Enabling new starters to gain the confidence, clarity and connections they need to be engaged, productive and impactful in their first 90 days.
Joining a new organisation is arguably one the trickiest transitions in our working lives as it is characterised by a steep learning curve and an inevitable period of being out of our comfort zone.
There is also a heady mix of different feelings and emotions; excitement, vulnerability, uncertainty, optimism, anxiety to name a few. Higher levels of early employee turnover can be charted back to a sub-optimal onboarding experience which does not take these emotions and feelings into account.
How can employers get it right? Onboarding is arguably a 12-month process, but the first 90 days are the most vital. We are more likely to have impactful, productive, engaged teams if we focus on building an onboarding experience that focuses on fulfilling three critical psychological needs; our 3 Cs:
Confidence. When we join a new company, we want to know we have made the right decision, we want to feel like the role and the culture is what we expected and what we were led to believe during the recruitment process.
Building confidence is more about brilliant basics than grand gestures. Brilliant basics is a good, robust, induction plan. When people start on day 1, they have the equipment they need, they are welcomed, their manager is present, they are given the right information at the right time and the early training to help them assimilate and integrate quickly.
A personalised 30-60-90-day plan will help managers and employers keep on track and give new starters the reassurance they need to know they have made the right decision.
Clarity. Knowing what is expected of us is the foundation for performance. Motivation and engagement are helped by having a sense of clarity, control, competence and knowing we are adding value.
Early goal setting and development planning is crucial to build a foundation for performance and engagement yet it is an area that is often missed. Giving a new starter the opportunity to achieve some quick wins and build a sense of impact and contribution, early on will lead to better engagement.
Development plans are often left until someone is well into their tenure but if we truly want to accelerate someone’s learning curve, intentionally helping them think about their development in addition to on-the-job training, will help them see their impact and growth beyond 90 days.
Clarity isn’t contained to clarity of job role and goals, it’s about clarity of how things get done, the processes, policies and most crucially, the cultural nuances we need to navigate when we are starting with a new team, which leads us neatly on to our final psychological need…
Connection. We are social creatures, and we have a strong need to belong to a group. We want to form connections and indeed it is vital for us to perform.
Belonging is an ancient human need. When joining a new team, it is common to experience a feeling of vulnerability until we feel like we’re accepted and belong. Social disconnection is a source of anxiety and so leaders and organisations can help accelerate belonging by intentionally creating connections.
Pre-boarding is a brilliant way of introducing new people to their co-workers. An on-line or in-person team social with those about to join is a great way of building connections and limiting any awkwardness on day 1.
Assigning a mentor and buddy is a popular way of having someone help with the cultural nuances but managers can help their new people by helping them understand who their key relationships and stakeholders are and proactively creating opportunities for them to meet and be introduced.
Onboarding has, and still is a real focus area for many employers but the emphasis is often more on the practical aspects of the new starter experience. We encourage our clients to flip their thinking and think first about the psychological needs and that inevitably leads to better practical planning and the design of an onboarding experience that enables performance and inspires engagement.
If you are curious to learn about your new starters’ onboarding experience, get in touch with Jo-anne@Mi-say.com.
