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Enjoy the 88th Podup with the best bits from Build with Leila Hormozi.
Onboarding is more than just a checklist. It’s a critical process that sets the tone for an employee’s journey with your company. Yet many business leaders undervalue this. Leila Hormozi shares tangible solutions to avoid common onboarding mistakes.
Don’t neglect your onboarding
Think about when you’re using new software for the first time. You don’t know what buttons to click, where to go, or who to talk to. You’re running blind. This is what happens for new employees. They can only express 1/4th of their capacity because they don’t know how to utilize the business and the people within it.
A lot of people say they don’t have the time to focus on employee onboarding. The reality is you don’t have time not to do it. It will cost you a lot of money to replace employees if you have high turnover. You can take the time now or pay the price later.
Leila Hormozi
Common onboarding mistakes
Leila learned from these mistakes:
Lack of pre-onboarding. Onboarding starts the moment someone signs the job offer. You need to communicate before they start and set expectations.
Lack of communication with the hiring manager. I now talk to people for 30 minutes twice a day for the first 2 weeks, then taper down from there.
Lack of structure. I now tell new hires why they’re doing what they’re doing. I let them know the expected outcome for every 1-on-1 or meeting.
Unclear expectations. I now set 30, 60, and 90 day goals and align this with the new hire to ensure they agree it’s reasonable. I ask executives to create these goals themselves.
Lack of a feedback loop. Onboarding is like getting married - if you talk about all the uncomfortable shit before you get married, you’ll have a good marriage. It’s important to give honest feedback straight away.
Leila Hormozi
The 5Cs of onboarding
This is what great looks like:
Compliance. You have to make sure they receive any compliance training and sign their employee agreement, NDA, employee handbook, etc.
Clarity. You need to make it clear what they need to do and what problems they are responsible for solving. This is the 30, 60, 90 day plan I referenced.
Culture. Who embodies your culture to the extend that they should form relationships with new hires? What do you want new hires to read?
Connection. Connect new hires with peers and facilitate cross departmental communication to give them a holistic perspective of the business.
Check back. Give them a good feedback loop, make sure you’re communicating clearly and often, and give and ask for feedback frequently.
Leila Hormozi
Why it matters
Perfecting the employee onboarding process is one of the highest leverage activities you can do. Clear expectation setting not only reduces uncertainty but also instills confidence and trust. This is vital, as confidence is the catalyst for action, and action drives results.
Regular face-to-face interactions with new team members allow you to quickly answer their questions and unblock constraints. By investing in thorough and thoughtful onboarding, you’ll set them up for success and see a step change in employee loyalty, productivity, and overall satisfaction.
Next steps
Your onboarding process should not be a one-size-fits-all approach. Tailor it to each new hire to ensure they’re given the tools and knowledge to succeed from day one. Here are a few steps to get started:
Kick-start the process early. Send an email outlining what to expect in the coming weeks, including a detailed timeline and any preliminary tasks they need to complete i.e. setting up logins.
Over-communicate. Establish rapport by communicating frequently. Help them achieve quick wins and rapidly assimilate to your company culture.
Provide context. Explain the why behind every aspect of their onboarding, then reinforce these points in the coming weeks and months.
Encourage interactive learning. Ask new hires to take notes and present back their understanding of the material. This is much more effective than passively listening or reading.
Establish clear goals. Set clear 30, 60, and 90-day goals and hold regular check-ins to monitor progress. This provides an opportunity to adjust and provide additional support as needed.
Your thoughts?
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