What are some of the best practices for board orientation and onboarding?

Effective board orientation and onboarding require thorough planning and execution. Start by developing a comprehensive orientation program that outlines roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Provide new members with essential documents such as bylaws, meeting minutes, and strategic plans. Facilitate meetings with key stakeholders to offer insights into the organization’s culture and operations. Assign mentors to guide new members through their initial period. Schedule regular check-ins to address questions and ensure a smooth transition. Planning ahead and offering continuous support are crucial for a successful onboarding process.

> inform the entire board about emerging trends, regulatory changes, and strategic developments through regular briefings or educational sessions > provide new directors with the opportunity to participate in these development opportunities to further enhance their knowledge and skills > arrange meetings and introductions with critical stakeholders, including senior executives, external auditors, legal counsel, and industry experts > ensure new directors gain first-hand exposure to the company's key facilities and operations by arranging site visits and tours of the organization's operations and facilities.

New members of the board should: - Be fully aware of company mission, values and goals. - Be able to analyze financial statements. - Know about critical positions in the company. - Have a broad perspective of company and it's position in industry. - Be aware of their role responsibilities and tasks. As a HR professional who is responsible for selecting new board members: - Use Assessment Centers to evaluate your candidates. - Use Assessment Center reports to develop your best candidates. - Arrange board sits with people in different specialties. - Remember to have an onboarding session for new members.

What I recommend: 1. Provide and discuss Board of Directors’ position description. 2. List of current members of the board of directors and staff and their biographies. 3. Bylaws, IRS determination letter, etc. 4. Mission statement and history. 5. Strategic plan. 6. Annual report. 7. Policies including code of ethics, conflict of interest, whistleblower policies, etc. 8. Most recent internal financial statements and IRS 990 reporting form. 9. Board of Directors’ and Officers’ insurance coverage. 10. Programs and services. 11. Committees, description of work the committees perform and the expectation that all board members will serve on committees. 12. List of sponsors and donors.

Best practices for board orientation include providing a comprehensive handbook, organizing orientation sessions on organizational culture and goals, facilitating knowledge transfer from outgoing to incoming members, establishing mentorship programs, and offering ongoing training on governance and industry-specific knowledge. Foster open communication, encourage questions, and connect new members with key stakeholders. Implementing these practices ensures a smooth onboarding process, aligns board members with the organization's mission, and equips them with the knowledge needed to make informed contributions to the board. Regular evaluations and adjustments.

A board orientation should allow a significant amount of time for questions and answers. This helps to ensure that the board orientation is more effective and also fosters collaboration among the members of the board of directors.

Company secretaries and governance professionals should consider maintaining a digital repository of resources to ensure smooth and continuous board orientation. This repository should host resources such as previous training documents, bylaws, board terms of reference, director classifications, role descriptions, detailed procedures for board and committee meetings, and corporate governance standards. Additionally, a complementary learning roadmap should be designed to guide new directors on where to start their orientation process via the repository.

Celebrating and recognizing new board members is key to fostering engagement and long-term success. A warm welcome, public acknowledgment, and highlighting their expertise make them feel valued from day one. Providing structured orientation, mentorship, and clear expectations ensures they integrate smoothly and contribute effectively. Engaging them early in meaningful discussions and ensuring they understand governance, finances, and strategic goals empowers them to make an impact. By celebrating their arrival and recognizing their contributions, organizations build confidence, commitment, and a strong foundation for success.