The onboarding process is the incorporation of a new team member into the company. SHRM defines onboarding as “the process of helping new hires adjust to the social and performance aspects of their new jobs quickly and smoothly.” In most instances, the goal of the onboarding process is to help new team members become familiarized with company culture and policies. But it doesn’t stop there! Your onboarding process should clearly communicate the mission and values of your firm and how the new team member’s role adds to your overall vision.

I work with firms every day who feel they need to make an immediate hire. They are drowning. They need help, and they know it. More often than not, they know what they want this new hire to do. They need an intake specialist, receptionist, or another attorney. The list is endless. They have a job description ready and place the ad on online job boards. Applicants start rolling in, interviews are completed, and they are ready to make an offer. The offer is made. The candidate accepts, and they feel they are on cloud nine! Finally, they are going to get the help they need. The candidate walks in on their first day, is shown their desk, and…THAT’S IT! They were the most qualified candidate for the position, and they should know what needs to be done next, right? They should be ready to hit the ground running, right? WRONG!!!!! This is risky hiring, folks. And let me tell you, EVERY HIRE IS A RISK, especially if your firm has not perfected the onboarding process.

I’d like to challenge your firm to take a look through the job-specific onboarding BEFORE the hiring process is initiated. Don’t get me wrong, the initial part of the onboarding process will look similar for ALL positions but will vary subsequently, as each role in your firm is different. First and foremost, you will want to make sure every new team member knows your mission statement and your firm’s values. NO EXCEPTION. Second, you need to get an onboarding time frame out of your mind! Every role in your organization is different. Onboarding will look different, taking various lengths of time. And if you’re being honest, is onboarding ever really complete? The answer is no!

When looking at your organization’s onboarding process, it should have four main goals.
Your onboarding process should help your new team member:

1. Understand their new role and the responsibilities that accompany it.
2. Get comfortable in their new setting.
3. Meet their teammates and leaders.
4. Learn the organization’s policies and procedures.

Onboarding is an engagement between leaders/managers and new team members. This is not an isolated event, and the new team member should never be left to fend for themselves. Think of it like a buddy system. You will have an “onboarding buddy” taking your new hire through your onboarding process. While the process of onboarding does take intentional effort on the managers’ part, this vastly increases employee retention when the new team member feels cared for and invested in from their first day in the office. If onboarding is done completely and correctly, there is no loss of investment in the new team member, as you are investing time, money, and resources in training them to be suited for you specifically. Ask yourself, is our onboarding process helping new team members feel their presence and productivity matter to the overall goals of the firm? If the answer is no, you need to revisit your process. A positive onboarding process will contribute to employees feeling part of the firm’s vision, thus reducing turnover. Onboarding directly affects employee retention. In fact, onboarding makes or breaks your employee retention rate.

A word of caution. EVERY new team member needs proper onboarding. This process isn’t and shouldn’t be confused as training for non-experienced team members. Even the most experienced professionals need to be onboarded. There should be someone in your firm checking in on your new team member regularly, even the “rockstar” new hire who seems to have it all together.

It’s important to make sure the period after the hiring process is as smooth as possible for your new team member. By doing this, they will feel more supported and comfortable with their new environment. Here are some tips to consider:

• Complete as many logical tasks BEFORE a new team member’s start date! This starts with a welcome email or phone call. Give them all the benefit information to look over. Any paperwork needed on day one needs to be given BEFORE day one! Can you send them the employee handbook to read? Set expectations for dress, parking, and day one lunch. This is also a good time to establish some rapport with their new manager/supervisor. Get their desk set up and ready, and let the new team member know the plan for their first day.
• Have a welcome plan for day one! Maybe this starts with a team huddle to introduce everyone to the new team member, complete with coffee and pastries. Take a tour of the office if you haven’t done so already. Be sure to fill the day.
• Go over firm expectations, procedures, and manuals. Now is the time to really sit down and go over the firm’s expectations for the role. You have already touched on this, I’m sure, in the hiring process, but now you must be able to sell it to your new team member. This is what we believe, this is how we help people, and these are our expectations…these conversations MUST be completed upfront.
• Use the check-in process. 30/60/90-day check-ins are CRUCIAL! Follow up with the new team member so you can really understand where they are in learning your firm’s way of doing things. This is also your chance to see where they need help and how you can support them. An unsupported new team member is much more likely to leave your firm quickly, thus negatively impacting your employee retention rate.