with her. Without that information, Scott will have a difficult time being productive and working effectively with Cathy. 3. How should Cathy adjust the timetable of information and activities she provided to Scott? Cathy packed the first day too full of forms, policies , and procedures while neglecting to offer any information about roles and relationships. She cancelled a meeting to spend more time with Scott on his first day—a good move—however, her time would have been better spent on introducing him to people who will become part of his network, as well as reviewing his job and giving him a specific initial assignment or task. She could gradually cover some of the policies and procedures over the first few days and weeks.

Onboarding CASE STUDY—Suggested Answers Part 3 4. Cathy promised that Bonita’s onboarding experience would be different. If you were Cathy, what would you do to ensure that Bonita has a successful onboarding experience? First, Cathy needs to spend a significant amount of time preparing before Bonita’s first day. She should make sure Bonita’s desk and any necessary equipment is set up, identify her relationship network and schedule introductions, and be ready to review Bonita’s job description and give her a meaningful first assignment. In addition, Cathy should review all the paperwork and policies, and decide which are most critical for Bonita to complete and review on the first day. All others should wait so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed and forget everything. Cathy should also clear extra time in her schedule over the coming weeks to be available to meet with Bonita. As her direct supervisor, she is the most important relationship Bonita will have in the company.

Onboarding Congratulations! By now you should be able to: • Explain the purpose of onboarding and the benefits it provides to new employees. • Describe four key onboarding elements and how they support the onboarding process. • Describe actions you can take and information you can use to successfully integrate new employees within the context of the four key elements. • Prepare information relating to the four onboarding elements to use and share with new employees during the onboarding process.

Onboarding Appendix

Onboarding References Watkins, Michael. The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2013. Rousseau, Denise M. Psychological Contracts in Organizations: Understanding Written and Unwritten Agreements. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. , 1995. Bridges, William. Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes. 2 nd ed. Cambridge, MA: First Da Capo Press, 2004.

Onboarding About the Author David Berke is a principal at Lorsch, Berke & Associates, LLC. He has over 25 years of experience working as a manager, individual contributor, and consultant in the fields of management development, leadership development, employee development, and organization development. David has worked with executives and managers in the U. S. , Europe, and Asia. He has worked in the public sector and in industries including healthcare, utilities, and aerospace. He was a senior faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) for 13 years. David is the author, most recently, of Supported Self-Development: How Managers Can Use the Skills They Already Have to Develop Their Employees. David also has written Succession Planning and Management: A Guide to Organizational Systems and Practices. He is the coauthor of a third book, Developing Leadership Talent. He also has written a number of articles on succession and leadership development.

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