Making great first impressions makes great impressions on your bottom line!

1. So…What
Does It Mean
To Work Here?
Bruce Baker
January 09

2. Doing It Right The First Time!

3. Today’s Agenda
A. Economics – Yesterday vs. Today
B. The First Impression…A Powerful
Strategy
C. Creating an Orientation & Integration
Strategy

4. A.

5. Economic Transition
Yesterday Today
• Buyers market • Seller‘s market
• Revolutionary age • ‗Information‘ age…
• Anticipated rate/level of ‗overload‘ age?
change • Fast pace
• Manageable competition for • Cutthroat competition for
product market share Knowledge/skill – Human
• Productivity/Employee Capital share
retention…an expected • Productivity/Employee
norm retention…a critical
element of survival!

6. Traditional HR Mandate…No
Complexity!
HR’s Mandate
Effective
Integration
1. Recruit
3. Retain 1. Recruit
2. Develop
Integration
Integration
Effective
Effective
3. Retain
2. Develop

7. Innovative Strategy in
Winning the War for Talent
Good Start Sustained Success
• ―Keep up with Joneses‖ – • No matter how much we
The quest to find and retain match trends, focus must be
talent…match industry placed on unique
trends business/employee
qualities/values

8. So What Is Required?
• Stop and realize…the intangibles of the past (i.e. human capital) have now
evolved to critical tangibles of the present…human capital.
• Do not only focus on how we attract…start to focus on how we
retain…relative to our own unique environments
If our competitive advantage (Public/Private; Profit/Not for profit) why on average do
companies only spend 7% on their orientation programs – 2000 ASTD study
• Our overly fast pace environment demands that we innovate in order to
survive…our means to survive is to move quickly…but move effectively!
• We must leverage employees ASAP – they are able to quickly contribute
but are in a position to be retained

9. Bottom Line…
• We have 1 chance to make sure we keep ‗em!
• So why do ‗they‘…our critical key advantage…continue to
leave early?
Drivers of Early Employee Departure
• Do not understand company strategy
• Lack of affiliation with the organization’s core business
• Do not understand their role in the company
• Feel that they are/won’t contribute to something useful
• Feel like the company does not care about their needs
• Perceive a lack of coaching, counseling and support
• Do not see opportunities for advancement and higher earnings
• Drive the ‗Drivers‘ out with a simplistic but powerful first
impression!

10. B.

11. Sound familiar?
Very complicated notion! (note the
sarcasm…)
“During the first day on the job, the new
employee seeks confirmation that joining the
company was the right decision”.
Remember…First impressions, after all, are
often lasting ones!

12. What’s The Recipe?
DAY 1
Productivity

13. Stage One

14. Two Different Scenarios –
First Scenario – One-Way
• Employee proves him/herself to be worthy of the
job/organization
– Result: Employee hangs around…organization is happy
• Organization does little to integrate new employee
– Result: Employee has weak job/organizational impression
• Little ‗engagement‘
• Little ―discretionary effort‖

15. Two Different Scenarios
Second Scenario – Two-Way
• Employee proves him/herself to be worthy of the
job/organization
– Result: Employee hangs around…organization is happy
• Organization creates detailed employee integration strategy
– Result: Employee has a well defined and integrated impression…
• Highly engaged from day one…
• Increased discretionary effort moving forward!

16. Integration Activities impact
on Discretionary Effort
Onboarding Activities Changes in Discretionary
Effort
Clearly Explaining Job Importance 23.4%
Teaching About Organizational Vision and Strategy 21.9%
Teaching About Group/Division 21.5%
Clearly Explaining Performance Objectives 20.9%
Clearly Explaining Job Responsibilities 20.3%
Introducing New Hires to Other New Employees 19.2%
Providing Work Immediately 18.8%
Providing Necessary Tools and Resources 17.9%

17. What’s The Recipe?
DAY 1
?

18. Stage 2

19. Employee Commitment
Commitment Components
• Rational commitment
Forms when employees believe they will personally benefit—financially,
developmentally, or professionally
• Emotional commitment
Commitment is commitment of the ―heart.‖

20. C
le
ar
C ly
le E
Changes in Intent to Stay
ar xp
ly la
E in
xp s
la Jo
in b
35.00%
s
30.00%
25.00%
Im 20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Pe po
rfo rta
rm nc
Te Te an e
ac ac ce
he he O 32.40%
s s bj
ec
ab ab
ou ou tiv
tO tG es
rg ro
Intent To Stay?
Pr an up 31.90%
ov iz /D
id at
io iv
es na isi
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lV
In ce is
tro ss io 31.80%
du ar n
ce y an
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to
ol d
ot s . ..
he an
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31.70%
hi ur
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le s s
ar to
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la m
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...
Jo
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Max Impact of Areas of Onboarding Focus on Intent to Stay
es
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ov ns
id ib
es il it
W ie
s
or
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Im 28.60%
m
ed
ia
te
ly
24.80%

21. Commitment Wheel
A
Effective
Increased Performance/
Integration
Productivity
Foundation
E B
Commitment Wheel
Rational Emotional
Commitment Commitment
D Increased C
Intent
to Stay

22. What’s The Recipe?
DAY 1
?

23. Stage 3

24. The Critical First 90-Day
Impression!
• Your first 90-day actions will determine your success or failure…
• Your new hire is able to move on if necessary…can your
organization afford to?
• A time of acute vulnerability and high stakes for the organization
• If you fail to build momentum, your uphill battle become that much
more challenging and costly
• Remember: The overriding goal in a transition period is to build
momentum by creating virtuous cycles that build
credibility…avoiding vicious cycles of credibility damage

25. Bad Credibility : Resources Good Credibility: Resources
Consumed with no Momentum Consumed and momentum is
allowed to be reached
Momentum Reached
+ +
Value Creation
Value Creation
1st day 30th day 60th day 90st day 1st day 30th day 60th day 90st day
0 0
Weeks after entry Weeks after entry
_ _
• Low-level integration: • Initial emphasis ensures
– Reduced engagement levels momentum will be reached
– Reduced • Once the pendulum starts to swing
productivity/discretionary effort foundation is created for:
– Ongoing employee engagement;
– Organizational risk increases productivity/
discretionary effort
– Risk reduced

26. What’s The Recipe?
DAY 1
Productivity

27. C.
1. Introduction
2. Definition of Integration and Orientation
3. Process Mechanics
4. ROI

28. Introduction
Thoughts:
– How fast do you expect your employees to become productive?
– At what point does your organization need new employees to be
productive
Recent survey conducted in the UK found that 4% of new hires had such
a disastrous first day that they never went back.
- Reed Executive

29. Integration/Onboarding – A
Foundation
• Educational Tools
– Communicating consistent and accurate messaging…prevents
misunderstanding
– Expectations/support: regular 1:1 sessions with the manager
• Psychological Tools
– Eases anxiety of being the ‗new kid‘…
• Social Tools
– ―Fitting in‖…we are social creatures at the end of the day…who
wants to spend the first week with complete strangers?

30. Three Tiered Approach
1. Pre-integration
– Making connections with the employee prior to arrival
2. Orientation
– Orientation is one part of the greater Onboarding process.
– Focus on Employee education – Company and Job
– Typically is done within the first few days
3. Integration/Onboarding
– A process and strategy that starts with the first potential new hire
contact
– Typically lasts for 3 months to 1 year in duration
– Critical strategy to build employee ‗engagement‘ and ‗commitment‘
– The one chance to create a foundation for sustained employee
productivity and effective ROI

31. Buying In…Key Stakeholders
It‘s all of Our program, but the front-lines live it
day-in and day-out!

32. Process Mechanics
Pre-Integration
Stage one – Pre-offer period
• The initial stages of the integration program
• The initial formation of first impressions is
critical!
• A one-chance event to create an
impactful/realistic view

33. Process Mechanics
Pre-Integration
Stage Two – ―Extending the Offer‖
• Detailed explanation of the offer and company
relative to the new hire‘s specific role
• Introduction to the working environment and
team

34. Process Mechanics
Orientation
Stage Three – ―The first day‖
• Get the ship sailing while the winds are high!
– Take advantage of ―new employee enthusiasm‖
– Make him/her feel welcomed – Lunch
– Buddy program
• Introduction to the working environment and team
• Small chunks at a time – Do not cram too much at one time

35. Process Mechanics
Orientation
Stage Four – Orientation – ―The second day‖
• Give them the lay of the land – not just their department, and the washrooms…
• A time to educate about the company, it‘s culture and key expectations
• Key elements of the job
• Solidify the organizational vision, goals and objectives e.g. client service; Career
development

36. Process Mechanics
Onboarding
Stage Five – ―Post Orientation‖
• Integration/onboarding process is well on it‘s way
• The key at this stage is sustaining the momentum:
– Pay close attention to the employee to ensure ongoing care and a
sense of security
– Ensure close relationships are being built
• Direct manager
• Skip-level manager
• Team members

37. Process Mechanics
Onboarding
Stage 5 – ―Post Orientation‖
• Actively demonstrate your commitment to the new hire
– Regular 1:1‘s at least 1-2 a week
– Impress upon the new hire the department‘s expectations & when
certain performance levels are expected
– Support the ―new hire buddy‖ for ongoing new hire integration
– Start to emphasize the importance of new hire‘s career goals
• Extend this stage between 3-12 months
– Other than the first 3 months, an on-going culture of enhancing
employee development will sustain employee engagement and
commitment
– Establish structures to sustain the culture produced

38. Return On Investment
How do you measure the ROI?
• Cost avoidance
• Cost Reduction
• Increased revenues (If applicable)

39. Avoiding Direct/Indirect Costs
• Time spent by recruiters
• Time spent by managers
• Time spent by trainers
• Potential travel costs

40. Streamlining to Increase
Productivity
• Continue to increase effectiveness of process –
Evaluate Re-evaluate
• Accelerate employee‘s learning curve
• Reduce amount of days to make the employee
productive…sustaining productivity and subsequent
discretionary effort

41. ROI Example
• Typical amount of days to reach
acceptable productivity 120
• Less ―revised‖ number of days to
reach acceptable productivity –105
• Productivity days saved/productivity 15
improved
• 1 day average cost per employee
(Based on 40K / Yr) $150
• Multiplied by # days saved
15
$2,250
• Assumed onboarding cost – $1,000
$1,250
ROI = 125%

42. Practical Suggestions
• Suggestion 1
– Onboarding/Orientation starts well before the first day…ensure
communication when the offer is in hand
• Suggestion 2
– Don‘t cram it all into one day…by inundating you ‗newbie‘ won‘t allow
for a warm welcome
• Suggestion 3
– Get the applicable managers in front of the newbie for the first 20-30
mins and get the introductions done
• Suggestion 4
– Take him or/her out for lunch to create a warm welcome…don‘t
overdo it by creating false impressions!

43. Practical Suggestions
• Suggestion 5
– Do not design your sessions to be long rambling lectures…ensure
interactive learning modules
• Suggestion 6
– Most managers complain of no time to train…establish a ‗buddy
program‘ to provide an extension of the manager to get this done
• Suggestion 7
– Solicit feedback from new hires and their managers to evaluate your
program
• Suggestion 8
– Design your program with your Line management team…it is their
program after all!

45. References Cited
• Cadwell, Charles M. ―New Employee Orientation: A Practical Guide For Supervisors‖ (1988)
• Watkins, Michael D. ―Help Newly Hired Executives Adapt Quickly‖. Harvard Business
Research (2007)
• Erickson, Tamara J. & Gratton, Lynda. ―What it means to work here‖. Harvard Business
Research (2007)
• Corporate Leadership Council (2004), ―New Hire Onboarding activities‖
• Corporate Leadership Council (2004), ―Coordinating New Hire Onboarding‖
• Corporate Leadership Council (2008), ―Developing a Business Unit Level Orientation Program‖
• Corporate Leadership Council (2008), ―Maximum Impact of Onboarding Levers on
Discretionary Effort‖
• Dr. Sullivan, John. ―Dr. John Sullivan‘s Onboarding Activities for New Hires‖ (2008)
• Corporate Leadership Council (2003), ―Models and Methodologies for On-Boarding Programs‖
• Corporate Leadership Council (2001), ―Southwest Airlines‘ Employee Orientation Program‖
• Moretti, Michael. ―Best Practices in Onboarding and Employee Orientation‖. HR.com (2006)