Takeaways
- Keep the onboarding process loose by adding guardrails to ensure the right direction without being too strict.
- Monitor the first month of the employee’s work as a coaching session to set the tone and understand what can be accomplished in that time.
- The first month should focus on learning about the product, company, and understanding the tasks before expecting the employee to create something new.
- Produce at least one tangible output. While the first month is primarily for learning, it is valuable to have the employee produce at least one output to measure their capabilities and see how they can contribute.
- Communicate your vision of excellence. Expectations should be communicated clearly, including the vision of excellence and the purpose of the team’s work.
- Give the employee freedom to bring new perspectives. Managers should empower employees and give them the freedom to bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to the table.
- The onboarding process should be well-planned, considering each step necessary for the employee to reach their full potential.
- Managers should tell the employee create a knowledge base or playbook to help employees document their learnings and contribute to the team’s collective knowledge.
- Managers should focus on building internal motivation within employees, tapping into their personal aspirations and goals to foster a sense of ownership and pride in their work.
In this episode, Elad and Ben delve into the topic of onboarding new team members, specifically focusing on the marketing and content creation team. They explore the importance of familiarizing new employees with the product before they take charge of creating content and directing strategies. The hosts share their own experiences and insights as managers, emphasizing the significance of creating a positive onboarding experience for the employee, as well as ensuring the company benefits from their work.
They discuss the need for a structured yet flexible onboarding process, where guardrails are set to guide the employee without stifling their creativity. The hosts highlight five key points for effective onboarding, with the first being the importance of monitoring the first month. They emphasize that the purpose of monitoring is not to prove the employee’s worth, but to create a boundary and evaluate their progress as a mini indication of their overall performance.
The hosts also stress the significance of regular meetings during onboarding, including one-on-one sessions and team alignment meetings. These meetings serve as opportunities for feedback, evaluation, and maintaining a sense of sanity and guidance throughout the onboarding process.
Expectations play a vital role in onboarding, and the hosts stress the need for managers to clearly convey their vision of excellence to new employees. They emphasize that onboarding is not just about increasing productivity, but also about building a relationship and creating an environment where new ideas and fresh perspectives are valued.
Additionally, the hosts discuss the importance of planning the onboarding process, drawing parallels to user onboarding in marketing. They suggest having a planned onboarding flow that extends beyond the first month and includes open-mindedness to new ideas and perspectives at different stages of the employee’s journey.
The episode concludes with the hosts emphasizing the value of giving new employees both specific tasks and open-ended projects. By providing opportunities for independent thinking and exploration, managers can foster a culture of independence and encourage employees to think outside the box.
Overall, this episode provides valuable insights and practical tips for effective onboarding, focusing on building a strong team and nurturing fresh ideas within the marketing and content creation realm.
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