This document discusses employee onboarding processes in the 21st century. It introduces an example of a new hire, David, who starts a new job without an onboarding process and feels frustrated and unproductive as a result. The document then recommends establishing a buddy system to mentor new employees and documenting key workplace processes to help onboarding employees understand expectations and how to be productive members of the team. It emphasizes that onboarding should be an iterative process aimed at helping new employees feel welcomed and able to contribute value as quickly as possible.

1. Employee onboarding in the
21st century

2. About?
Jeroen Coupé
Manager at Orca Solutions.
- Started (onboarded) on several different
allready existing projects.
- Gebcai
- Fortis
- Oracle on demand
- Mentored different employees into the
Kwandoo project
Twitter : @jecoupe
Email: jcoupe@orcasolutions.be

3. Onboarding
“Onboarding is also known as organizational
socialization”
― Wikipedia

4. Onboarding
The mechanism through which new employees
acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and
behaviors to become effective organizational
members and insiders.
― Wikipedia

5. Meet new hire: David

6. David starts in an office in desperate
need of a new employee

7. But without an onboarding process…

8. … even mundaine practices can
appear strange.

9. Without sufficient support and on-the-job training David
ends up frustrated, confused and…

10. …unproductive

11. How can we help David?

12. 1. Introduce a buddy system

13. A good mentor…
…provides a safe place to
ask questions.
…is a close colleague
but not a manager.
…gives early feedback and
sets clear expectations.

14. Make sure…
…the role is explicit.
…follow-up happens over
an extended time frame.

15. There are two things people want more than sex
and money… recognition and praise.
― Mary Kay Ash

16. 2. Document key processes

17. IDEA

18. Identify
E
D
A

19. Identify the processes that are
interesting for a new arrival…
What steps are needed to
be able to contribute
Which processes happen
very frequently?
How do i fill in my time sheet?

20. I
E
Describe
A

21. Define the optimal/current way
of doing things
Try to explain why certain non-
obvious choices were made.
Keep every topic as short as
possible (1 page is ideal)
Create a standard operating
procedure per topic

22. Call it process documentation
and no one will read it.
― Ian Gotts

23. I
Execute
D
A

24. Execute the defined process
and gather feedback
Onboarding should be an
iterative process
Boy-scout principal: Each new
team-member should try to make
the docs better for the next one.
Every team member should
be able to contribute

25. Much learning does not teach
understanding.
― Heraclitus

26. I
E
D
Automate

27. When the process is wel enough
understood it might be possible to
automate it.
Automation takes away
complexity
Don’t optimize
prematurely
Click the button vs 3
pages of procedures.

28. Credit: xkcd

29. Identify
Execute
Describe
Automate

30. Onboarding is an indispensable tool in enabling an
employee to be productive as soon as possible.
― Jeroen Coupé

31. Onboarding is not only usefull for new
hires, but also for new consultancy
engagements or change of function
within the organisation

32. Slow at work?

33. Instead of doing inemuri…

34. …or watching adorable kittens

35. Everybody get onboard

36. Questions?

37. # Flickr: Joseph Sardin
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# Photo Credits
Credits