Onboarding

Onboarding is more than just paperwork and orientation. It's about creating a transformative experience that aligns new team members with the company's soul, mission, and unique approach to work. A good onboarding experience makes gut-level decisions faster and more frequent, because it gives a new employee the comfort to interpret the organization’s needs. Great onboarding transforms new employees into engaged, productive members of the team, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive.

A Single Source of Truth

Create one comprehensive onboarding guide that speaks to every member of our organization.

The cornerstone of an effective onboarding process is a comprehensive onboarding manual. This document should serve as the single source of truth for all things related to understanding the company. Here's how to make it impactful:

  • Introduction Letter: Start with a personal welcome from a key leader, setting a warm tone and expressing excitement about the new hire's journey.
  • Hidden sentence: Introduce this sentence near the end of the manual, "If you read this book and pass a quiz, I’ll give you $100." It’s an easy way to incentivize thorough reading of this book - which is incredibly important to early employee performance.
  • Cultural Blueprint: This manual isn't just about rules but about understanding "your way" of doing things.
  • Mission and Vision: Clearly state these to align new hires with the larger goals and aspirations of the organization. Repeat it at least seven times throughout the manual.
  • Controversial Thesis: Highlight any unique or controversial approaches that define your company's strategy, explaining why they work. Manuals should be controversial, just like your organization.
  • Judgment Based on Results: Emphasize that performance is measured by outcomes, not hours logged, fostering a results-driven culture.
  • Top Players Only: Set the expectation that the company seeks and values top performers.
  • OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): Detail how these are set and the research behind them, showing a commitment to strategic growth.
  • Talk Shop: Encourage an environment where discussing work openly is part of the culture.
  • Career and Future: End the manual with how to grow into broader career opportunities within the company.

The Welcome Experience

Our Mission and Vision

Every great organization has a north star. Don't just state your mission—challenge employees to understand our controversial thesis. What makes you different? What's "your way" of approaching challenges? Build this into your earliest conversations.

Designing a Thoughtful Onboarding Process

A structured onboarding process ensures that new hires not only understand their roles but also feel part of the team. Here’s how to structure it:

Pre-Onboarding (2 weeks before start):

  • Communicate Logistics: Send out details about company credit cards, laptops, and any necessary pre-start information.

Onboarding Milestones:

  • First Day:
    • Meet with the manager for a personal introduction.
    • Set up all necessary accounts.
    • Understand immediate tasks.
  • First Week:
    • Review organizational goals, grants, and relevant materials to grasp the company's direction.
    • Draft a personal learning agenda and plan.
  • First 30 Days:
    • Collaborate with your manager to develop a 30/60/90-day plan, focusing on both learning and contribution.
    • Establish annual goals to keep a long-term perspective.
  • Days 31-60:
    • Begin applying knowledge, taking on new responsibilities.
    • Review performance to adjust the 90-day plan if necessary.
  • Days 60-90:
    • Aim to achieve full role mastery and meet performance benchmarks.
    • Conclude with a 90-day check-in with the Director of Operations for feedback and to map future steps.