Onboarding Essay

According to Guangrong(2007) onboarding is a relatively new term. Organizational researchers have been investigating “new employee orientation program” and “socialization techniques” for decades. Onboarding appeared to be a process more focused on the integration of new senior level managers or executives only. The ultimate goal of onboarding is to prepare managers to succeed in their jobs as quickly as possible. The two key performance indicators of successful onboarding are:

1) Time to productivity

2) Engagement and retention

A typical onboarding process includes the initial orientation and the ensuring three to six months period. In his paper he described onboarding different form an employee orientation program or induction.

Induction

Every employee is anxious wondering what their first few days will be like. This anxiety can be alleviated by providing employee with the ability to have access to the information that they will be looking for in their first few days. Friedman(2006) highlights that preparation is one of the important key tasks in the onboarding process.

2.1.2) Socialize

A good onboarding program enable new employees socialize into the company and get them “up to speed” (Lee 2006). One of the first recognized papers on socialization was Van Maanen and Schein (1979) in which they identified socialization as a process where an employee can acquire the traits needed to be a successful participant in a new organization. These traits include attitude, behavior and knowledge. They further identified 6 dimensions of socialization:

1) Collective vs individual socialization process

2) Formal vs informal

3) Sequential vs variable

4) Fixed vs variable

5) Serial vs disjunctive

6) Investiture vs

Socialization new comers is therefore and essential part of the onboarding process.

2.1.3) Extend beyond day 1

Savit,(2012) identifies Norton Healthcare’s approach to onboarding that has three phases. The first stage last for 1 week and is purely an introductory process of the new employee to the organization. The second phase is from the first week to 30 days and focuses on the company’s clients. The third and last stage extend from 30 days to 90 days. This last stage help employee deal with the stress of the job establishing work life balance.

2.1.4) Assign a mentor/buddy

Loveland (2012) identifies that the purpose of his Buddy Program in Disney is to help Cast Members become more comfortable in their new role in a shorter period of time. It provides support, advice and encouragement to the