Onboarding: Post#4

Giving new employees a head start: After employee selection and before day one on the job, you can do a lot to ensure successful entry by employees. Careful crafting of a personal onboarding plan and the initial employee announcement is critical. Make sure you see the author’s “Personal Onboarding Plan” (p. 117). The announcement remains as one of the most critical steps to show your recruit that you value her/him and to show the organization that you’ve made the right pick. The authors outline who to talk to before and after the announcement, the wording and timing of the announcement, and the tracking and adjustment of the message. Such emotionally sensitive preparation makes a huge difference in the success of the new employee. See p. 133 for the key points to hit in your announcement. Also, pay very close attention to the “Announcement Cascade” downloadable form on p. 138 and save yourself from making any missteps in this critical stage of the process.