The power of good onboarding!
It’s an exciting time. You have just been offered a fantastic job. A new position, new relationships, and new opportunities await you! You put the phone down, big smile on your face. You call everyone to tell them your good news. It’s a great day!
The excitement dies down and you realise you have to resign and tell your wonderful colleagues that you are leaving. They are pleased for you but disappointed you are leaving and they have so many questions: What does the company do? What will you be doing in your role? What’s the company culture like? You realise very quickly that you may not know the answers to these questions.
This is where the power of good onboarding comes in. Talent professionals will know that onboarding doesn’t start at orientation or induction, it starts when the new employer has made an offer. After all, this is the time candidates are most excited and engaged and companies should use this opportunity to communicate essential information and surprise and delight their new hire.
So, I would like to share my recent onboarding experience with Aster Group. After attending my interview I was contacted soon after to be told that I was the preferred choice of candidate for their talent lead role and I was invited to attend an informal lunch/workshop so I could meet with other team members and get a feel for what the organisation is about.
They told me they wanted me on board but they wanted me to be sure that the organisation was for me. I couldn’t believe it! An employer that realised it wasn’t just about whether I was good enough for them but also whether the organisation was right for me.
I had a fabulous time at the lunch, stuffing my face and meeting the people I would be working with. I couldn’t believe how easy it was meeting everyone and how welcome I was made to feel. I already felt like I was a part of something special and I couldn’t wait to hear more. I was contacted within a few days and sent a job offer along with all the information I would need to plan for my start. I quickly completed my new starter paperwork and braced myself for the “resignation” conversation.
With a two month notice period I wasn’t going to be able to start with Aster for ages. I was so excited about the organisation, I knew two months would feel like a lifetime! I quickly had the opportunity to connect with many Aster colleagues through LinkedIn (the power of social media) and over the next few weeks I had communication with many people and was sent so many lovely messages about how excited the team was for me to start.
I had never been made to feel so special by a company! I even received a personalised box of chocolates at Christmas with a picture of the team together and a message saying how much they were looking forward to me joining.
The final weeks were long. I couldn’t wait to start. I’d been sent so much information about what was happening with the organisation, department and given details of the projects I would be working on. I already felt like I was there. My mind was so engaged and excited about my new role.
I couldn’t wait to start. I am finally here and it feels like I have always been here.
I cannot wait to make sure that everybody’s onboarding experience is as good as mine!
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