ON-BOARDING DONE RIGHT!

On-Boarding – Get it Right!
From Idea to Orientation

As a general rule the experience of employees coming into the workplace has been treated as a sprint to a finish line.  It has become all about getting them physically to your location, getting them interviewed, getting them in the chair, getting all the paperwork done right and on time. What should be an “experience” in learning about the company, the new job and the work, has been turned into a boring, tedious and even poor impression for the new hire.  Knowing that the impact of this initial impression could last the employee’s job lifetime should be enough to change your processes right now.

This paper will explore ideal on-boarding systems with some examples of organizations that have made an attempt to get this right.

First and foremost in on-boarding is remembering the DETAIL.  The experience of the new hire will directly correlate to the amount of time and effort that is expended by the people who are in charge of the detail.

Second, remember that on-boarding does not start AFTER the employee comes to work.  When the idea hatches to hire someone on-boarding kicks in.  The Experience Picture starts to be painted and begins to create the mindset for your new hire the minute you put one word about it out into the world.

#1- Make an Impression On-Line

With the advent of the internet no one is invisible to the entire world any more.  If someone wants to consider your organization for an employer, the minute they hear of your position availability they log on to the internet to look at you.

What you present, not only to your customers, but to your prospective employee population on this website needs to be right there in front of them.  This is where the rubber meets the road for your recruiting.  Are you using the same old words everyone else is using, “we’re

friendly, fun and work hard?” Are you really able to create a picture of what it is like to work for your company?  A good example is the website for Cablelabs in Louisville, Colorado. (www.cablelabs.net).    Among the things they talk about are food, fun, challenge, and how they are wired to be high tech. They talk about how people greet each other in the hallway.  They then go on to talk about the area you will be living in.  The weather, the sports teams, theater and more.  In other words, PAINT A PICTURE YOUR PROSPECT CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN.

#2 – Create a Job EXPERIENCE PICTURE not a Job Description

We have gone too far away from being able to truly give our prospects the right picture of what it is going to take, what it is going to be like and what it is going to happen in a job.  The typical purpose, responsibilities and experience/qualifications needs to morph into the real work, the real experience and expertise. The Experience Picture needs to tell what will be produced or how people will be served because of the work that will be done.  The Experience Picture needs to tell what will happen in the world because the job is done well.

Marty Dickinson of Here Next Year, (www.HereNextYear.com), once went looking for a new employee/partner to join his company.  When he set out to write the job description/advertisement for this he had two purposes;

• Attract only the people who were truly qualified and interested
• Make it clear what outcomes he needed from someone in this position

He used the methodology of the Experience Picture to get his point across.  Here are just a few of the excerpts from what Mr. Dickinson wrote;

Opportunity: “I want you to kick me out of my office and immediately take over the management of my client’s projects…….  Because you are an extraordinary multi-tasker, your ability to manage would allow me to open the floodgates!

Qualifications:

You eat chaos for breakfast……
You start work early and end late because being in front of the computer is so much fun…..
You have the dream and stamina to manage 50 or more concurrent projects because managing one or two is too easy……
You have actually managed at least 5 concurrent projects before….
You can handle up to 10 instant messaging conversations at once and still take a call from a client……
You genuinely enjoy when clients make more money each month because of your efforts…….
Your friends are amazed because when things go wrong you never give up…….

There is much, much more to this.  Notice the flavor he has put to this job.  It isn’t a list per se, it is a story, an experience that you will both relate to and qualify for, or not.  In reading this to 11 people, 10 indicated they would never apply for this job.  One indicated it would be their dream job.  Marty’s outcome for this rather unusual description was an ideal candidate that has made a big difference in his company’s success.

This demonstrates the power of creating the Experience Picture so clearly that you are not swamped with people not interested and not qualified.  At the same time you begin to generate an excitement in the candidate that makes them arrive at the interview ready to talk about “getting things done with customers clamoring for more, getting things done right, and getting things done on time.”

#3 – Not an Interview, a Decision Discussion

When two people meet for an interview, it is often an exploration or discovery with only one outcome, a decision.  As an employer you are asking someone to decide their work life for the next 2-5 years.  How you set up that Decision Discussion is critical on both ends.  Who talks, who doesn’t, what is said and what isn’t said.  An unqualified person doing Decision Discussions is as bad as a mechanic fixing your car who knows nothing about engines.  In the long run, it won’t

run.  In the long run, the candidate may fail because this critical discussion was done poorly.

There are easily one thousand documents and books on how to conduct a lawful, good interview.  The question is, are any of them consulted or used in your organization?  Is it a requirement of management and supervisors that they learn this critical skill?
Finding one that you like will make a world of difference in continuing to create the Experience Picture so a good decision can be made by both parties on taking the position.

#4 – What happens when they show up?

Companies fail to realize the importance of the “impression.”  This is one of the many details that are often overlooked when on-boarding a new employee. A prospective employee’s mind’s eye is taking in every nuance of their experience in coming to your company.  This will carry over to their impression when they actually come to work so it is important to set the stage well right from the start: 

• How easily was the interview set?
• How well were travel arrangements, hotels, ground transportation and other travel needs taken care of by them?
• What was the attitude from the company contact to the candidate during this exchange? 
• Was information given on what to prepare or bring? 
• Were they where to park? 
• Did they email directions and MORE information about the company, job, or outcomes? 
• Did the candidate get an interview schedule in advance with details on the people they would be meeting or links to their information?
• Did they get good questions in advance of the interview for them to ponder?

This next list goes on into the DETAIL of the minute by minute experience of someone being in your organization on the interview?

• Who did they meet first and did they know why the candidate was there?
• Who and how were they introduced as they walked to the interview area?
• Were they offered water or other refreshments?
• Did the people they talked with seem prepared to talk to them?
• Did they get a tour by someone who was interested in them?
• Was their schedule set to allow flow and down time for them?
• Did they get to meet potential colleagues and subordinates?
• Were these people prepared to meet with them?
• Did they seem honored by the candidate’s interest in the company?  (words, gifts, etc.)

THE BIG IMPRESSION – never let an applicant leave without gifting them with something from your organization. 

This can be anything from a small token to product samples.  At Rose Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in the early 1990’s they were determined to separate themselves from the pack in recruiting nurses.  One of the things they realized is that new nurses would often come to the city and “make the rounds” with many hospitals, trying to find the right fit.  One, of many things, that Rose did to make themselves stand out from the crowd, was to put a beautiful mauve/silver silk rose in the fold of the packet of information that was given to each applicant.  When all the packets went home at the end of the day, the beauty of this rose led the applicant’s eyes right to this EXPERIENCE with a visual aid.

Rose coupled that gift with creating an incredible experience for everyone who showed up.  When they arrived in Human Resources there was always a “manager on call” to take the candidate through a tour and initial interview right on the spot.  They were treated to refreshments in the company cafeteria and basically treated like royalty for their entire visit.  This was a good match to the respect and admiration the hospital held as a norm for all its employees.  They did an Experience Picture.
#5 – The Ultimate Offer

Think very hard before you pick up the phone, send an email, or write a letter, to make the offer. This can be an area fraught with landmines.

The candidate has one question, who am I dealing with and why?  At the executive level they expect to talk to their executive report.  This holds true down the line, with Vice-Presidents, Directors and Managers.  This function should not be delegated under any circumstances.  If Human Resources or legal or other departments need to be involved, involve them as a partner, not the representative.
Give the prospect the ultimate respect of your time and attention at this crucial time. 

The ill-will and hurt feelings that can come out of a mishandled offer permeate the weeks and months post hire.  Never allow this to happen.

Make the offer a celebratory event.  Whoever is making the contact needs to be enthused, excited and informed to create a strong impression about your TRUST in the new person and your belief in their ability to do what is being asked.  The way to think of this to create the right experience is to liken it to a marriage proposal.  People go out of their way to make it special, use the right words, and show the emotion they feel about the request.  While the job offer is not about the emotion of love as in a marriage proposal, it is about the emotion of belief in the candidate’s ability.  This can only be conveyed by their boss.

Follow up IMMEDIATELY on everything that has been said verbally in writing.  Create paperwork that is readable and include an effusive welcome letter that is not a prototype, but personal.  In this contact indicate the time, date, place and person who will make the next contact.  This is very critical and one of those details that is overlooked in the ecstasy of filling the position.  Begin the relationship, treating them as an employee right at this moment.
#6 – Dead Air Is Not Good – Create a Constant Connection Flow Chart

The time between when an offer is made to a candidate and the day they show up for work could appropriately be called, “dead air” just like on a radio or television. “Okay, they’ve signed up we’ll see them when they get here,” is a common company response as they get back to regular work after recruiting and hiring.  This could be the beginning of ruining your Experience Picture for the employee, so don’t let it happen.
Create a flow chart of everything that has been said so far and now expand it to what you what to say and do while in this interim period.  Keep in mind they are leaving and closing out where they are now, so they are busy.  On the other hand though you have an opportunity to create excitement that will have them hit the floor running with your company AND their family, (if they are involved due to a move), and have them excited as well.  The full support of a family in a new job venture is critical to your employee’s success.  The information given to the employee that will help them to create this excitement is appreciated more than you will ever know.

Begin with the simple things……

• Who will they see on the first day? When you pick who this is, have them at the front door.  Later on I will explain why.
• What time do you want them there?  Make this a time someone can be at the front door.  NO hanging around in the lobby!
• When will they be doing different things on the first day?  Will they have to travel to another location? Be at certain meetings which require ID, a physical or…..? 
• Is there something going on that day in the company that they will participate in that they need to prepare for?
• What do they need to bring?
• What food is available for breaks, lunch, etc.? PLEASE be sure that lunch on the first day is special.
• What is the dress?

These simple things can be built into a warm, easy flowing letter or chart that will entertain and educate the new hire.  More importantly it will make them feel part of the group early on and remove some of the trauma associated with those first moments.  You can even expand this to encourage them to ask questions you haven’t thought of or are related to their particular needs.

Keep the conversation going.  Have a tickler system so someone is checking in with them frequently and making sure that things are on track, they know you are anxiously waiting their arrival.

#7 – It All Boils Down to Those First Few Days

When you new employee comes through the door have a plan to do the following things in the first 3 – 5 days.

#1 – Attach them to someone who is able and available to answer any and all questions or can find someone who can.

#2 – Be sure their phone, email and business card are waiting for them.

#3 – Have their boss do three key things with them;
A.) Express trust in their ability to do the job
B.) Show them their first performance review and go over the details of it with them
C.) Show all expectations and outcomes for the first 90 days
D.) Layout the 90 day training/indoctrination program that guarantees this employee’s success.

Give on-boarding the attention it deserves and be rewarded with quicker acclimation and higher productivity in shorter periods of time.