ROOM FOR INCLUSION TIPS ON INCLUSIVE ONBOARDING HNinclusion

ROOM FOR INCLUSION TIPS ON INCLUSIVE ONBOARDING #HNinclusion

CONTENTS § INTRODUCTION § RECRUITMENT MATTERS § COSTS AND BENEFITS § ONBOARDING & INDUCTION § CREATING YOUR ONBOARDING PLAN § 6 STEPS & MANY TIPS § NEXT STEPS

Think of a time when you felt like an outsider.

WHAT ABOUT STARTING A NEW JOB? REMEMBER THAT FIRST DAY Will I fit in? Will they like me? What if I forget someone’s name? Where’s the bathroom again? Have I made the right choice?

With fierce competition for a shrinking Recruitment matters. talent pool and growing demand to attract greater diversity, employers cannot afford to get it wrong.

YET SO MANY STILL DO… of staff turnover is a result of a bad hire* of HR decision-makers admit their business made a bad hire* of organisations associate these costs with a bad hire* *Housman, M. and Minor, D. (2015) Toxic workers. Working paper 16 -057. Harvard Business School *REC (2016) Perfect match: Making the right hire and the cost of getting it wrong *CIPD. (2015) Resourcing and talent planning 2015

COSTS OF GETTING IT WRONG £ 132 k the average cost of losing a mid-manager* 39% of executives think about leaving a company within the first three months* *REC (2016) Perfect match: Making the right hire and the cost of getting it wrong *Harvey Nash Leadership Consulting (2012) Onboard and upwards: How an executive's first 90 days can make or break the ones that follow

INVEST TO RETAIN To avoid costly mistakes, employers need to put as much investment into how they attract and recruit someone to the business as what they do to onboard and retain them.

ONBOARDING IS IMPORTANT Research has shown a clear correlation between effective onboarding and improvements in employee performance and reductions in staff turnover.

“I was given an hour-long overvie the business by my MD, a laptop phone. Then left alone. ” “The role was mis-sold. ” “It was left to me to make my ow meetings and introductions. ” eadership Consulting (2012) Onboard and upwards: How an executive's first 90 days can make or break the one Unfortunately many new arters are still being left to ‘sink or swim’.

ONBOARDING TO INCLUSION Supporting an individual to land well within your business isn’t just ensuring that they have a computer and login on their first (although that does help!) It’s about integration, providing direction, setting expectations and checking in to see how they’re settling in. Most importantly, it’s ensuring they understand the culture and are made to feel included.

ONBOARDING Onboarding is not the same as Induction. Think about it as a holistic process that starts from when they say ‘yes’ to when they feel comfortable in their surroundings and are performing to their own expectations as well as yours. This could be anywhere from 90 days to 6 months. The goal is to help them feel included, part of the business and that they belong.

THE INDUCTION Induction aka ‘Death by Power. Point’ – is part of the onboarding process that helps new starters get up to speed and gives them a foundation to build from. It starts from Day 1 and includes that initial welcome and overview of the company Don’t make it just about filling out forms and handing out laptops! Look at what training they might need, who they need to know and get them involved with stakeholders from day one.

THE BENEFITS ARE OBVIOUS v v Speeds up integration Improves time to productivity Improves retention Increases chances of a leader building trust quickly within the organisation v Increases learning curve and accelerates achievement of results v Smoother adaptation to company culture and context

WHERE DO YOU START? There is no one size fits all approach to onboarding but here are some tips to help your new starters feel included and that they made the right choice.

STEP #1 AVOID THE CPR SITUATION Engage way before the start date

SAVE TIME & MONEY The biggest costs for most employers are productivity and time to get a new starter up to speed and performing. Longer notice periods of up to three months only exacerbate the problem. Many are missing an opportunity to get the new starter involved in the culture of the organisation by letting the relationship ‘flat line’ until their first day. By this time they’ll require ‘CPR’ to be re-engaged.

TOP TIPS v Engagement can be small but impactful, from sending a simple card or welcome pack to inviting them in to meet the team or to the next social v Make it fun and personal – one company sent a bag of popcorn and a DVD about showing the company culture v Prior to their start date, it is a good idea to make weekly contact and send any updates or the latest company newsletters v Set up an onboarding portal where new hires can complete admin processes and get familiar with the company and who is who in advance. This can also be a great way to showcase your culture and how you support diversity and inclusion – what resources and employee networks are available to them?

STEP #2 BEFORE THEY START, DO AN ASSESSMENT What are their strengths? Where are their development areas?

What are the strengths? Where are development areas? Completing a psychometric assessment can yield great information that allows both the organisation and its new starter to get ahead of the curve when it comes to planning those first few days, weeks or months. Only a third senior managers said data from psychometric testing or assessments was used to help them start or for planning their development. * *Harvey Nash Leadership Consulting (2012) Onboard and upwards: How an executive's first 90 days can make or break the ones that follow

v Using data from the selection process and any assessment can be useful in supporting new hires in settling into the business, adding value as leaders and developing their relationships with their teams, peers and colleagues v Think about how you can create a plan on how to support their development from Day 1, setting them up to succeed by allowing new starters to leverage their strengths and see how their diversity of thought will be supported and valued v Don’t put an end date on it, a good on-boarding plan should help new team members settle in and encouraging them to take advantage of a Mentoring Programme or a Buddy System will really help TOP TIPS

STEP #3 DAY 1, FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT! Make sure they’re good!

Think about what you want your new hire to say when they get home after their first day, “The receptionists knew my name, my team were so welcoming and I’ve already got an exciting project to work on!” A good start will help a new starter build effective relationships and feel welcome and confident they made the right decision.

v Make sure the whole team is aware of their start date and organise a lunch. If they’re part-time or working offsite, be creative – include a Q&A with their photo in the introductory email or organise a team Skype call v Give them a buddy that will help them feel less like a rabbit in the headlights v Have everything ready, a clean desk set out with what they need to log in and access to their schedule v Create structure, set up a calendar with meetings that matter with people they are likely to engage with in their first few weeks v Give them a task they can achieve; you hired them for their talent and what they feel confident in doing, don’t drown them in paperwork! TOP TIPS

STEP #4 RELATIONSHIPS MATTER Speed up productivity through effective networks and introductions

Organisations are complex social ecosystems made up of many networks. When employees leave it’s not just their expertise that walks out of the door. Relationships matter, it’s about developing the right network at the right time. Without enough support or exposure to the right relationships and nuances of the business, your new starter might question their decision.

The most important individuals are not necessarily found at the top of the hierarchy. Know where these heat spots are and facilitate these introductions to speed up the process. HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE NETWORK STRUCTURE Understanding the network structure can allow us to make more impact, build key alliances and find out ‘how things get done around here’… See Rob Cross – Connected Commons

TOP TIPS v Create an organisation chart that includes photos and Linked. In profiles and have line managers work together with the new starter to fulfil these introductions v Prioritise key stakeholders and make sure the meetings are relevant with tangible outcomes for both parties v Promote camaraderie. High growth companies allow employees to build relationships with coworkers, managers and leaders they might not otherwise explore inside the office – those relationships increase loyalty v Pair a new employee with a buddy within their team so they will have more than just their line manager to ask questions about the work environment, the culture and norms, and the unwritten policies and procedures

STEP #5 SET OBJECTIVES EARLY AND CHECK ALIGNMENT Check that motivations still match

If the selection process has been robust then there should be a mutual understanding of expectations, motivations and values between the new hire and the organisation. Organisations need systems to track this alignment to avoid mismatches further down that could lead to employee turnover.

v Get the new hire to write out what they expect to achieve in their first 30, 60 and 90 s days, creating a mutual understanding of the key milestones for their role and when they will be reviewed v Be consciously aware – check-in throughout the first 90 days, each time asking the questions, ‘Is this what you expected’, ‘What are your objectives’ and ‘Do you feel included? ’ This will help with retention and setting objectives a lot quicker v After 90 days discuss fully how the first three months in the role have gone and review fit (on both sides). Plan actions and metrics to address the gaps – don’t just segue into business as usual TOP TIPS

STEP #6 COMMUNICATE THE CULTURE AND CREATE BELONGING Promote a culture of inclusion at all levels

As important as networks and the tools and training to do the job, much of an individual’s success in an organisation depends on how much they feel included. We’re all multi-dimensional and shouldn’t be lumped into groups based on defining characteristics. It’s about recognising differences and promoting an inclusive culture.

TOP TIPS v Know your company culture and understand where your new starter fits on the spectrum – are they counter -culture, are they the only woman/BAME/LGBTQ? Will they be supported? v It seems obvious but make sure you live your values and are welcoming. Word will spread about an inclusive environment and make your brand attractive to the best talent v Ask for feedback about leadership style – is it working? Is it inclusive? v Create opportunities to learn about diversity – establish ‘lunch and learn’ sessions open to all on topics from Managing Conflict to Well-being v Promote visible role models from the senior leadership team that ‘walk the talk’ such as working flexibly or encouraging gender balance

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thank you to: Rachael Hanley-Browne, Head of Harvey Nash Leadership Consulting for her contributions to this guide taken from her presentation on ‘Designing for Retention’.

WANT OUR HELP? ONBOARDING & CULTURE CHANGE Rachael Hanley-Browne Head of Leadership Consulting, Harvey Nash Email: Rachael. Hanley-Browne@Harvey. Nash. com ATTRACT & RECRUIT DIVERSE TALENT Natalie Whittlesey Director, Harvey Nash Email: natalie. whittlesey@harveynash. com SHARE IDEAS & GET INVOLVED Amanda Ciske Programme Manager – Inclusion 360 Email: Amanda. ciske@harveynash. com

ABOUT INCLUSION 36 O Thank you. Inclusion 360 is a movement by the Harvey Nash Group to create better balanced and inclusive workplaces, working with other organisations to share ideas and change practices and behaviours so there are no barriers to people reaching their full potential. Join the movement @Inclusion 360 HN / inclusion@harveynash. com www. linkedin. com/showcase/inclusion-360 -harvey-nash-group/