You're onboarding new hires. How can you ensure ongoing support and guidance beyond the initial period?

According to Gartner, having a sense of belonging is a key component of feeling accepted and included at work. Mentorship pairing is an efficient way to build valuable relationships between co-workers – which is crucial for employee satisfaction and retention rates. Pairing mentorship from different departments allows employees to share the different mechanisms of your organization. Conversely, pairing employees in similar roles gives new hires both the different perspective of a colleague in another department, as well as the seasoned knowledge of someone in their own department. Encourage new hires to introduce themselves widely across the organization at the beginning of their onboarding journey to immerse themselves fully.

Ensuring ongoing support for new hires beyond the initial onboarding period involves: Regular check-ins: I scheduled frequent one-on-one meetings to discuss progress, address concerns, and provide feedback. Mentorship programs: I paired new hires with experienced mentors to offer guidance and answer questions as they settled in. Continuous training: I provided access to ongoing training resources and professional development opportunities to support their growth. Open communication channels: I established clear channels for new hires to seek help and share feedback at any time. By maintaining regular engagement and offering continuous resources, I ensured new hires felt supported and integrated long after their initial onboarding.

"Isn't it fascinating how long a few minutes seem when you are completely alone with not a familiar face in sight?" - Kirby Larson I love this quote, quite literally, more than anything! When it comes to onboarding of a new employee - every new hire needs a friend, confidant, ally. A familiar face! From experience - not only does this familiarity allow for the thriving of a new employee in an unfamiliar setting, it creates room for an individual to feel somewhat at home. This feeling on both a personal and a professional level. Also, on the flip side - I genuinely believe that providing a current employee a chance to integrate a new hire connects the mentor to the business and HR mission of the company tenfold.

Start with a detailed onboarding plan that includes clear goals and regular check-ins to address any immediate concerns. Pair new hires with experienced mentors who can offer guidance, answer questions, and help navigate company culture. Provide access to ongoing training resources and workshops to support skill development and keep them updated on industry trends. Implement a system for regular feedback sessions where new hires can discuss their progress, challenges, and achievements. Foster an environment where new hires feel comfortable reaching out with questions or concerns at any time. Offer opportunities for career growth and development, including setting long-term goals and providing support to achieve them.

1. Pair new hires with experienced employees, under buddy program. 2. Schedule regular one-on-one meetings to discuss progress and address concerns. 3. Provide regular feedback and conduct performance reviews. 4. Offer ongoing training and development opportunities. 5. Create an environment where new hires feel comfortable approaching their manager or HR with questions or concerns. 6. Organize team-building activities and social events to reinforce company culture and build relationships.

Feedback loops ensure new hires receive ongoing support and guidance by facilitating continuous communication between them and their managers or mentors. Regular check-ins allow for the identification and resolution of challenges early on, ensuring that new employees are adapting well and developing the necessary skills. These loops also enable managers to provide timely, constructive feedback, and to adjust onboarding or training processes as needed. By maintaining an open channel for feedback, organizations can ensure that new hires feel supported, engaged, and aligned with company goals long after the initial onboarding period.

"Feedback is the breakfast of champions" - Ken Blanchard Everyone likes knowing what they did right, but giving the constructive feedback (on a consistently periodic basis) helps a new employee adapt quicker but also a manager to understand the mindset and grit of a new employee. Feedback is a natural part of life but the best way, from experience, to inculcate a culture of feedback loop is to make things routine from day 1. The best way I find is to use an onboarding tool to set periodic meetings for a new hire with a preset framework. The sooner the employee feels feedback as part of a "rigid" culture, the quicker they inculcate these processes on their own internal micro level.

Action: Implement regular feedback loops through one-on-one meetings with supervisors or HR to address experiences and concerns. Emotion: Providing a platform for new hires to voice their thoughts and receive constructive feedback builds trust and engagement. Meaning: Continuous feedback ensures new hires feel supported, understand their performance, and are motivated to improve and contribute effectively. Example: Set up monthly feedback sessions where new hires can discuss their progress, challenges, and achievements, and work collaboratively to set development goals.

Establishing regular feedback loops allows new hires to receive continuous insights and constructive advice. This ongoing communication helps address concerns early, ensuring they feel supported and aligned with expectations as they acclimate to their roles.

It is best practice to increase two-way communication during on-boarding to ensure mutual alignment. For the company: some of the most helpful feedback comes from new hires, since they are coming in from the outside and can offer fresh perspectives. For the new hire: it's useful to receive confirmation they are already meeting or exceeding expectations, or if they need to make adjustments. While recruiting is a little like speed dating, on-boarding is when a company can really protect their investment by taking the time to over communicate and leverage feedback loops.

"The path of true learning is strewn with rocks, not roses." - Mortimer J. Adler Knowing how to help an employee thrive in their learning is about knowing what they want - about knowing the rocks and mountains they wish to climb. The challenge here in their onboarding is objectively and in an unbiased way knowing an employees true aspirations. There is a myriad of tech tools out there that can be used to send out questionnaire feedback to a new hire before they start work. This levels the playing fields in that an employee has no pre-conceived conceptions for what is on offer.

In my HR and administrative experience, developing personalized learning pathways is vital for fostering professional growth and aligning with both individual and company goals. By understanding each new hire's career aspirations, I tailor development plans through online courses, workshops, or cross-departmental projects, ensuring continuous learning and engagement. Regularly reviewing and updating these pathways is crucial as team members' skills and interests evolve. This approach not only keeps employees motivated but also enhances their contributions to the organization, leading to long-term success for both the individual and the company.

Creating tailored learning pathways for new hires offers them structured opportunities to develop their skills over time. This approach promotes continuous learning and ensures that they can grow in their roles, long after the initial onboarding

Action: Create personalized learning pathways based on each new hire’s career goals and interests, including relevant courses and projects. Emotion: Tailored development plans keep new hires engaged and motivated by aligning their growth with their career aspirations and company objectives. Meaning: Ongoing learning opportunities demonstrate investment in the new hire’s future, promoting long-term satisfaction and success. Example: Develop a customized learning plan featuring online courses and departmental cross-training tailored to the new hire’s career goals, with quarterly reviews to adjust the plan as needed.

Besides learning to do their role and understanding the business, the intention of an onboarding process is also to help new hires integrate and acclimatise to their new surroundings. Facilitating social integration is key to making new employees feel welcome and connected.

"Give my people plenty of beer, good beer, and cheap beer, and you will have no revolution among them." - Queen Victoria Jokes aside on this quote - a casual beer brings people together, no doubt about it! A great practice to inculcate this is to have a happy hour when new employees join. Maybe not every new employee but on a periodic basis (when hiring is up). As an employee myself and as a practitioner in the field - having a fun event to look forward to in your onboarding is a dream. Making a beer a formal setting where employees can say hi, introduce themselves, and have a laugh should be a highlight of all employees onboarding.

Facilitating social integration is key to helping new hires feel a sense of belonging. Organize informal social events, encourage participation in company initiatives, and create interest-based groups to help them connect with colleagues and immerse in the company culture. These activities not only build relationships but also strengthen their connection to the team and organization. Feeling connected is essential for long-term engagement and retention, ensuring that new employees are more likely to stay and thrive within the company.

Facilitating social integration through team-building activities and informal gatherings helps new hires build relationships with their colleagues. Strong social connections are vital for creating a supportive work environment that extends beyond the onboarding phase

"Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead." - Nelson Mandela Anecdotally, this is my favorite quote for 2 reasons! 1. I am South African and am Biased to Nelson Mandela #hero 2. It is so true to onboarding, a road to a brighter future is based off proper planning and noteworthy celebrations along the way For new employee onboarding, a new hire is not going to solve your business challenges outright on day one, if they do... good job on the hire! A new hire needs to feel their goals to be attainable but also celebrated at each point of the road - making them feel successful at each growth milestone. Clear planning of these goals in the first days (alongside the new hire) is crucial.

Ensuring ongoing support for new hires beyond onboarding requires clear performance milestones. These milestones provide structure, helping new employees understand expectations and align with the organization’s broader goals. They should be achievable, measurable, and relevant to the role. Celebrating these milestones boosts morale and reinforces the value of their contributions. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these goals ensures continued relevance and supports the employee’s growth. By focusing on structured progress, you create a supportive environment that fosters long-term success and development.

Setting clear performance milestones provides new hires with a roadmap for their progress. Regular check-ins on these milestones ensure they stay on track and receive the necessary support to achieve their goals, fostering long-term success.

Ongoing Support is a best practice for protecting your company's investment in ALL hires, and it starts by giving new hires a fantastic on-boarding experience. After initial orientation is completed, HR can facilitate check-ins with a variety of stakeholders throughout employee journeys (get to know founders, connect with other leaders, shadow team members in other roles, pair with a mentor, learn from peers in other countries, etc. - the options are limitless). Beyond those connections, HR should consistently advocate for investment in professional development, practicing open door policies, upholding accountability, and promoting active listening. Without Ongoing Support a company's valuation won't realize it's full potential.

providing ongoing support and guidance for new hires is crucial for their long-term success within the organization. By implementing a mentorship program, scheduling regular check-ins and feedback sessions, offering training and development opportunities, and fostering a culture of openness and transparency, companies can ensure that new employees feel supported, valued, and empowered to succeed in their roles. By investing in the ongoing development and well-being of new hires, organizations can build a strong and engaged workforce that is equipped to meet the challenges of today's rapidly changing business landscape.

"Surround yourself with people who support you. Find Champions." - Sarah Gavron Our role as HR is to matchmake our teams so that they build an army of power together. This isn't even central to the onboarding of an employee, if we do not create a culture of support on a formal (1:1s, performance evaluations, feedbacks) and informal (day-to-day) - we have failed as HR. In providing ongoing support to a new hire - we are the first touch point and need to be the role model in creating these key processes known and heard from day 1.

It is worth a manager investing the time to have a check-in a couple of weeks after starting to hear how it’s going for the new recruit and whether any changes need to be made to ensure they feel fully clear about their role and connected with the team.

In my HR experience, embedding ongoing support into company culture is crucial for sustained employee success. Beyond formal structures like training programs and regular check-ins, it's essential to cultivate an environment where open communication and collaboration thrive. Encouraging a culture where employees feel comfortable seeking help and supporting one another transforms support from a mere policy into a lived experience. When this approach is deeply rooted in HR practices, it ensures that every team member feels valued and empowered, fostering a workplace where mutual success and growth are natural outcomes.