Managing the process of bringing new team members up to speed isn't easy, but it's important to do well. Here are a few principles that have worked well for me.
Create a basic checklist.
We know that checklists are often an effective way to make sure that steps are not being skipped and that we don't miss something. Don't take it from me, take it from Atul Gawande, award-winning author and Harvard-trained physician. He wrote a book called The Checklist Manifesto that sings the praises of this simple, classic way to make sure that we're doing everything we are supposed to be doing in a certain situation.
I didn't start using a 'new hire checklist' until the fourth new hire that I worked with closely in my current position was slated to start… right as I was taking two weeks off for a vacation that would be taking me north of the Arctic Circle, and totally off the grid.
I knew that I needed to make sure that this new team member got all of the information they needed to be successful in their position, and that the best way for me to do this was to crowd-source a list of all of things that different members of my office needed them to do. I asked my co-workers, my supervisor, and the other people who we had hired recently the following questions:
- What were the first five things you did on this job?
- What is one thing that you wish we had explained sooner?
- Is there one piece of paperwork, or HR-related hurdle, that is going to hold him up from getting started on a project? If so, what is it?
Then I took all of the answers that I had collected and cleaned them up to produce a checklist. I organized in chronologically, "Do step A before you can do B, etc." I have folks review it again to see if the list we had compiled jogged their memories of additional things that we should add to the list.
Make all the introductions… Twice.
Our office is not a big one; we have under 15 full and part time staff members. Since it's small, we don't have anything that might help someone puts names to faces, like an internal ID system, etc. It is just big enough, though, that there are quite a few names for people to memorize off the bat. This is not necessary stress, so do your best to eliminate it.
Make it a point to walk the new person through the office and introduce them to your team. Make it clear to your current team members that they should pop in and say "hi" to the new hire in a bit, once they've had some time to settle in. Put the onus on your veteran staff to introduce themselves again, when it's more likely to stick. Encourage them to link this second introduction to a component of the work that they'll be doing with the new hire.
You might also consider keeping a copy of your Org Chart with pictures of your team on it, and putting it in your 'new hire packets'. This allows new folks to play the matching game later, when they're panicking, thinking, "Oh, no. I know they introduced me to the HR person and mentioned they could help with me direct deposit issues, but I cannot remember their name.." Set them up for success!
Manage your time well.
People who are new to the office need more of their supervisor's, and co-workers', time. Make sure that you've got a plan in place to give them that face time, without derailing the office balance that you've worked so hard to build. Chances are that you've got a rhythm in the office that dictates what things are email-worthy, which are a quick IM, and the types of things that require a meeting. These things are a huge part of your office's culture; they tell outsiders and newcomers a lot about communication styles and team priorities.
Make sure that you figure out how you are going to adjust these norms for the new person who is joining the team. I find that temporarily freeing up additional time for one-on-one meetings is an effective way for me to give new folks the space they need to ask questions and think out loud as they piece it all together. However, it's necessary for me to have this be scheduled time. This is not to say that new hires in my office don't know that my door is always open.
I simply encourage them to store up some of the bigger questions for our scheduled meeting times. The framework that I use for this is, "Is the question I have preventing me from moving forward on a time sensitive project?" If yes, then they should talk to a co-worker, or to me – no need to wait. If not, I encourage them to wait it out, or use email/Skype messenger to ask me or a co-worker if there is a place they can go to read about the topic or questions. This process protects the time that I need to continue doing the work that needs doing. I personally struggle to maintain my focus when there are constant interruptions, so I knew I needed a better solution than, "Just pop your head in my office if you have any questions!" My sanity demanded it.
One major benefit that I wasn't quite expecting? It turns out that having the chance to explore these bigger, or more complex questions about the mission and day-to-day workings of our team makes these meetings as rewarding for me as they are for our new team member. I am careful to make sure that we have more time for this when they are first hired, and allow them to dictate the pace at which these meetings slow down. I've been very fortunate that no one has abused my willingness to have these meetings. In fact, they have quickly become one of my favorite parts of on-boarding new team members.
What it's worth.
Following these steps is not always perfect; it isn't foolproof. There are folks that you'll have to remind of the basic office policies and procedures a few more times than you had hoped. There will be times when you realize that you left something that is mission-critical off of your checklist. Someone may schedule a two week trip to the Arctic circle.
Bringing a team member up to speed in a way that invites them to be a part of the process is not easy, and rarely perfect, but following these guidelines will help you keep your sanity, and (perhaps more importantly) make your new team member feel welcome. No one likes to feel like a burden, and most folks like being trusted to get going. So give them some independence, but let them know you're there to help.
What are some of the things that you and your organization do to support new team members?
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