First and foremost, successful onboarding starts with cultivating trust and confidence in the organisation. As a self-professed perfectionist, I used to observe areas for improvement in the organisations I worked for. This often led me to mention these areas when introducing new hires to my team. Looking back, while well-intentioned, this approach may have inadvertently created an atmosphere of uncertainty for new team members.

I realised I wasn’t the only one who fell into this trap. An ex-colleague who recently moved to a new company told me she has been experiencing difficulty building connections and enthusiasm for her new organisation because of negative opinions about the team. Newcomers are easily affected by the words spoken around them. As they have limited information about the organisation and feel uncertain initially, their excitement about becoming part of the company can easily be diminished by a few minor negative opinions from current team members. Therefore, when interacting with new hires, existing members should demonstrate enthusiasm and confidence for the organisation and help them start positively and hopefully.

I’m not suggesting people mislead newcomers or paint an unrealistically rosy picture of the team’s future. Instead, they should maintain a cheerful, optimistic attitude. They should take pride in both their individual and team accomplishments. Sharing stories about the team’s achievements and goals can inspire newcomers to contribute ambitiously.

The next essential step is connecting newcomers with people with specific knowledge. New hires, particularly those from other industries, often need more relevant subject knowledge. This is where a mentor or manager typically comes in. Most mentors expertly describe the structure of services, the history of specific features, and the reasoning behind each decision. However, expecting them to cover every detail of complex operational procedures, database architecture, or industry-specific information is unreasonable.

I have personally experienced both approaches. In one instance, a mentor tried to articulate all the details based on her knowledge. Although I greatly appreciated her effort, I hesitated to keep asking for specifics, which obviously bothered her and sometimes needed more depth. Also, I wanted to know how to verify the information provided. It was even more difficult in a work-from-home setting.

In another case, when I asked my mentor about a specific topic, he directed me to business developers, database managers, and engineers and encouraged me to communicate directly with them. This approach allowed me to obtain more precise and richer background knowledge and helped me understand the organisation’s internal relationships and structure, thereby increasing my influence.

Therefore, in addition to sharing their knowledge, experienced team members should introduce newcomers to people within the organisation who can provide detailed explanations in their areas of expertise. This approach helps to address recurring enquiries and assists new hires in understanding the team’s relationships and structure, building influence, and feeling more integrated into the organisation.

Lastly, assign small but individual tasks or projects to new employees that allow them to achieve small successes. Managing these projects helps new hires feel responsible and autonomous, seeing that their managers and colleagues trust them. A successful project can impress the team and provide a strong start, while even an unsuccessful project offers valuable learning opportunities with minimal risk.

For instance, when I onboarded a fresh graduate product designer, I initially gave him the project of implementing our mobile-only feature on our web platform. At first, he found the task challenging; however, he soon learned how to manage it. Eventually, he successfully implemented the feature, which deepened his understanding of responsive design, ensured a consistent user experience, and facilitated connections with engineers. This experience boosted his confidence and allowed him to demonstrate his full potential within the team.

In contrast, I observed a colleague struggling with a collaborative project alongside her senior mentor. The mentor, with extensive industry knowledge and significant influence within the team due to years of experience at the company, unintentionally overshadowed her. Cross-functional colleagues double-checked many of her decisions with the mentor, gradually making her reluctant to voice her opinions.

Giving an individual task doesn’t necessarily mean leaving new hires unattended. Managers and team leaders must stay updated on project progress, offer assistance, and provide regular, direct feedback. While some individuals thrive in any circumstance, most perform best when they feel empowered. Therefore, create an environment that fosters this empowerment by assigning individual tasks that allow new hires to demonstrate their abilities and gain confidence independently.

In summary, the keys to successful onboarding are to foster a passion for the team with a positive vibe, cultivate broad relationships across teams, and enable new hires to experience small wins. Additionally, trust is crucial. Have faith in the decision-making abilities of new colleagues who have successfully passed through the hiring process, and demonstrate that trust openly. When people show appreciation and trust in new hires, they will trust the team, laying the foundation for a positive and productive work environment.