Effective Induction Programs

In 2017, I was working as an HR consultant for a client company. It was a mid-sized company. We were going through a period of rapid growth, and our team was constantly hiring new employees to keep up with the demand. Amidst this, I noticed that despite our efforts to integrate new hires, many of them were struggling to feel connected and engaged. One afternoon, I received an email from a recently hired software engineer who felt isolated and unsure about his role in the company. This email was a wake-up call for me. I realized that our onboarding process, while efficient, lacked a personal touch. Determined to address this, I initiated a new program called "Buddy System." Each new hire was paired with a more experienced employee who would act as their mentor and friend. The buddies were encouraged to have regular check-ins, share lunch, and participate in team-building activities together. The results were incredible. New employees started feeling more welcomed and supported, and their integration into the team became smoother. Employee engagement scores improved, and our retention rates increased significantly. From this experience, I learned several key lessons: 1. Personal Connection Matters: Beyond the formal onboarding process, fostering personal connections can make a huge difference in how new employees feel about their workplace. 2. Mentorship is Valuable: A buddy or mentor can provide guidance, support, and a sense of belonging, helping new hires navigate their new environment more confidently. 3. Continuous Improvement: Always be open to feedback and willing to make changes. What worked yesterday might not work today, and there’s always room for improvement. 4. Employee Engagement is Key: Engaged employees are more productive, happier, and less likely to leave. Investing in programs that enhance engagement pays off in the long run. In the fast-paced corporate world, it's easy to overlook the human aspect of HR. But remember, the success of any company lies in the well-being and engagement of its people. #EmployeeEngagement #Onboarding #HRManagement #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeRetention

In the 20+ recruiting audits I have completed of companies, I have found that more than 25% of recruits who sign offer letters never join. All that energy with nothing more than a finish-line disappointment. Yet if you ask a recruiting leader what their game plan is, once someone says yes, most have nothing. Recruiting doesn't stop when someone agrees to join your team—it’s just the beginning of solidifying their commitment. A formalized game plan ensures recruits feel welcomed, valued, and confident in their decision, reducing the risk of last-minute changes of heart. Here’s a step-by-step approach to create a game plan: 1) Immediate Engagement: Celebrate their decision with personalized outreach (e.g., a call or handwritten note). Have senior leadership send congratulatory messages to validate their choice. 2) Bridge the Gap with Continued Conversations: Schedule weekly check-ins to discuss their onboarding, answer questions, and keep excitement high. Involve current team members to introduce them to the culture and key connections inside the company. 3) Create a Sense of Belonging: Arrange a dinner or event involving their spouse or family to build deeper connections. Ship a personalized welcome kit with branded items and a personal note to their home. 4) Showcase the Culture: Invite them to attend a team meeting or shadow virtually so they can experience the culture firsthand. Provide access to training resources or tools to give them a head start. 5) Eliminate Doubt: Reiterate the unique value your organization offers that their current company cannot match. Role-play possible counter-offer scenarios and coach them on how to respond confidently. 6) Formalize the Onboarding Journey: Provide a clear timeline for their first 90 days, with milestones and support touchpoints. Assign a mentor or buddy to guide them through the transition. A structured plan ensures recruits transition smoothly, feel connected, and remain committed to your team. It transforms the "yes" into a day one success.

What's the difference between a job you tolerate and one you actually can't wait to get to? I once joined a company straight out of a role where I'd been heavily micromanaged. I didn't realise how much that had worn me down until I walked into my new office on day one. Everyone was smiling. Actually smiling. The HR lead had already been in touch the week before. Not with paperwork, just to say they were excited I was joining. When I sat down, my manager had already prepped everything I needed. They made a handful of introductions before I'd even asked. Within a week I was getting stuck into real work.  And getting recognized for it. I remember thinking…this place feels different. And without even noticing it happening, I started showing up earlier. Because I genuinely wanted to be around these people. That experience never left me. Because I know what the alternative feels like too. And the difference wasn't about perks or pay.  It was about how they made me feel from the very first interaction. That's what good onboarding actually does. It doesn't just welcome someone in. It makes them want to stay. Here are 7 ways to make new hires feel truly welcome from day one: 1\ Space Out the Introductions ↳ Let relationships form naturally over two weeks. 2\ Give Them Real Work Early ↳ A meaningful task in week one says "we trust you" 3\ Share the Unwritten Rules ↳ Walk them through how things really work 4\ Reach Out Before Day One ↳ A voice note the week before eases first-day nerves 5\ Pair Them With a Go-To Person ↳ Someone approachable for the "silly" questions 6\ Check In With Curiosity ↳ Ask what's clicking and what's still unclear 7\ Celebrate Their Small Wins ↳ On the first say recognise a helpful question asked The way someone feels in their first few weeks often  shapes how long they stay. And how much of themselves they feel safe to bring to work. ♻️ If this resonates, repost for your network. 📌 Follow Amy Gibson for more leadership insights.

What a monumental waste of time. 30% of employees leave during the first 90 days on the job (Job Seeker Nation 2023). That is ridiculous, expensive, and completely avoidable. Great onboarding isn't hard, it just takes a little intention. Try this... 01. It starts the second the contract is signed. Send them paperwork so they don’t have to spend their first day filling it out - things like payroll and tax forms, benefit applications. Include your employee handbook so you can address any of their concerns in advance. Send their equipment and passwords in advance to their home. Ensure they have an IT contact for any problems. 02. A few days before they start work... Send them a note sharing how excited you are to have them join your team. Let them know what time they need to arrive, where to park, who to ask for and what the dress code is. Send them an agenda for their first week so they know what to expect. 03. Announce your new hire to your current staff. Send an email to your current staff (cc the new employee) introducing their new co-worker about a week in advance. Share what the person’s role will be, include a headshot, a brief bio and something fun about the colleague so your team can welcome your new hire on their first day. Organize a team lunch for that day. 04. Set up their workstation before they arrive. Make sure they have someplace to land on their first day by getting their workstation set up. Consider leaving something to make them feel welcome, like notes from their new co-workers, notepads with the company logo or a coffee mug. 05. Set expectations early. On day 1, discuss what you need from them and what they’ll receive from the company to help them achieve their goals. Provide them with a detailed job description and a comprehensive list of their responsibilities - along with a 30/60/90 day plan that tells them what will be expected of them for each milestone. Discuss how their job fits into the bigger picture and helps the business meet its goals. 06. Check in frequently For the first month, the leader should meet with the employee at least once a week for regular check ins to identify any concerns early on and allow the employee time to ask questions and give feedback. 07. It's never too soon to discuss career aspirations. Talking to your new employee about their career aspirations tells them you care from the onset. It's a great time to discuss a longer term career plan.

I sent laptops to 7 remote hires. 5 quit within 90 days. Costly mistake.  Brutal lesson. I thought I was onboarding them. They felt abandoned. And the data proves I wasn’t alone: 🚫 63% of remote employees say onboarding was inadequate. 🚫 60% feel lost and disoriented after their first week. 🚫 Remote hires take 3-6 months longer to reach full productivity. A laptop in a box isn’t onboarding.  It’s a fast track to disengagement. So I rebuilt our process—and retention jumped 82%. Here’s exactly what worked: 🔥 The Buddy System ✔ Assign a mentor (daily check-ins for the first 2 weeks) ✔ Encourage “silly” questions—zero judgment ✔ Make support feel human, not bureaucratic 🔥 Connection Before Content ✔ Virtual coffee chats before training starts ✔ Executive welcome video on Day 1 ✔ Remote-friendly team social event in Week 1 🔥 Digestible Learning ✔ 90-minute training modules (no info overload!) ✔ Spread onboarding across 3 weeks, not 3 days ✔ Live discussions > passive video watching 🔥 Tech Readiness ✔ IT setup completed before Day 1 ✔ Test systems with the hire the day before ✔ Provide a digital “emergency contact” for tech issues 🔥 Culture Immersion ✔ Virtual office tour with real team stories ✔ Inside-joke dictionary (every company has one!) ✔ Daily connections between work tasks & company mission 🔥 Strategic Check-ins ✔ Week 1: "What surprised you?" ✔ Month 1: "Where do you need more clarity?" ✔ Quarter 1: "How can we better support your growth?” 🔥 Early Wins = Early Buy-In ✔ Assign a small, meaningful project in Week 1 ✔ Recognize their success publicly ✔ Show them how their work makes an impact Remote onboarding isn’t about dumping information. It’s about building confidence, connection, and commitment. Do this right, and your new hires won’t just stay. They’ll thrive. P.S. What’s one thing you wish you had in your first remote onboarding? ♻️ Repost this to help HR teams fix onboarding before it costs them top talent.

When I arrived at USPTO in 2018, I was greeted with something unforgettable: a welcome package, a personalized basket, a tour to meet every stakeholder, and even a team-wide pause for a warm “welcome party.” I had never felt so valued on day one. We took onboarding seriously. Every new hire had a “buddy” responsible for making sure these steps were covered before and during the first week: 1️⃣ Build a welcome basket using contributions from the team, our library, and donations. Bonus points for finding out the new employee’s interests and adding something personal. 2️⃣ Take the new employee on a tour to meet stakeholders, visit offices, and share lunch in the cafeteria to encourage quick socialization. 3️⃣ Coordinate a short, in-person welcoming party on the first day where everyone stopped to greet the newcomer. 4️⃣ Schedule longer introductory meetings during the first week with key stakeholders to build context and relationships. The impact went well beyond making people feel good. Research shows that personalized gestures such as welcome baskets increase trust and commitment. Structured socialization practices like tours and team welcomes reduce anxiety, build belonging, and accelerate role clarity. On top of that, buddy programs and early stakeholder meetings provide psychological safety and social capital. Furthermore, studies from Microsoft and Gartner found that employees with a buddy were more productive and more likely to stay, and other research has shown that early supportive interactions predict higher performance and long-term commitment. The results in our office spoke for themselves. We saw virtually zero turnover, had a waiting list of internal employees eager to join, and filled nearly every open position internally through promotions or cross-moves. The culture was so strong that even when I eventually accepted another opportunity, it took a significant offer and a month of persuasion to make me leave. To this day (and no disrespect to my other employers) it's one of those decisions I revisit often and say "what if." Making people feel truly welcomed is not fluff. It is a strategy that builds retention, engagement, and culture. So how is your organization welcoming its new employees? Let's here some great practices that we all can adapt. #EmployeeExperience #OnboardingMatters #CultureByDesign #RetentionStrategy #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeEngagement

If a new hire still feels like an outsider after 90 days, you’ve already lost momentum and probably your investment. That’s why I call these the 10 Onboarding Non-Negotiables. They turn new hires into high performers fast because performance begins with clarity, not charisma. ✅ Pre-Day One Prep: Equipment, access, welcome note, and a mentor in place. → First impressions are your brand in action. ✅ Structured First Week: Hour-by-hour clarity, no winging it. → Confidence thrives on certainty. ✅ Cultural Immersion: Share stories, rituals, and “how we do things here.” → Culture is caught, not taught. ✅ Role Clarity: Define success in writing. 30-60-90 goals. → No ambiguity = no anxiety. ✅ Manager Check-ins: Weekly in Month 1, bi-weekly after. → Most people quit managers, not companies. ✅ Early Wins: Give them one project they can finish in Week 1. → Science proves early success boosts long-term retention. ✅ Learning Resources: Make knowledge easy to find, not hidden in silos. → Self-sufficient employees > dependent ones. ✅ Relationship Building: Cross-team coffees, lunches, and introductions. → Skills get you hired; relationships keep you there. ✅ Feedback Loops: Two-way street — you ask, they ask. → What you measure, you improve. ✅ Celebration Milestone: Mark the end of onboarding officially. → Transition from “new hire” to “team member.” This is performance architecture. When onboarding is designed intentionally, you build clarity, confidence, and commitment before day 1 even begins. Leaders don’t delegate culture. They install it. Save this for your next hire. And if your team is scaling fast but struggling to build cohesion, that’s a leadership system problem, not a talent one. Follow George Dupont for frameworks that turn teams into dynasties. #culture #hiring #employeeengagement #onboarding #leadership #executivecoaching

🧭 You Hired Someone, Now What? A New Manager’s Guide to Not Screwing It Up Hiring someone is just the start. What you do next determines whether they succeed, struggle, or quietly disengage. Here are 10 ways to get onboarding right from day one: 1️⃣ Start Before Their First Day Send a welcome message. Confirm logistics. Set expectations. 💬 Silence = anxiety. A simple “We’re excited to have you” builds early trust. 2️⃣ Have a Real Onboarding Plan HR does the paperwork. You handle integration. 🗺️ Create a 30-60-90 day roadmap with key projects and success markers. 3️⃣ Make Introductions with Intention Don’t rely on chance meetings. Schedule 1:1s with key players. 🤝 Explain why each intro matters, relationships are early currency. 4️⃣ Clarify Expectations Immediately Define what “great” looks like. Be explicit about goals and norms. 🔍 Most people don’t fail from lack of skill, they fail from unclear expectations. 5️⃣ Stay Present Without Micromanaging New hires don’t need a shadow or a ghost, they need you. 📆 Check in often. Offer context, listen to questions, and share what’s working. 6️⃣ Give Feedback in Week One Yes, week one. Start early with praise and coaching. 🗣️ Early feedback builds confidence and prevents bad habits. 7️⃣ Ensure They Have the Right Tools No access? No progress. 🔐 Get systems, passwords, project files, and tools ready before day one. 8️⃣ Protect Them from Chaos (Temporarily) Every company has mess. Don’t throw them into it right away. 🛡️ Let them build confidence first, then guide them through the noise. 9️⃣ Ask for Feedback About You “How can I support you better?” builds trust faster than any pep talk. 🧠 It also sets the tone for open communication from day one. 🔟 Be the Reason They Stay People don’t quit jobs, they quit managers. ❤️ Show up. Be human. Onboarding is leadership. ✅ Bottom Line: Hiring is only half the job. Great managers don’t just add people to the team, they build trust, clarity, and momentum from day one. 💬 What’s one thing a past manager did during your first week that made a big impact? 👉 Follow Ricardo Cuellar for more people-first leadership advice. 📬 Want more like this? Subscribe to my newsletter, link in bio!

As the new school year begins, we pour energy into welcoming students and families. But what about new employees? Too often, we assume that as professionals, they’ll “just get it.” Yet research shows the number one reason people choose a school isn’t salary, it’s community. You sold the story of this school during the recruitment phase. Now, how will you carry that forward into intentional onboarding? A few ideas: Pre‑arrival touchpoint: Send a welcome packet (handbook, schedules, technology access info) and a short video introducing leadership or team members. Studies show early connection fosters engagement and confidence. Structured orientation with culture and clarity: Outline school vision, values, routines, safety protocols, and performance expectations in a paced, clear format. Avoid info overload—make time to reflect & connect. Ongoing check‑ins: Schedule weekly check‑ins for the first 90 days, then monthly through the year. Provide time to ask questions, reflect on successes & challenges, and revisit vision and values. Mentorship and peer observation: Match new hires with supportive colleagues, and build in classroom observations or job‑shadowing. Relationship‑driven onboarding supports belonging and builds confidence fast. Community building opportunities: Host social gatherings, team rituals, book clubs, or reflection circles. Belonging grows when people show up as themselves and have the chance to stay connected across the school year. Onboarding isn’t just a checklist—it’s an invitation to belong. And when people feel seen, supported, and connected, they stay and thrive. Looking for a great piece on the teacher experience, check out two recent National Association of Independent Schools articles. "Listening Lessons" by Jessica F. of The Pingry School https://lnkd.in/gv_By3wr and "The First Last Step" by Kathryn Outlaw of Girls Preparatory School https://lnkd.in/gVF3NwMJ #teachers #education #professionalsupport #independentschools #onboarding

Organizations spend a lot of time recruiting new candidates – and not a lot of planning each aspect of onboarding. In the Navy, I learned that the first 72 hours for a new Sailor at a new command is crucial to their long-term success for their duration at the unit. If the first crew member they encounter in that window is an expert who has a positive perspective and can show them the ropes, they tend to thrive. If the first crew member they encounter isn’t a strong Sailor, odds are that the new check will follow in their footsteps and fail to achieve a high level of capability aboard. Those of us in the Navy are well-versed in this trend. On ships, it’s known as the “First 72.” As Hunt A Killer surpassed 100 full-time employees, I noticed a similar pattern. If we could make sure a new hire had a dialed-in, clear onboarding process in roughly their first 8 hours, they’d most likely be a stellar teammate. This onboarding process included: ✅ The assignment of a dedicated Teammate Advocate ✅ A sit down with their hiring manager that included a 90-day plan ✅ Meeting with HR and IT to get their systems set up ✅ A walkthrough of benefits and pay, with time to have questions answered  ✅ Scheduling a meeting with me within their first week 🔍 (I'll go more in-depth on each of these steps in a future post - stay tuned!) The “First 8” became routine for us; every moment of onboarding was scripted. We took this process just as seriously as recruiting and retaining. Tricia Butler, SPHR, SHRM - SCP shepherded new hires through a comprehensive experience that instilled confidence, answered their questions, and immediately made them feel like part of the team. This attention to onboarding practices is some of the best business advice I can give. It made a world of difference when I implemented it with my own team. Don’t leave new employees hanging. Show them how it’s done and they’ll go on to shine - no matter how stormy the seas might get!