Catfished?

Let’s start off on the right foot

“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning to sail my ship.”
—Louisa May Alcott

The skinny

Is your employee onboarding process a “hot mess” or showing you care?

♥

In the buff.

Today, July 9, is International Skinny Dip Day, in case you don’t have plans later. To celebrate, let’s talk about when employers can feel most exposed: Onboarding.

The big reveal.

After weeks, if not months, of researching and interviewing, new hires are finally clocking in at your organization for the first time. Will they be impressed? Excited? Or set off alarm bells?

Catfished?

A messy onboarding process is a clear indicator of organizational values—or lack thereof. It’s more than a first impression. Ultimately, this is when employees expect organizations to begin fulfilling the promises they heard during the recruiting process.

That’s a no brainer.

Onboarding is critical to retention rates, culture change, and engagement. Spending time to introduce frequent collaborators, clarify role expectations, and point out resources (even if you already did) go a long way in building a lasting employee-employer relationship.

Smile and dial.

While an email with expectations and login credentials beforehand is certainly sufficient, sometimes it’s good to go old school. Managers, have you ever reached out to a new hire pre-day one? This habit starts a two-way conversation and gets any pressing questions out of the way early.

Anyone there?

As new hires dig into completing trainings, learning processes, and attending regular meetings, it’s important to prioritize the human aspect, too. Learning thrives in social experiences. The onboarding journey is a must-take opportunity to build employee connection.

Date with Data: 20% of new hires leave their position within 45 days.

Further Reading: Prove to new employees that they made the right choice in joining your team.

The skinny

Be grateful for those moments that have humbled (or mortified) you.

♥

Like a sponge.

Soaking up knowledge is essential in the early days of any new job or promotion. Becoming a “learner” throughout your career and life can radically change outcomes. In today’s labor market, those who can adapt and deliver in-demand skillsets will snatch up job roles.

So little time.

If only we could learn anything and everything we wanted … personal development tops the list: self-management skills, like taking accountability and initiative.

Guilty as charged.

Taking accountability is essential for self-esteem, stress management, productivity, and overall life satisfaction. Owning up means acknowledging the facts and taking action accordingly. You know … learning from your mistakes.

Because it’s just that easy?

Nope. Growth can be painful for the ego. That’s why people (even you) get defensive, put their foot in their mouth, or might not say anything at all when they’ve crossed the line.

If at first you don’t succeed ...

No one is saying it is easy, but it’s time to break the cycle of our natural defense mechanisms, whether sarcasm or stonewalling. When it comes to success, learning to accept yourself is just as urgent as developing a new skill or time management technique.

Double Date: Orgs with strong learning cultures have engagement rates that are 30%-50% higher.

For you: What is a culture leader?