Elevating Managers, Onboarding, & Talent Mobility: Erica Keswin (3x WSJ Best Selling Author)
Listen to our recent episode with Erica Keswin , author of three WSJ best-sellers and workplace strategist.
She shared why we should be elevating and celebrating managers, examples of companies that are nailing onboarding, how to connect new hires to purpose as quickly as possible, and why talent mobility is so important.
Read the highlights below. ??
1. Elevate & celebrate new managers ??
It's an incredible gift to allow managers the time and resources to effectively perform their roles.
This is especially true for new managers. Transitioning from an Individual Contributor (IC) role to a manager role can be challenging, sometimes occurring overnight.
Often, new managers are expected to juggle their previous roles and new managerial duties without proper training.
When Erica spoke with Mindi Cox for her book, she shared a story about a new manager overwhelmed with requests for help.
Mindi advised them that their primary role now was to manage, not to continue their previous tasks.
This highlights the need for companies to give new managers the freedom, permission, and training they need to manage.
Erica says it's not rocket science, but it requires intentionality.
2. Connect new hires to purpose as quickly as possible ??
Erica shared a compelling approach to onboarding that she included in her book, "The Retention Revolution".
It's about connecting new hires to purpose from day one.
She talked about David Siegel , CEO of MeetUp, and their unique strategy. He personally emails new employees, like an engineer, detailing how their role contributes directly to MeetUp's mission.
This isn't just welcoming; it's about making their job's impact crystal clear.
This approach transforms every role into a meaningful part of the larger company mission. It's akin to the story of the janitor at a hospital who saw his work as life-saving. By connecting each role to the bigger purpose, ordinary jobs become extraordinary.
?? The key lesson here: Don't leave your new hires wondering about their impact. Make the connection to your company's purpose explicit from the start.
3. Why we need to go from "ladders to lily pads" ??
She says the old pattern of annual promotions, raises, and title changes is fading.
People often don't stay in one job for long, so creativity is needed in moving them around.
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One example she gave for approaching this differently is Citigroup's "Experience Hub." This platform allows employees to browse and choose new projects.
HR managers list the projects needing assistance, and employees are matched accordingly.
This approach is an addition to their regular jobs.
Research indicates that offering variety in work, like a recruiter getting to work on a DE&I project, is more engaging than just increasing workload in their current role.
As Erica put it, "people are eager to grow up, down, and sideways".
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The skill Erica says MPL's will need for the future of work ????
"It's about finding what I call the 'sweet spot' between technology and connection. AI and all this new technology entering the space is incredible, and modern people leaders need to understand and leverage it. However, it's equally important to know how and when to set it aside and focus on personal connections. It's not easy, but we must grasp both aspects and figure out how to integrate them into our world."
Erica's Good News Story ??
"My good news is about my new book, which I finally published. On a personal note, I recently became an empty nester, which initially didn't feel like good news. But, my friends who have been through this say I need to shift from being an empty nester to being a free bird. So, I am embracing being a free bird and spending a couple of days in Utah with you guys."
See you next week!
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