The onboarding season begins...
How are IT professionals affected when new colleagues are introduced?
Summer is over, and with it comes an exciting time for people in IT who are starting new roles at new companies, or who are returning from vacation. Autumn often begins with a period of onboarding, but this year it may be on a slightly more reasonable level than the past three to four years. The recession continues its steady pace – but onboarding is still in full swing in 2024!
Remember: it’s important to be a good colleague and offer support, but it’s perfectly okay not to say yes to 100% of the onboarding moments that you may be expected to offer on top of your 40 hour work week with all your goals and daily tasks.
Onboarding Programs: an important step or a bureaucratic HR process that takes time from staff?
Hiring new employees is a critical area for every organization – employees are still the most important resource, despite AI and accumulated data – and new employees require onboarding. But has it become just another HR step that tends to get played up, causing us to lose sight of the actual goals of onboarding?
Tips for handling the onboarding season: 4 out of 10 think onboarding new employees is a burden
While HR sees onboarding as a core process for integrating new staff, a particular group of stakeholders in the organization tends to be forgotten during onboarding: the existing employees. Introducing a new hire takes time, and by its very nature, onboarding often leads to a period of higher workload. To make the onboarding process as smooth as possible for both you and your new colleagues, it’s important to find balance between doing your job and helping others:
• Manage expectations with your own manager if too much is expected of you alongside training new staff
• Offer your help and expertise, but on your terms
• Lead new hires by setting clear goals – this saves you time in the long run
• Provide constructive feedback and encouragement to new team members
• Take care of yourself and manage your own workload
Onboarding season may require you to invest time, reprioritize your tasks, and participate in more meetings than usual to help your team get started. But while it may seem excessive at times, this effort does contributes to creating an inclusive and stimulating work environment. Team-building activities and social events give new hires the opportunity to quickly feel at home and build strong relationships.
3 Types of onboarders – which one are you?
Generous Jenny – helps at any cost
Jenny always helps new colleagues no matter what, often at the expense of her own goals. Shee frequently sits beside them, offering large portions of method and process-related advice, which makes the first weeks much easier. It’s also common for Jenny to send a ”Hey, how are you?” messge over the internal comms platform, creating a sense of security and helping the new hire feel welcome.
Are you this type? Don’t forget to take care of yourself and work on setting boundaries.
Motivating Mike – Superficial & Extreme
Motivating Mike arrives at work a bit earlier to prepare a three-course breakfast and often bursts out a “Hiii, we’ve been waiting for you!” when they see you.
This is the type who ensures the new employee is integrated into the group and increases social security. After all, the most important thing is that people enjoy their work. You help the new employee become part of the team with this approach, making it easier to ask ”dumb” questions.
Distant Dani – not very pedagogical
What characterizes Dani is that they’ve been at peak performance for the past 4-5 years. As a rule, Dani is present at work but can suddenly disappear into the remote world just when the new hire starts, under the pretense of ”it’s a busy time.” The goal is the only thing that matters to them.
It’s not uncommon for Dani to email an entire article as part of an instruction, sometimes several pages long, which can make it hard for the new colleague to grasp the point.
Did you know...
… 70% of IT professionals prefer to work in a hybrid model, with two or more days a week from home, according to our data. Only 10% prefer to work on-site, full-time from the office, while the remaining 20% prefer working completely remotely.
It’s clear that the option to work from home is appreciated. The onboarding period may cause some friction when people are required to be at the office, and a temporary drop in productivity, but in the long run, it pays off with a faster and more efficient introduction.
Do you agree? Do you think differently?
Everyone is needed – no matter what type you are
A new employee has many needs: building trust within the group, understanding the goals, and learning the culture or processes are crucial and must be allowed to take time.
Remember to take care of yourself and speak up if you can’t keep up – HR or your immediate manager is ultimately responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly.
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