Onboarding New Employees: What Supervisors Need to Know and Do

Effectively onboarding and integrating new employees is a key to their long term success. Unfortunately, few organizations have defined processes that extend beyond the initial orientation.  In this episode, AEU LEAD Director Joe White outlines steps supervisors can take to improve the likelihood of desired outcomes for all involved.

View this episode on the AEU website.

About Joe

As Director of AEU LEAD, Joe White focuses on helping members transform operational goals into actionable plans through a structured change management process. Prior to joining AEU, Joe was a senior consultant for E.I. DuPont’s consulting division, DuPont Sustainable Solutions (DSS). He joined DSS in 2011 to develop the next generation of safety practices using extensive research in behavioral sciences he’s compiled over a period of nearly two decades. His efforts resulted in the development of The Risk Factor, which is now the flagship instructor-led offering for the consulting division. Combined, Joe has 26 years of operational safety experience, the majority of which was with DuPont. Joe has been published in Occupational Health & Safety Magazine for his prominent work in safety relative to behavioral and neurosciences and is an event speaker at many leading industry conferences including National Safety Council (NSC) Congress and Expos, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), and National Maritime Safety Association (NMSA). Joe is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and has a B.S., in Safety and Risk Administration.

Where you can find Joe

• Connect with Joe on LinkedIn

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Supervisor Skills: Secrets of Success is a production of AEU LEAD, a division of The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. With 60 years of combined industry experience, our supervisor training program gives mid-level managers in the maritime industry the skills needed to influence employees, customers, and peers. This increases employee engagement, reduces turnover and rework, and ultimately results in higher profits for their companies. 

Find AEU: amequity.com | Linkedin | Facebook

Transcript

Announcer:
The SOS podcast is a production of AEU LEAD, an organization redefining how mid and frontline managers are developed.

Joe White:
Hello, and thank you for joining us. I'm Joe White, and this is the Supervisor Skills: Secrets of Success podcast. Today's recording is the 11th in season four and one of two remaining episodes this year. For those joining us today, wherever you might be, I would like to extend a warm welcome, and express sincere gratitude for your continued support as a listener.

Our topic today is one based on a request I recently received from a listener in Upstate New York. It involves a subject we've referenced on occasion, but one we've never built an entire episode around. Today, we're discussing the process of onboarding and integrating new employees into the workplace. True to our namesake, we'll tackle the topic from the perspective of frontline supervision, what you need to know, why it's important, and how you go about doing it. For those interested in wanting to learn more, let's get the discussion underway.

The science of first impressions is actually pretty remarkable. The distilled truth about them is that they have a profound impact and last well beyond the moment in which they occur. Studies have consistently shown that primary judgments involving character, work ethic, and integrity form in seconds. They're also linked to basic mannerisms observed in others, like handshakes and body posture and poise. Once formed, they're difficult to change. The importance of first impressions cannot be overemphasized for supervisors who are responsible for onboarding and integrating incoming workers. What employees see in you matters, and you only get one opportunity to get it right the first time.

For clarification, today's discussion is focused on the post-hiring phase of an employee's experience with an organization. Pre-hiring involves identifying needs, developing job descriptions, communicating positions, and so forth. While extremely important, that's not what we're covering here. What we're discussing today involves onboarding and integrating employees after a job offer has been extended and accepted, recovering the initial point of entry into the organization and highlighting the role supervisors play in setting up employees for success.

In most instances, an employee's first day on the job is fairly structured. Upon arrival, new hires are most often met by a representative from human resources or a designated trainer. The initial meet and greet typically involves conveying basic information about the company, specifics regarding the site or local operation, and essential information about pay and benefits. In some instances, organizations provide an orientation process that can range from several minutes to several days.

The primary purpose of the initial indoctrination is straightforward. It's to provide the basics required for employment to begin and to prepare those onboarding for the next step, which involves integration into the workplace. In my experience, the integration phase, which is most often led by the employee supervisor, is the most important part of the onboarding process. It's where generalizations become specific, expectations become clear, and keys to success are conveyed. Unfortunately, it's also where most breakdowns occur.

For a variety of reasons, many supervisors have a haphazard approach and don't give this first impression the level of attention it deserves. The fallout or subsequent impact involves a missed opportunity, and in many instances an unnecessary experience adversely impacting how an employee feels about his or her supervisor. A lasting judgment that for many is difficult, if not impossible to change.

What do you do? How can you more effectively or purposefully onboard and integrate new employees into the workplace? Here are several recommendations I'd like to pass along for consideration:

1. Have a plan.

Where a haphazard approach to onboarding exists, a defined process for the purpose of doing so likely doesn't. As a supervisor, a primary goal of the integration process involves setting up employees for success. What do they need to know and do to succeed? Helping employees understand where they are and where they need to be by when provides much-needed orientation. Having an integration strategy in place conveys organization of fault and helps employees start their journey on the right foot.

2. Involve team members.

Most employees today prefer interdependent cultures. Interdependency is all about the team. Unfortunately, most labor-dependent organizations are by practice dependent. Where possible, integrate coworkers or peer involvement into the integration process for new employees. In doing so, rapport with fellow team members is established from the onset. By hand-selecting those involved in clarifying roles regarding the process, you'll greatly improve the likelihood of success for your new employees.

3. Fill voids.

The skills gap is defined as the difference between the skills incoming employees have and those required for the positions they're being hired to fill. The gap has never been wider or more impactful. While companies have training departments, few can bridge the gaps that now exist. The burden of development in many instances falls on the shoulders of frontline supervisors. New employees will need feedback and coaching to succeed. Let them know from the onset you intend to provide it, and that when it's offered, it's with their best interest in mind.


4. Meet employees where they are.

One-size-fits-all solutions seldom work. As part of the onboarding and integration process, supervisors should do everything possible to understand what new hires bring in the form of knowledge and experience. As an example, a welder just out of school entering a shipyard for the first time will undoubtedly encounter situations they've never faced. Anticipate these circumstances and help prepare those onboarding in advance so they know what to do ahead of time. If uncertain about what this might entail, simply ask those having gone through the onboarding process themselves. More than likely, they'll have some suggestions you may not even be aware of.


5. Follow up.

Integrating new employees into the workplace is a process and not an event. The likelihood of anyone grasping and retaining everything thrown at them in a single instance is extremely remote. We do the employee and ourselves a great favor when important information critical to their success is periodically reinforced. In most instances, follow up will be required throughout the first year of employment. For those less experienced, the intervals may be more frequent than less. Determine what this looks like early on and build it into your calendar so that it's not overlooked or forgotten.

Turnover rates from many labor-dependent organizations has steadily increased with time. Incoming employees in many instances are less experienced than those in the past, creating a situation most employers aren't prepared to navigate. A step in the right direction involves more effectively onboarding new employees. More so than at any point in the past, supervisors have a critical role to fulfill in this process. Having an integration strategy for new hires, involving team members, and periodically following up on the predetermined frequency are best practices anyone can implement. More than anything, do everything within your power to improve the likelihood of success for those joining your team.

Thank you for joining us. It's my sincere hope you found benefit in our discussion today. We'll be back in December for a final episode and look forward to you joining us then. If you know of someone that could benefit from our topics of discussion, please forward a link with an endorsement for their consideration. Should you have any questions or need additional information regarding today's topic, just let us know. Our contact information is provided in the show notes accompanying this episode. For those that may not have reviewed or rated your experience with our show, we would greatly appreciate you doing so. That's it for now. Stay safe, and thanks for listening.