Aid your own onboarding experience

Congratulations, the position is yours! Your dedication and effort have paid off. Regardless of the position or company, you are about to embark on their onboarding process. This process involves acquainting you with their operational, business, and cultural norms.

Our exploration of this subject sparked varied opinions within the talent community. As you read through the article, keep in mind that the insights shared by Nikola Lugonja, Head of People at Inoqo, and Meghan Murphy, Career Coach, are suggestions rather than obligatory steps.

These recommendations are designed to help you make a positive impact quickly in your new role, especially if you aim to achieve the best possible onboarding experience and are willing to put in additional effort.

The reason for the differences in opinions is that some advice offered begins even before your first virtual or physical step into the company but remember that these are merely helpful suggestions intended to ensure a seamless transition during your first day, week, and months.

A huge thank you to Nikola and Meghan for their contributions to this article. We hope you discover actionable steps to take, whether you are facing this situation now or in the future.

Common challenges you face as a new hire during the onboarding process?

The process of joining a new company varies significantly, making it a challenging topic to generalise. However, understanding common elements can help you adapt more effectively when necessary.

During our conversation, Nikola highlighted the importance of being ready to immediately contribute upon joining a company, as you're often hired to address immediate needs stemming from growth or the departure of a previous employee. Although there might be a grace period to learn, quickly familiarising yourself with the company's processes, environment, structures, and, if relevant, code base, is crucial for making a significant impact early on. Onboarding begins the moment you sign your contract.

Meghan pointed out that many managers may not have thoroughly considered what constitutes a successful onboarding experience for their team. While HR may provide some guidance through checklists, individual needs that haven't been anticipated can pose challenges unless they're communicated. We'll delve deeper into this aspect shortly.

A common oversight in onboarding is the lack of effective feedback loops, leading to uncertainty about your performance. In such cases, Meghan advises taking the initiative to communicate more than usual to ensure you're adding value during the adjustment period.

Nikola shared an insight that after years of hiring, still seems novel: be aware of the differences in organisational tools compared to those you've previously used. Investigate which tools your new team uses in advance and, if necessary, enhance your skills before your first day to hit the ground running. Despite the similarities between tools like Microsoft and Apple, unfamiliarity with one can pose unexpected challenges if not anticipated.

Best practices for new hires to integrate quickly and efficiently into a new work environment.

Throughout the remainder of this article, we will explore strategies to navigate both the common obstacles discussed earlier and others not mentioned. A key piece of advice for integrating into a new workplace, as shared by Nikola, is for newcomers to avoid trying to tackle everything simultaneously. Instead, it's crucial to take proactive steps toward achieving that first win, which sets the stage for further accomplishments.

Meghan emphasised that this initial success could be anything, serving as a personal declaration of your presence, contribution, and tangible value to the team.

Nikola advises putting effort into understanding the scope of the product you're working with. By asking insightful questions, you begin to unravel the intricacies of your role. Meghan adds that engaging in discussions across different functions within the organisation is invaluable for gaining a comprehensive understanding of its operations. Initiating informal meetings, like coffee chats with colleagues outside your immediate circle, is an excellent way to achieve this, it can also offer insights into what constitutes success in other departments.

Once you've established a foundational understanding, transition from merely inquiring to making informed suggestions. Be open to feedback, as the goal is to demonstrate your engagement and readiness to apply your knowledge in new ways that benefit the team. This marks the beginning of significant contributions.

It's important to remember that even minor achievements, such as updating a previously overlooked detail in the onboarding documents, are valuable. Not every contribution needs to be groundbreaking, every win counts.

Meghan also highlights the additional advantage of cross-functional dialogue: it provides a window into the broader organisational values and success metrics, aiding in determining if the company's culture aligns with your personal and professional goals. This initial period is also an opportunity for self-discovery, to assess if this environment suits your long-term aspirations.

Effective ways to establish clear communication with your manager and team members.

Effective communication is pivotal in the success or failure of onboarding processes, as highlighted by Meghan. The lack of a well-defined onboarding strategy by managers and the possibility of entering the team during a particularly busy period can further complicate communication.

To overcome these hurdles, two primary elements are essential for establishing effective communication channels.

Firstly, understand your own communication preferences. Meghan suggests engaging in self-reflection to recognise how you prefer to receive feedback, be managed, and communicated with to maximise your potential.

Once you have a grasp on your preferences, it’s important to communicate them to your direct manager. In turn, as Nikola advises to make an effort in understanding their communication style and preferences. This includes understanding their preferred methods of communication, when they are most focused, how they like to give feedback, and ways you can alleviate their workload or provide support.

Addressing these areas promptly can significantly mitigate the communication challenges that often hinder onboarding processes. Especially in remote settings, it's vital to over-communicate. Keep your manager updated on your progress, accomplishments, and outcomes.

Nikola recommends using a weekly highlight email or call on Fridays to summarise your project status and areas where you might need support. This approach ensures your manager is well-informed and can prepare to assist you as you transition into the next week.

Additionally, embody the communication style you wish to see within the team. Meghan emphasises leading by example, as changing communication habits across a team takes time. Continue to demonstrate the desired communication practices through your actions, encouraging gradual adaptation among team members.

Overlooked opportunities you should take advantage of during onboarding.

During the initial phase of joining a company, the emphasis is often on making a positive first impression, yet we sometimes overlook the opportunity to fully leverage this pivotal time in other meaningful ways.

Meghan explained the importance of newcomers taking control of the onboarding process. It's critical to think deeply about what knowledge is essential for performing your role effectively. Consider whether there are colleagues in similar positions who could provide insights. Demonstrating engagement through asking insightful and sincere questions, and seizing every chance to learn, is key.

We've previously discussed the significance of achieving an early success and how it shifts the power dynamics. Achieving this milestone not only boosts your confidence but also affirms your value to both the organisation and yourself through enhanced contributions.

Meghan and Nikola both advise against accepting everything at face value. In your initial weeks, your fresh perspective can help identify issues that others may have become accustomed to. It's important to question existing practices and suggest improvements where possible.

Nikola stresses the importance of setting clear expectations. He observes that new employees sometimes forget they are still being evaluated. Your approach to feedback should bypass mere pleasantries to identify opportunities for improvement, thereby ensuring you continue to make a meaningful impact and leave a lasting impression on key individuals.

Lastly, Nikola suggests that new employees share their reasons for joining the company with their manager. This not only sets a positive tone for your relationship with the organisation but also demonstrates the thoughtful consideration behind your decision, strengthening the partnership from the very beginning.

The onboarding experience can differ widely across companies and teams, yet your attitude towards it can remain steady. We fully agree with Meghan's advice that you should proactively own your onboarding experience in a manner that suits you best. While some may eagerly apply all suggestions and seek to enhance their skills even before starting work, others may choose to implement only certain aspects of this guidance. Regardless of where you find yourself on this spectrum, our hope is that the perspectives offered by Nikola and Meghan have provided valuable considerations for you to consider.

Please share among your network if you believe someone would benefit from reading this, thank you to both our incredible guests and let’s collectively bring simplicity to the chaos of recruitment.

Peritus Partners is a next generation recruitment team that focuses on blending education, business and community together. Interested to see how we can help find the best talent for your team or interested in finding a new job? Reach out today 😎