When it comes to onboarding team members, Alana Lim urges leaders to take a step back and view their programs from an alternative perspective.
“Put yourself in the new hires’ shoes and experience the process for yourself,” said Lim, who is a people operations manager at Narmi. “Do you feel overwhelmed? If it feels like too much for you, then it probably is too much for them.”
Joining a new company is exciting, but it can also be an intimidating and dizzying time marked by countless introductions, unfamiliar lingo and unknown processes. When done well, however, orientation programs are instrumental in imparting company values, defining role expectations and planting the seeds for strong relationships with colleagues and managers — all of which are fundamental in fostering an employee’s sense of belonging at an organization.
While it is always important that team members feel valued and connected, employees’ sense of belonging also affects companies’ bottom lines. According to The Harvard Business Review, high belonging was linked to a 56 percent increase in job performance and a 50 percent decrease in turnover.
Built In New York connected with leaders at Narmi, Zocdoc, Headway and four other companies to learn how they prevent information overload during the onboarding process and ensure that new hires feel like an essential member of the team from day one.
Zocdoc offers a healthcare marketplace that makes it easier to find and book in-person and virtual appointments.
How does Zocdoc welcome new hires?
We look at onboarding through the lens of the first 90 days, and this is a critical time in setting new hires up for success. We have several programs that help “Zocdoc’rs” begin to feel like part of our community.
Our newbies’ first week kicks off with an orientation led by our people operations team. We also have a tradition of sending a welcome email to newbies for their first day. I’ve been at Zocdoc for nine years, and I still remember immediately feeling welcomed and included. Our CEO also welcomes new hires at our weekly all-hands meetings.
Each new hire class has its own Slack channel, which creates a micro-onboarding community. Through this channel, we promote things like employee resource groups, events and our favorite benefits. We also help newbies meet other “Zocdoc’rs” through our coffee matching program. We’re also kicking off our “Newbie Buddy Program,” where we’ll match newbies with a more tenured “Zocdoc’r.” Finally, all newbies attend four sessions with various leaders, including our CEO, chief commercial officer, vice president of product and heads of sales.
How do these efforts build a firm foundation for new hires to succeed during the initial onboarding period and beyond?
New team members are eager and excited to learn about all things Zocdoc. Through our various programs, we help team members get their bearings and feel connected to our business, mission and community, and we largely see it working! Our overall onboarding score from new hires is 95 percent, with 92 percent saying they feel they belong at Zocdoc.
Beyond initial programming, we also provide resources for autonomous ad hoc learning through our internal website. We have a robust internal hub that acts as a knowledge base for the most pertinent information at Zocdoc. There are pages dedicated to our business strategy, links to our most used systems, how-tos for our most common processes and FAQs, access to previous all-hands meetings and, a fan-fave, “Zocipedia,” a comprehensive list of key Zocdoc terms and definitions.
Through our shadowing program, we build empathy and connection by giving people the opportunity to walk a mile in a team member’s shoes.”
After the initial onboarding and new hire period, how do you continue fostering a sense of belonging for team members?
As we grow and change, it’s even more important to build intentional programs and rituals to help “Zocdoc’rs” connect to our community; it’s something that I’m particularly focused on right now.
My advice in creating meaningful programs is to start with purpose. Understand what you’re trying to achieve and build from there. Creating intentional programs has the potential to make people feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves and that their work matters.
We have a few initiatives to help “Zocdoc’rs” feel connected to our community beyond onboarding. Our employee resource groups are a huge part of this. They’ve been incredibly successful in building micro-communities around shared identities or backgrounds. Our Zocdoc birthday is a week-long companywide celebration focused on helping team members connect with our mission: to give power to the patient.
Through our shadowing program, we build empathy and connection by giving people the opportunity to walk a mile in a team member’s shoes. To wrap the year, we have our annual Zocdoc Values Awards; it’s one part awards show, one part business review and one part variety show, with singing, dancing and roasting.
Through its mental health care platform, Headway provides a software-enabled network of therapists who accept insurance.
How does Headway welcome new hires?
We welcome everyone as quickly as possible. Our talent team encourages us to text new hires right away to welcome them to the team.
On day one of onboarding, new hires are all warmly welcomed by our fabulous trainers on the enablement team. Typically, on day two or day three, new hires join a meeting with their team leads to do a meet and greet. They also get to meet our customer experience management and join in our meeting that week, where they are all given the opportunity to introduce themselves. The whole customer experience team is wonderful about acknowledging each new hire during this meeting!
We recently brought on a large cohort to the customer experience team, and each week since they joined, we have done breakout rooms after our all-hands meeting to get to know everyone a bit more. Each breakout room has a different group of people to ensure that everyone has some face time with one another.
The customer experience team has a group called “Culture Crew,” and they recently launched a graduation party for all our hires to officially welcome them to the team; this is the post-training party. Our new hires are also invited to their individual teams’ Slack channels so they can start asking questions and building community as soon as possible.
How do these efforts build a firm foundation for new hires to succeed during the initial onboarding period and beyond?
Building culture and community as quickly as possible for new hires makes a huge difference in employees’ success. Headway ensures that each new employee truly feels valued and a part of the team. Headway does an excellent job at really celebrating each individual.
On the first day of orientation, new hires attend a meeting to discuss Headway’s cultural principles. New hires are typically asked to share a fun fact about themselves to everyone. Our CEO and other executive team members make it a point to interact with everyone, and they are great examples of how welcoming and inclusive our culture is at Headway.
It is important to understand everyone’s preferred communication style to really be able to connect with them and ensure they feel comfortable.”
After the initial onboarding and new hire period, how do you continue fostering a sense of belonging for team members?
It is important to continue fostering a sense of belonging for team members by engaging with them frequently via Zoom, Slack and in person, when possible. As a team lead, I have the unique opportunity to do check-ins with all my direct reports and build relationships with them. It is important to understand everyone’s preferred communication style to really be able to connect with them and ensure they feel comfortable.
Our customer experience culture crew plans quarterly events for our teams to bond and have fun together outside of working hours. Headway also has virtual Donuts, during which you can choose to meet with someone in a different department. This provides a chance for employees to connect with team members that they might not otherwise get to work with.
Bilt Rewards offers a program that allows people to earn points for paying their rent, which they can then redeem for perks or dedicate toward a future down payment on a home.
How does Bilt Rewards welcome new hires?
The day that I accepted the offer to join Bilt’s product team, I received an email from Chris, our head of product, with a picture of the entire team holding a sign that read "Welcome, Ax!" This gesture immediately put a huge smile on my face, and I knew that I was joining a special company.
My first few weeks were very smooth, and everyone was welcoming. Going into the office daily and chatting with people was a huge help in understanding the product, culture and how things are done.
Going into the office daily and chatting with people was a huge help in understanding the product, culture and how things are done.”
As a new hire, how did you benefit from these efforts?
Being in close proximity to everyone on different teams was very helpful in hitting the ground running. My past experiences with onboarding at large corporations involved endless tutorial videos and pages upon pages of wikis. In contrast, being able to interact with and have direct access to the owners of different parts of the company in person significantly reduced the typical onboarding process slog.
Based on your experiences, what do you recommend leaders at other companies do to make new hires feel a sense of belonging?
Adding a personal touch can go a long way. When I joined Bilt, my team not only sent me a welcoming picture but also gave me a handwritten welcome card. Even my welcome keynote deck had a picture of the Bilt card with my name on it. In contrast, when I joined larger corporations, the only thing that had my name was my ID badge.
Cockroach Labs is a software company that created the cloud-native, distributed SQL database called CockroachDB.
How does Cockroach Labs welcome new hires?
Cockroach Labs is a polarizing company name and one that I am permanently banned from mentioning at home, due to the shivers of unease it causes in my family; but the company leans into the name.
New hires at Cockroach Labs, called “Roachers,” join a “MOLTing” — or “month of learning things” group — to learn about the company, product and departments. Just as roaches shed their exoskeletons to develop, we too bring our skills, experiences and goals to Cockroach Labs and molt our previous professional skin to evolve into new, improved versions of ourselves.
Cockroach Labs works hard to allow new hires the time to settle into their new skins and learn to navigate the ecosystem. We are paired with a supporting “Roachmate” and receive a personalized welcome document introducing the team, people to connect with and several starter projects to focus on during the first 90 days. Many initial calls are set up ahead of time, so the pressure to reach out is reduced for us introverts.
We also welcome new “Roachers” in our fortnightly all-hands meeting, led by our CEO. New hires are asked to introduce themselves and share some hobbies and interests with the entire company to break the ice early and open lines of discussions that aren’t solely based on work.
Cockroach Labs works hard to allow new hires the time to settle into their new skins and learn to navigate the ecosystem.”
How do these efforts build a firm foundation for new hires to succeed during the initial onboarding period and beyond?
Speaking as a hiring manager who was also hired within the year, the company has a heavy focus on balance, and the onboarding process enables this. Giving people time to adjust to a new company when the information firehose is firmly turned on is important in avoiding overwhelm and burnout before they’ve even had a chance to acclimate to the company.
The historically heavy focus on engineering at Cockroach Labs has created a document-rich environment, where much communication is done asynchronously and meetings often start with quiet time to read or leave comments on any materials central to the topic. This asynchronous approach allows more introverted folks to get a feel for the discussion culture, which can at times devolve into bikeshedding or analysis paralysis if not controlled actively, and to dip their toes where they feel most comfortable.
Cockroach Labs considers all employees to be high performers and actively works to place people where they can add the most value, allowing them to achieve the mystical multiplier effect that is the nirvana of many companies — especially small, nimble ones that are attempting to multiply in many directions, much like cockroaches seem to do.
What tips do you have for other leaders looking to foster a sense of belonging for new hires?
Slow down. Let new employees learn and bond. New employees bring an opportunity to look at everything with fresh eyes. The idea of injecting new blood is far from new, but it is often overlooked in the need to drive productivity. A larger team won’t mean an immediate increase in team productivity; teams may need to slow down to onboard new members and adjust the team dynamics. Time for relationship development is critical for longer-term sustainability.
Many of us join a company having just left another with little to no downtime in between. If someone left a company due to burnout or a toxic work environment, it may mean they are not at their best on day one. A new job revives an excitement that many people lost, but the newness wears off while the lasting effects of previous detrimental experiences can take longer to shed.
Above all, treat people humanely. Listen to them, appreciate them and never take them for granted.
Narmi helps financial institutions unlock digital banking.
How does Narmi welcome new hires?
Our goal is to delight and excite each new hire as they approach their start date. New hires can expect quite a few fun and functional packages to arrive at their doorsteps. Outside of the obligatory tech items, they receive a welcome gift of their choosing from our a la carte menu and a swag kit with all of the standard-issue Narmi gear; our employees rave about our crewneck sweaters!
On day one, intros to the company and new hire fun facts are posted by hiring managers in our #general Slack channel. You’ll usually find a thread with employees discussing shared interests and hobbies and recommending channels to join, such as #green-thumb for our plant lovers or #supper-club for our foodies, to name a few.
We always reserve time during company all-hands meetings for new hires to introduce themselves and share a bit more about who they are. Throughout the first week, new hires immerse themselves in Narmi’s orientation program, learning everything they need to know to get up and running and build necessary relationships along the way.
How do these efforts build a firm foundation for new hires to succeed during the initial onboarding period and beyond?
Outside of the standard frills and thrills, we’ve standardized our orientation process to ensure that every new employee, regardless of their role, team or level, gets to experience and immerse themselves in the program. After these sessions, they’ll come away with stronger industry knowledge, product knowledge — no, “BAO” is not just a delicious steam bun — and a better understanding of the “why” behind Narmi.
We focus not only on building a sense of belonging but also a sense of purpose. Our goal is for every new hire to understand why their role exists, how their work ties into the business and how they contribute in moving the company forward. We believe that employees feeling connected to the business and having strong working relationships with their peers drives long-term employee retention and success.
It also doesn’t hurt that we have a very active social calendar, so new hires have a lot of opportunities to bond and build relationships outside of work. Recently, in celebration of Earth Day, The Sill led a plant potting class in our NoMad office.
Our goal is for every new hire to understand why their role exists, how their work ties into the business and how they contribute in moving the company forward.”
What tips do you have for other leaders looking to foster a sense of belonging for new hires?
Put yourself in the new hires’ shoes and experience the process for yourself. Do you feel overwhelmed? If it feels like too much for you, then it probably is too much for them.
For hiring managers, look at the peer introductions you set up for your new hires and prepare them with a loose agenda to give the conversations some structure and flexibility. No one wants to hear “I don’t know what I’m supposed to discuss with you.” Encourage your hiring managers to organize a virtual or in-person lunch or dinner to welcome the newest member of their team. If your company is able to subsidize the cost a little, that’s even better!
To truly build a sense of belonging, your process needs to eliminate any chance that your new hires will feel othered. It may be tempting to include all the bells and whistles, but be intentional with your approach when building your onboarding and orientation process. Focus on providing the information that will help your new hire get up to speed on your company and what they need to accomplish in their role. Provide opportunities for organic relationship building both among team members and across the company.
Investment firm Hivemind specializes in blockchain technologies, cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.
How does Hivemind welcome new hires?
Utilizing a mixture of in-person and virtual meetings and self-guided learning, the Hivemind onboarding process ensures that new hires feel supported as they acclimate to their roles. Some of the onboarding elements include: the first day prep, warm welcome, onboarding buddy, one-on-one meetings and 30-, 60-, 90-day plans.
Even before stepping foot in the office, new employees receive a packet of everything needed for their first day and find that the team is readily available to answer their questions. The first day schedule is packed with special treats — including a branded merch gift package, guided office tour and company-sponsored lunch — that make employees feel immediately welcome and part of the team.
The onboarding buddy is a great resource for any and all questions that new hires have as they continue getting acclimated. This program helps employees feel like someone is always looking out for them. One-on-one meetings with each team member helps new employees begin building relationships and learning more about the company. Finally, the 30-, 60- and 90-day plans mean that new hires have time set aside to review goals and expectations with their managers to ensure alignment.
How do these efforts build a firm foundation for new hires to succeed during the initial onboarding period and beyond?
Starting a new job can be intimidating and nerve-wracking. Especially in a startup environment, it can feel overwhelming jumping right in and tackling everything all at once. The onboarding program helps ease those nerves by fostering a culture of open dialogue.
Many of the elements in the onboarding process incorporate getting to know teammates, asking questions and learning about the business. Starting this early sets a precedent to continue having those conversations and building those relationships. This also leads to transparency around expectations for the role and how an employee can achieve success.
Employees are empowered to take ownership of their role while also understanding that they will be supported by their colleagues.
A lot of new information is thrown at new hires, so it is important to make them feel like they can ask colleagues for help and support.”
What tips do you have for other leaders looking to foster a sense of belonging for new hires?
More than anything, it’s about actively engaging with new hires and making it clear that managers welcome questions and are open to chatting. A lot of new information is thrown at new hires, so it is important to make them feel like they can ask colleagues for help and support.
Beyond that, be transparent about what success looks like and provide a space for open dialogue about how to make that happen.
Through its marketing and commerce platform, BentoBox helps restaurants deliver positive hospitality experiences.
How does BentoBox welcome new hires?
At BentoBox, onboarding starts before a new hire’s first day. Our people operations team starts building meaningful connections with new hires about two weeks prior to their start dates. We re-introduce new hires to their managers, share the orientation schedule far in advance so they know what to expect on the first day, pair them up with local buddies and, of course, ship out some swag so they feel like part of the team right away.
Since we are a distributed team, we leverage a Slack plug-in called Donut to facilitate randomized cross-team interactions, aid in the onboarding process and create low-pressure opportunities for new hires to connect with employees on their terms. Our team is very active on Slack, so we make it a point to invite new hires to special interest channels. Plus, everyone gets an invite to #bentobarks, because who doesn’t want to see puppies on their first day at a new job?
How do these efforts build a firm foundation for new hires to succeed during the initial onboarding period and beyond?
A new hire’s first day, week and month are crucial to their overall success at BentoBox — or any company, for that matter. Starting on day one, new hires are introduced to our mission and vision, annual goals, customer lifecycle and more.
Of course, it’s important to help new hires assimilate to BentoBox’s culture, but giving them that strong foundation of the “what” and “why” of our company is critical. It helps contextualize roles, responsibilities and priorities, which are ultimately three major factors in retention.
The best thing you can do for a new hire, especially in this volatile market, is reassure them that your company has direction and knows how to get there.”
What tips do you have for other leaders looking to foster a sense of belonging for new hires?
For leaders, make sure you are translating your company’s mission and vision to new hires in a clear and honest way. The best thing you can do for a new hire, especially in this volatile market, is reassure them that your company has direction and knows how to get there.
If you can, be upfront about revenue goals, product roadmaps or anything else tangible that can get a new hire excited and inspired, and if you don’t have an employer value proposition, create one immediately.
