Beth Ridley explains why onboarding starts before day one. Assign a peer buddy to teach informal norms, spread introductions over a year instead of cramming them in, and use a consistent company-wide plan so new hires don't get wildly different experiences.
And welcome back.
Well, there's a hiring boom right now. In fact, the Department of Labor says last month more than half a million jobs were added back.
Unbelievable, right? Well, many companies want to speed up the process of bringing in new employees, but our next guest says it's more important to do it right. Beth Ridley is here to explain how to onboard new employees the right way. She's a leadership expert and a workplace culture consultant. Always.
Great morning. Good morning.
Yeah, I mean, so many places are closing because they can't find enough workers. This is a great time, I think, to be looking for a job.
Absolutely. And then if an employer can find an employee, do all that you can to make sure you retain them. And onboarding them the right way is a big piece of that.
Yeah.
Oh, go ahead.
I was just gonna say.
Yeah.
So what's the goal? Like, when people think of onboarding, what is the goal to make this work so well?
Yeah, I think a lot of times people think, oh, it's just the logistics.
Right.
Get them set up with their computer and their DEs, the paperwork and the HR stuff. But, I mean, that's super boring. But what you want to do is make sure that the employee feels that strong sense of belonging and that they feel like they made the right choice.
Agreed. Yeah. So when should the onboarding start?
Okay, it actually should start before the first day. Because if you think about it, the first day is really anxiety producing. There's a lot going on and employee is nervous. So if you can do a little bit before, like the week before to kind of like ease the person in. Some of my favorite tips are write them like a personal note, a handwritten note, which is really nice because that's so rare. Just saying, we're so excited to have you. I mean, how good would that feel?
Yeah.
Or even take the time to introduce them virtually to their teammates. Because, you know, the first day you meet so many people, you don't remember their names, and that can be a little awkward. So just kind of like think about what they might experience the first day and how can you try to ease them in before they actually show up either in person or virtually also.
I like that. So if that's when it starts, how long does it last?
Okay, so you might be surprised by this answer, but I like to say think about it as a full year. Oh, wow. I know. Yeah, that's a long time that employers.
Are gonna be like, I know, I.
Don'T have the time for that, or I don't wanna hire anybody in the first place.
I wanna do that.
But there are easy ways that you can do that. But if you think about it, it really takes a year to feel fully acclimated.
True.
Right. And so some simple things. For example, a lot of times early on, you think of like, oh, I have to set up meetings with this person so they know who they're working with, and you front load it, and then that's, like, overwhelming. But what if you just sort of, like, spaced it out? People they should be meeting over time. That's a great way to sort of fill up a year. Right. So they get to meet people outside of their core work team.
Yeah, I love that.
I think scheduling those meetings and those get to know you kind of things are really great. But it can be a lot up front. The other thing that you suggest is sort of pairing somebody with a mentor, with a partner, a buddy.
A buddy. I think this is really important. So a peer. Right. Maybe not someone who they work with directly. Definitely not their boss. So someone they can ask what they might feel is, like, stupid questions as they're getting acclimated and they're too embarrassed to ask anyone else. Someone who can kind of show them the ropes and sort of teach them the unspoken rules that wouldn't be in the employee handbook.
Yeah.
What are some of the pitfalls that people often do that you're like, you gotta avoid this?
Well, the first one is not having an onboarding plan. Yeah. Number one. And then pitfall number two. I hear this a lot like, you know, one manager will have a plan, but another manager won't. One team will and another. And then you have unevenness. And, you know, employees speak to each other, they talk to each other, and they compare notes. And how bad would it feel for one employee to be like, oh, yes, I got a gift. You know, before I started, you didn't. I mean, that doesn't. You know, that almost is the opposite of what you want to have happen.
I think that's such a great point as a pitfall, that. That consistency, that it's the same in your company, in your department, so that people have the same experience and the similar experience to make it feel like you're getting exactly what somebody else on your team.
It's like a team coherence that way.
And you can tailor it a little bit for the person. But I mean, overall, they sort of have the same experience.
Are there good resources if you want to try to help? Because some companies have something probably set up. They have a plan. What if you're looking for ideas and.
Resources, you could go to my website. There you go. That's the first thing. Ding, ding, ding, ding.
Website.
Another good resource is the new employees themselves. So sort of ask them, what was their experience, what helped, what could they have done differently? That's probably going to be your best source of good ideas and information that are really relevant to your company.
Absolutely. The website.
And the website. Yeah. Ridleyconsultants.com There you go. We had to pull that one out of you for a minute.
So for more resources, tips and ideas to improve your workplace culture, visit. You can visit her website. It's ridleyconsultants.com There it is on your screen. Thank you.
