Who needs to be onboarded?
This is an important question. Traditional thinking presupposed that onboarding was intended to support the integrating of new senior-level managers and executives into a company with the goal of preparing them to succeed in their jobs. However, recent literature acknowledges that onboarding now has a larger context of socializing new employees irrespective of their title, position, or level at their organization (Dai &Meuse 2007).
So, who needs to Be Onboarded?
EVERYONE!
Unfortunately, many organizations make decisions concerning new employees based on false premises. The following is a list of myths that many organizations have adopted as assumptions when onboarding their employees:
- The best employees can take care of themselves.
- A traditional orientation information session is sufficient.
- Cursory introductions are all a new employee needs.
- Initial assignments should be easy and quickly achievable to build confidence.
- Mentors are best for supporting a new employees integrating process (Rollag et al., 2005 pp. 37-40)
Did you hold any of these premises to be true? Were any of your orientation programs built on any of these premises?
If so, you are not alone. Programs developed based on these assumptions may not have yielded you the organizational outcomes you were expected.
Effective onboarding programs can reduce turnover, improve employee performance evaluations, and support a positive organizational culture!
To learn more, get your copy of: Onboarding: Maximize the Success of New Employees. Buy it now: http://www.onboardingthebook.com
Dr. Gia
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