So you’ve done a huge job - you’ve hired a person. What’s next? And here comes a very important stage - onboarding. This is the time you teach and pass to the person culture, traditions, processes, everything. How do I do it? In 6 simple steps.
1. Intro. First I like to give an introduction to a new person same day he starts - usual stuff: org structure, who is who, how we are used to work, set some ground rules.
2. Learn the product. The main assignment for the first two weeks - to learn a product. We arrange extensive trainings for each product of ours for person to know very well what he will be building.
3. Learn the client. Trainings are followed by two weeks internship in client support, working as a client support specialist, getting to know the clients and how our product solves their problems and serves their needs.
4. Learn the team. From the very first day person starts working in a team, participating in stand-ups and other meetings team has. I think it is very important for a new team member to start taking tasks from team’s task board (if there are any that fit him) or join a colleague for the pair programming as early as possible.
5. Fast feedback. You don’t want to get a feedback too late. That’s why I schedule recurrent meeting to sync with a new person every 2/3 weeks. This is the time I provide a feedback to a new team member (which I gather from the team in advance) and ask some questions to get to know are we on the right track here.
How do you evaluate your start at the company?
How do you like the product? Team? Code base? Process? Atmosphere? Culture?
How do you feel?
Have you expectations been met?
Would you like to change something? What? How? Why haven’t you changed it already? What stops you?
6. Probationary end. This is the final stage of the “intensive care” period and here I let the team to decide whether to keep a person in the team or not. You can find more on how do i do it in my previous post Let team decide: hire or fire.
How would you like your first months in a company to be? Or how do you do onboarding?