How to Create a Memorable and Productive Onboarding Experience for New Hires

Today's feature was previously exclusive to premium subscribers on Substack and is now available to everyone as part of my free 'Implementer Series'. Join here for free and get actionable leadership strategies you can easily implement with simple, step-by-step guidance.

Originally published on Substack Dec. 16, 2024.

Conventional wisdom doesn’t always stand the test of time, especially when it comes to something as ever-changing as workplace culture. One outdated idea that still lingers is that onboarding is just for brand-new hires. But research from O.C. Tanner shows that any job change—whether it’s a promotion, a lateral move, or joining a new company—deserves attention. Taking the time to make these transitions smooth and thoughtful can lower the risks of change and spark incredible levels of engagement, loyalty, and fulfillment.

The truth is, anyone stepping into a new role (even within their current company) is a “new hire” who can benefit from an onboarding process. Why? Because every transition comes with its own set of challenges—getting to know a new team and boss, figuring out expectations, adapting to new workflows, and even adjusting to a different team culture. This is a golden opportunity to set employees up for success by giving them the tools, guidance, and support they need to feel confident and thrive.

When onboarding is done right—with a clear plan, resources, and genuine support—it can be a game-changer. Employees often describe it as a positive, even life-changing moment in their careers. And when people feel that way, it leads to better outcomes like higher job satisfaction and a stronger connection to the organization.

On the flip side, if transitions are handled poorly, it’s a whole different story. Employees can end up feeling disengaged, less productive, and even burned out. In the worst cases, they might start eyeing the exit door.

The bottom line? Every job transition is a big deal, and how you handle it can make or break an employee’s experience.

Onboarding done right

That's why good managers ensure a great new hire experience by keeping a pulse on their new or promoted employees' thoughts and feelings. They don't just tell them what's expected of them their first week on the job and then drop them out of a helicopter in the middle of a wildfire.

Good managers understand the process of onboarding, which is mostly relational by nature and not something you relegate to AI. To humanize the onboarding experience, managers must have frequent conversations with new employees about their responsibilities and progress that stretch well into the first few months on the job.

So, let's move to the practical. Here’s a powerful and simple strategy that most bosses rarely implement for an effective onboarding experience. It's encapsulated into four steps:

1. Be intentional about setting clear goals and expectations with measures for success for the first 30, 60, 90 days, and so on up to an employee's first six months on the new job. Make sure to discuss these plans frequently throughout that stretch of time, as things may shift.
2. Help new hires identify and access key resources, tools, technology, and information they must have to do their work effectively, and support them along the way in accessing those things.
3. Show your new hires how to succeed at your company by connecting them with existing talent. Enlist your top performers as mentors, and make sure they take the time to explain the "unwritten" rules of the company.
4. Engage new hires in one-on-one conversations about what motivates them within the first two weeks of their employee experience.

Have honest conversations during the onboarding process

In case you missed the whole point of onboarding, we’re not talking about an HR orientation during the first day or week of hire. As I’ve hinted earlier, effective onboarding is a management responsibility that can extend three to nine months after a hire date, sometimes longer. Why? Research says that a typical employee’s mind isn’t made up about staying or leaving a new company or job until…wait for it… month six!

OK, if you’re going to have honest conversations, you’ll need to ask honest questions and be prepared for what you’ll learn. I want to bring out some key questions that every manager should ask to determine if you are doing what leads to a great new hire experience. These questions are meant to trigger a response so that you can be more intentional about having future conversations that lead to high employee engagement during those crucial first few weeks and months. Reflect on these questions first:

• Do you, as a leader/manager, engage your new hires in “How can we/I help you with your professional development interests?” conversations in the first month?
• Do you, as a leader/manager, engage new hires in conversations about what motivates them within the first 1-2 weeks of employment?
• Do most of your employees have development plans? If so, do these plans get discussed periodically one-on-one?
• Are you, as a leader/manager, actively helping employees to advance their plans by talking with them?

Now, consider asking these direct questions to your employees:

• What are you learning?
• What roadblocks are you encountering?
• How can I help in the best way possible?
• How can I help you with your professional development interests?
• Do you have a sense of what you'd like to learn next?

Your turn: Is this process helpful in your management role? I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments and get your insights as well. By the way, if you're not part of my Substack community yet, you can now become a founding member and schedule two 30-minute coaching sessions with me at a fraction of my regular coaching rate.

Thank You for Reading

Hope today's newsletter brought you good value and ideas that you can put into action. As an executive coach, speaker, and a leading authority on creating high-performing work cultures, my mission is to help leaders and their organizations flourish. I invite you to join me here for exclusive (and free) 'how-to' articles, coaching videos, tools, strategies, and more.

Till next time,

Marcel