5 Must Haves to Create an Onboarding Process that Fosters Inclusion and Belonging

A Tale of Two Onboardings

I remember the day I walked into my first office job. I arrived at my desk which had a laptop, a card from my team, office supplies and a letter from the CEO welcoming me aboard. As I was reading the note and letter, each person who walked past greeted me by name, introducing themselves and welcoming me to the team. These intentional actions were the launching pad for a very successful tenure with the organization.

My next role had a very different start. First, the hiring process left me confused about when I would actually start the role. When I did start, not only did my office not have any signs that the organization was prepared for me to start, it still had the belongings of the last person who worked in the role, as they left unexpectedly. This rocky start was a sign of things to come, and needless to say, I was not in the role very long.

Oftentimes organizations reduce onboarding to the process and paperwork associated with health benefits enrollment for new hires. While the systematic process for health benefits enrollment is an important part of the onboarding experience, it is just that– one part.

The other part of the onboarding experience are all of the ways that an organization provides opportunities for culture and role orientation. The best organizations have mastered an onboarding process that effectively orients the new hire to the organization but also creates space for that new hire to positively impact the organization early. Onboarding is not about assimilation, it is about acclimation for both the new hire and their new team.

Why Effective Onboarding Is So Critical

What organizations often underestimate is the importance of the onboarding process and how it communicates organizational health to its newest team members. Effective onboarding is a key component to increased employee engagement and higher employee retention.

Additionally, a well planned onboarding process supports a new hire to be set up for success. While poorly run onboarding processes can have a negative impact on any new hire, it can be particularly impactful to women, people of color, and Black women who are more likely to have negative experiences related to work. Organizations often overthink racial and gender dynamics as being difficult or costly and do not bother to consider how to implement processes that can support different groups of people. However, having a clear process goes a long way in facilitating a new hire’s ability to start their role and begin having an impact within the organization– a goal that can be daunting for new hires who do not see themselves reflected in staff demographics. This means that the intentionality and thoroughness of a well-managed onboarding process is the best starting point for fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging for all new hires and in particular for those who need it most.

Steps to Effective Onboarding to Promote Inclusion and Belonging

1. Have An Onboarding Quarterback

Much like a quarterback in American football, the onboarding quarterback leads the onboarding team (anyone who plays a role in onboarding new personnel), calls the plays that moves the ball down the field, and provides executive direction throughout the entire process. Whether this is a person who works on the Talent/HR team, another member of the new hire’s team, or the hiring manager, there should be one person who is assigned to ensure every step of the onboarding process is running smoothly for the new hire. This person will serve as the new hire’s “go to” if they have any questions about the organization, policies, practices and how to access general information. This onboarding quarterback should also have relatively easy access to other teams that have an onboarding function in order to support the new hire in navigating needed paperwork or acquiring equipment. For this reason, the person should be very knowledgeable about all of the required steps to get a new hire properly connected to the right information at the right time.

2. Have A Detailed Plan

You know the old adage “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”? Well there is no circumstance where this saying is more relevant than the onboarding of a new hire. The Onboarding Quarterback should either create or be working from an onboarding work plan that outlines each step of the onboarding process, who is responsible for each step and when that step should be completed. Not only should the work plan include the technical aspects of onboarding (like health benefits and acquiring equipment) it should also include warm touches like preparing a welcome basket with office supplies and notes from critical members of the team welcoming the new hire. There should also be a schedule of action items that the new hire needs to complete upon arriving on their first day like the completion of paperwork or getting their ID badge (if applicable). Additionally, the onboarding work plan should include specific readings and training the new hire will need to be oriented to the organization, their team and the role, or particular people they should meet with within the first few weeks of starting. Preparing these aspects of onboarding in a First 2-Week Schedule eliminates the awkwardness of waiting around to be told what to do or what to work on next.

3. Have An Engaged Team

One of our clients was preparing for a new hire and she said “we are adding a new member to the team, so we are becoming a new team.” She could not have been more right, and this mindset is particularly impactful for people of color, especially Black women. While there are practices on your team that will endure, getting curious about how the new hire best experiences success when joining a new team and incorporating that into their process will foster a sense of belonging early. The people that the new hire will be working with most closely may also have input as they may be more familiar with what is needed most immediately. Hiring managers should share the 90-Day Plan with the rest of the team or create a process by which the team co-creates the plan. Another impactful way to engage the hiring team is for the hiring manager to ask for feedback on what went well and what could have been improved in current team members’ onboarding processes to influence the experience of the prospective new hire. You should also consider having members of the team own portions of the onboarding process so that there is collective investment in the success of the new hire.

4. Invite the New Hire to Co-Create Parts of the Onboarding

For more senior roles, more experienced hires may have some ideas of what they need to feel more acclimated in their role and how they may bring their own style to the position. Invite the new hire to provide their input on how they want to make connections with others across the organization, begin building relationships with external stakeholders or manage their learning for the first several weeks. Although this may come more naturally to more experienced hires, do not underestimate the aptitude of less seasoned hires who may also want the opportunity to provide feedback on different aspects of their onboarding experience. The goal is to provide structure and remain flexible around what new hires need to feel successful and a part of the team.

5. Have Check-ins Early, Often and Shift Accordingly

I strongly recommend checking in at the end of the first day as well as the end of the first week with intentional questions that go beyond “so how is it going?” Asking more specific questions like “do you have access to all of the tools/software to get on our platforms?” will unearth login challenges that are common with new hires. Even asking questions like “has the team made you feel welcomed? How?” is another way to get an understanding of how the culture plays a role in the onboarding of new hires. Remember that many new hires may be more reserved about sharing concerns or questions for fear of coming across as needy or unprepared. Asking more direct questions can provide a hiring manager with incredible insight about the health of the team’s culture and the strength of the onboarding process. Hiring managers should also set up special check-ins for the first 30-60-90 Days with questions that new hires answer before the check-in that provide targeted feedback on different aspects of the organizational, team-related and role orientation aspects of the onboarding processes. The goal is to act on the feedback in between the check-ins so that the next 30-day check-in includes wins regarding the improvements. These shifts not only promote a climate of feedback, it also engenders trust between the new hire and the hiring manager.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the onboarding process should center people and prioritize giving them a structured and consistently positive experience. New hires deserve an opportunity to thrive in their roles and that begins with an onboarding that truly elevates inclusion and belonging for all.

Guerschmide is the CEO and founder of GSA Consulting where she shepherds clients in creating talent management systems that allow them to support their most important asset: their people. Guerschmide has nearly two decades of experience in education, operations and people management.

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