First 90 Days...

Do you remember your first 90 days?

I recently attended a session on onboarding (hosted by Savannah) with the famous Michael Watkins - author of  "The First 90 Days". Many of us have embarked on embedding a new onboarding process/journey to ensure new hires have a good experience when they join, but Michael believes this important part of the hiring process needs more focus.  and the way he sees it is most organisations are getting the “hygiene factors” right i.e., administrative tasks and business orientation, but less so on success factors such as meetings with stakeholders, aligning expectations with teams and senior stakeholders.  

Some interesting on-boarding facts:

• On average it takes 6 months for a new hire to achieve full performance
• Every Leader transition materially impacts a dozen other people
• Up to 40% of Executives leave the organisation in 18 months
• Research shows that supporting transitions, improves productivity and increases impact, retention and engagement

So why do so many organisations get the post hire process wrong -especially as the impact clearly affects the business. As a leader myself, I want to invest the time up front to ensure my new hire is set up for success.

This leads to the question which comes up time and time again – who owns onboarding? Is it HR, TA, Hiring Managers? I believe that accountability ultimately sits with the Hiring Manager, but there are many people that need to be involved to ensure success, with Talent Acquisition playing a crucial role in this too.

Learnings that have helped me and my teams in delivering a successful onboarding solution:

Getting started and building a case:  Many fail before they have even started. Understanding your business objectives/goals and using data to influence is critical. I have used engagement scores, EVP studies and any information on new hires leaving in the first 6 -12 months to help paint the story and build a strong business case. The cost of regrettable losses is significant -it can be up to 3 times a persons’ salary!  Also, Boards are becoming more and more interested in how new execs are brought onboard. This, coupled with diversity being a big focus means the way we bring people into the organisation from the “keep warm period” through to the first 90 days is vital – and needs to be tailored to different talent segments.

Be clear on the definition of onboarding: It is essential to have a clear definition of what onboarding should look like in your organisation. This can mean so many things in different organisations. It’s not just about having your equipment on time, or your accesses (and these are really important!) but  also understanding the culture, how to influence in the organisation, understanding who are the key stakeholders -   all the fundamentals to ensure the new hire’s success.

Organisations need to allow time for a new hire to settle in: When you’re new  there is a perceived need to deliver “quick wins” straight away. Candidates should be allowed to focus on “early wins”. These could be as simple as establishing the right relations and networks to do the job. Getting this right can help deliver early success but also build foundations for longer term successes and job satisfaction.

Use Exec Assessments in a purposeful way: Many organisations are using assessments at certain levels where a new hire’s strengths and potential development areas are identified. However, how many of these assessments get put into a desk drawer rather than being used for onboarding or coaching/mentoring for the individual to help them become successful?  Clear roles should be assigned with the Hiring Manager, HR or Talent Partner and TA.  It’s also great to track the data and any correlation between actions from an assessment and outcomes in performance.

Assign clear roles and accountability: Who is accountable for what part of onboarding and how do you govern this?

Digital Tools: There are many out there. And a digital solution is great for some of the foundational information. However, there still needs to be an element of personal touch through the process and think about those who may not have access to technology. 

Mistake of launching only: Onboarding needs to be embedded and continuously improved. Use surveys to track progress and measure success and ensure you have the right governance in place. Recruit dedicated onboarding champions (regionally, or business wide)  to ensure success. 

I’ve seen better engagement and solutions to early issues/concerns when a successful onboarding process has been embedded in an organisation and becomes part of the culture - “The way we do things around here”. At GE Healthcare we’re embarking on our onboarding journey. Are you getting ready for yours?