Archive for Team building

Onboarding New Hires in a Hybrid Work Environment

A positive onboarding experience is and always has been key to the success (and retention!) of new hires. Yet a 2019 Gallup poll found that “after experiencing onboarding at their organization, only 29% of new hires say that they feel fully prepared and supported to excel in their new role.” And that was before a global pandemic, a mostly remote workforce, and The Great Resignation.

Effective onboarding is now more important than ever. Many of the employees hired over the past two years have not met their teammates in person, or walked down the corporate hallways, or chatted with a fellow employee at the coffee station.

So, how do you convey the company culture and create team connections in a hybrid work environment?

Here are some tips.

Provide all new hires with a company Orientation that includes information about the company history, mission, vision, goals, and objectives. Talk about the culture and give examples of how it’s demonstrated internally and externally. Consider having (positive) long-time employees share their experiences relative to the culture. Be sure to allow time for introductions, interactions and questions.

Promote connections. Create opportunities for new hires to connect one-on-one with other team members – via Zoom, or, if practical, via scheduled in person meetings.

Add a personal touch. Millennials and Gen Z new hires in particular expect a high touch onboarding experience.  One way to do this is to assign a “buddy” or mentor to help the new hire get oriented to the new company. This is especially important for summer interns/college students who are being onboarded remotely.  They need an assigned 1:1 person who is not their manager to help them learn the ropes and to be available to answer questions. 

Communicate. Before the new hire’s first day be sure that they have the equipment they need and that their email is set up and working. Send out an announcement to the rest of the team with the new hire’s name, role and a brief bio. Designate a team member(s) to send the new hire a “welcome” message on or before their first day. Be sure the new hire is looped in to all company-wide communications.

Consistently demonstrate the culture. Culture is more than just perks. It’s how leadership and employees demonstrate company values, how they treat one another, how they treat customers, vendors, etc.

Involve the new hire’s leader.  The new hire’s leader plays a key role in acclimating them to the organization. According to Microsoft research, when managers played an active role in their new hire’s onboarding, employees were 3.5 times more likely to say they were satisfied with their onboarding experience. They were also 1.2 times more likely to feel that they were contributing to their team’s success.

Remember, employee retention starts on Day 1.

Virtual Meeting Etiquette – Tips for Successful Connections

Video conferencing has become the new normal for team meetings. While virtual meetings offer many advantages – no commute, no need to dress up, a way to safely “see” team members – they do come with certain drawbacks. In fact, many people are finding themselves in more virtual meetings now than they were in in-person meetings in the past. “Zoom-fatigue” is a growing phenomenon.  And as a result, many participants have relaxed their meeting behaviors.

So, as a leader, how do you keep your team engaged and make these virtual meetings more successful?

Here are some tips.

Set the example. Be fully engaged as you lead the meeting and when others are speaking. Remember that your facial expressions are always visible to all participants. Be courteous and mindful of words and expressions that may be misinterpreted. In a virtual setting, you don’t have the opportunity to clarify your intent in the hallway after the meeting.

Keep meetings to a reasonable length. Try to keep meetings to 45 minutes or less. If a longer session is needed, break it up. Add a short stretch break or move participants into breakout rooms so they can engage in smaller groups. Start and end on time. Have an agenda. Strive to engage participants by asking for feedback, questions, ideas.

Allow time for personal connections. Start with a “check in” or brief icebreaker. Many are feeling a sense of isolation during this challenging time. Watch for signs that a team member might be struggling and make a point of reaching out to them individually after the meeting. Also, encourage team members to connect individually outside of the full team meetings.

Be present and be positive. Remember to praise in public and criticize in private.

Vary the medium. Consider having every other meeting via teleconference instead of video conference. Or have a safe, socially-distanced group meeting outside.

Communication is key. Working remotely, team members may not feel as plugged in to what’s happening in the organization, with their other team members, or on a team project. As a result, they may disengage. Be as transparent as possible and give them the opportunity to ask questions and discuss their concerns or fears.

Promote balance. Studies indicate that productivity has increased with employees working at home. The downside of this is that it could lead to burnout. Give your team members periodic reminders that they should create a boundary between work and home life for their mental and physical health. Share how you do it to set the example.

Need support in leading during these challenging times? Contact me at michelle@connecttohr.com to learn about our Executive Coaching services.

Creating a Culture of Giving and Kindness

This is the time of year when many organizations and their employees open their checkbooks and contribute their time to help those in need. There are multiple opportunities to volunteer and streamlined processes to donate during this traditional season of giving.

But here’s the thing: Need isn’t seasonal. It’s an equal opportunity to give, all 12 months of the year.

I’d like to suggest that instead of focusing all your organizational and employee giving efforts just in the months of November and December, you instead create a culture of giving all year round.

How do you do that?  Here are some ideas.

  • At the beginning of the year, select a charity to support through donations and/or volunteering for the year; encourage employees to make individual donations to the charity selected
  • Ask employees to recommend charities to support and then select a different one each month or quarter to contribute to
  • Set a company fundraising goal for a particular cause and ask employees to help you reach it
  • Match employee individual donations
  • Give employees a set number of hours per year that they can use to volunteer
  • Have a team competition to see who can raise the most money for a cause or charity

Many people make their buying decisions and their job decisions based on a company’s reputation for giving back. This means that in addition to a giving culture helping those in need, it also provides many intrinsic benefits for your company and your employees.

  • Consumers want to buy from you
  • Job candidates want to work for you
  • Employees feel good working for a company that cares

Another thing about a giving culture is that giving is usually a demonstration of kindness. And it’s clear that in our current divided and often mean environment we can all use a lot more kindness. To those in need and among ourselves.

Leaders, it starts with you.  Set the example by treating your individual employees, your team, your customers, your vendors, your job candidates, everyone, for that matter, with kindness. Lead with the question, “How can I help you?” instead of “How will this transaction help me?” Encourage employees to be proactive in helping each other and recognize those who consistently demonstrate that spirit.

Just think about it. Giving and kindness within the organization and giving and kindness to others. What a wonderful world it would be.

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