| Onboarding a new employee is often myopically | | | | observations strongly imply that a true business |
| defined as quickening a new employee to | | | | intelligence approach, specifically the regular |
| effectiveness. While this achieves a particular | | | | construction of an acculturation data mart, should be a |
| objective of a strategic onboarding process for many | | | | component of the acculturation system. Incorporated |
| companies, it falls short of a complete definition and | | | | with the company’s business activity monitoring |
| leaves managers of human capital with a goal so | | | | (BAM) and business rules engine (BRE) strategies |
| vague as to nearly render it useless (how fast is quick, | | | | would serve not only the purpose of reporting and |
| and what is effective?) Furthermore, quickening | | | | analysis of acculturation onboarding, but might also |
| effectiveness for many employers in blue collar | | | | provide a data source for certain acculturation |
| industries is such a trivial endeavor that instituting an | | | | objectives that might be detected through the BAM or |
| initiative to quicken new employee effectiveness might | | | | BRE systems. |
| not make sense (a furniture mover’s path to | | | | Defining the acculturation objectives and establishing |
| effectiveness might be measured in minutes). On the | | | | how they are to be evaluated defines a clear A-to-B |
| other hand, all employers share the compliance, | | | | path to productivity for new employees; engaging the |
| paperwork, and logistics burdens associated with new | | | | employee is how the organization aids the new |
| employees, regardless of the blue-shading of their | | | | employee in achieving their acculturation objectives |
| industry. | | | | and optimizes the acculturation process. |
| In Employee Onboarding; An HR Technology Seeking | | | | Engage |
| a Definition we define two approaches to onboarding. | | | | While most new employees, excited by their new jobs, |
| Transactional Onboarding utilizes the automation of the | | | | may proactively proceed from point A to B, we |
| onboarding business process to transition a new | | | | recommend the organization assume a more active |
| employee into their new role; automating the federal | | | | approach to encouraging the new employee’s |
| W-4, I-9, and state tax forms are examples of | | | | progress toward productivity rather than a passive |
| business rules and forms best automated through | | | | approach. The goal of an active approach to |
| transactional onboarding. Return on investment is | | | | acculturation is engagement. Using an actively engaging |
| realized through making the process more efficient, | | | | acculturation onboarding process, the organization can |
| eliminating costs in handling forms and data, eliminating | | | | more easily make adjustments to the process, and |
| latency and errors in data, and minimizing risk in the | | | | (assuming a good implementation of measurement of |
| compliance-sensitive area of hiring. Transactional | | | | objectives) rapidly evaluate the effectiveness of the |
| onboarding’s value is objectively measurable and is | | | | changes. Furthermore, those employees who |
| of value to any employer; particularly so for employers | | | | aren’t proactive in their own acculturation may |
| with compounding factors such as high turnover or | | | | respond better to active engagement (proactive |
| regulated industries; one can think of transactional | | | | employees will respond well in the acculturation |
| onboarding as the science of onboarding. | | | | process regardless of whether it is active or passive). |
| We defined Acculturation Onboarding, or simply | | | | The best implementation of an actively engaging |
| Acculturation, as quickening the new employee to | | | | acculturation onboarding system can take inspiration |
| effectiveness. Acculturation is sometimes also known | | | | from suggestive selling techniques. The content for |
| as socialization, and is touted by many vendors as the | | | | engagement—that is, what is being sold—are the |
| singular approach to onboarding, despite the fact that | | | | acculturation objectives that the system has |
| acculturation is appropriate to a subset of employers | | | | established for the employee. In other words, the |
| who might be interested in a strategic onboarding | | | | employee should be actively encouraged by the |
| initiative. Return on investment for acculturation is | | | | system to achieve their objectives. The typical venues |
| realized through earlier and more rapid productivity of | | | | for active engagement include tasks assigned and |
| the new employee and improved long term employee | | | | emails sent, both of which are readily implemented by |
| satisfaction and retention. Acculturation’s value is | | | | business process management (BPM) systems. |
| subjectively measurable and is valuable to employers | | | | The engagement process must be intelligent enough to |
| with high costs associated with recruiting and retaining | | | | suggest acculturation objectives in a logical order. For |
| employees, typically those in more professional roles in | | | | example, the objective of connecting with fellow |
| the organization; it is this subjectivity that is the Achilles | | | | employees on the corporate social network should be |
| Heel of acculturation onboarding. If transactional | | | | encouraged and promoted to the employee by the |
| onboarding is the science of onboarding, acculturation is | | | | system only after the employee has completed their |
| the art of onboarding. | | | | own profile on the social network. Likewise, the |
| While it’s obvious that value from transactional | | | | system should be intelligent enough to alter the priority |
| onboarding can be achieved through investing in a | | | | of promoting objectives during the employee’s path |
| system that is flexible enough to meet the | | | | from A to B as conditions affecting the objectives |
| organization’s unique process and compliance | | | | change; for example, if the employee demonstrates |
| requirements, it may be less obvious whether the | | | | significant interest in participating in the company’s |
| same system, or any single system, can accomplish | | | | social network and less interest in creating a blog, then |
| the value objectives of an acculturation approach. So | | | | the system should promote objectives associated with |
| how could an organization in need of acculturation take | | | | the social network more aggressively than the |
| a systems approach to automation? Let’s take a | | | | objective to create a blog. |
| simple A to B viewpoint to the acculturation system | | | | A system that implements active engagement does |
| question: | | | | not preclude interpersonal engagement, and in fact |
| | | | should promote it. While interpersonal engagement |
| Point A is the candidate who has just accepted the | | | | objectives could obviously be promoted to the new |
| offer, and point B is the fully productive and contented | | | | employee through promotion of objectives such as |
| employee. Transactional onboarding resides as a sliver | | | | connecting to employees with similar interests and |
| of a process just as the candidate begins following the | | | | backgrounds (similar to the “people you may |
| path to point B, albeit an intensive process that is laden | | | | know” feature of Facebook), suggestions and |
| with risk. The objective of an acculturation system is to | | | | tasks generated by an active engagement system |
| shorten the path—the length of time to get—from | | | | could be targeted at others in the organization; sending |
| A to B for all new employees, encompassing the | | | | an email to the new employee’s coworkers on |
| transactional onboarding event at the onset, while | | | | their first day of work suggesting that they introduce |
| maximizing the level of satisfaction of the new | | | | themselves, or posting a “spotlight” feature of |
| employee (contentedness) once they reach point B. | | | | the employee’s newly created profile page on the |
| It’s easy to see why the return on investment in an | | | | company intranet are examples. Interacting with a |
| acculturation system is a subjective measurement, as | | | | mentoring system to select and assign a mentor is |
| the objective is peppered with challenges to | | | | another example, and could also strengthen the |
| measurement. What is meant by fully productive? | | | | interaction of a formal mentor program to acculturation |
| How do you determine when someone achieves full | | | | objectives and measurements. |
| productivity? How do you account for differing times | | | | Engaging the new employee through the A-to-B |
| to productivity due to varying complexity of roles? | | | | acculturation process through an active approach |
| What is considered a good time to productivity, and | | | | optimizes the acculturation process, and should result in |
| how do you help employees who are not meeting | | | | the employee not only achieving their acculturation |
| expectations? How does the organization know | | | | objectives, but should also result in the employee being |
| (objectively) it is making improvements to the time to | | | | fully immersed in the company’s culture. |
| productivity? What is employee contentedness and | | | | Immerse |
| how do you measure it? | | | | Active engagement of the employee along the A to B |
| Our recommended approach to implementing an | | | | path to productivity should ideally be conducted in an |
| acculturation system that meets the stated objective | | | | environment that concludes (point B) with the |
| and answers these questions is based on three tenets: | | | | employee fully immersed in the company’s |
| measure, engage, and immerse. All three should be | | | | employee communications strategy. In other words, |
| considered when implementing a strategic acculturation | | | | engaging an employee to achieve acculturation |
| process, and if executed properly, the subjectivity | | | | objectives is best conducted within the company’s |
| Achilles Heel of acculturation onboarding can be | | | | employee communications portal, as it is achieving the |
| minimized. | | | | universal objective of acculturation which is to |
| Measure | | | | introduce and immerse the employee into that |
| Determining the resulting value, and therefore the | | | | strategy. The communications strategy might be a |
| return on investment, of any technology initiative | | | | dedicated product specifically designed for fostering |
| requires the ability to establish incremental objectives | | | | employee communications, or has been pointed out, it |
| and measure their achievement. Few onboarding | | | | can be the company’s intranet, which today is |
| systems that take an acculturation or socialization | | | | increasingly Microsoft SharePoint |
| stance provide the means to measure their own | | | | Many onboarding systems purporting a socialization |
| effectiveness, yet practically all of them cite Aberdeen | | | | technique attempt to accomplish acculturation |
| Group’s estimates on the potential cost savings of | | | | objectives through the introduction of a dedicated |
| automating onboarding . This is akin to a car salesman | | | | onboarding portal. While this approach might be |
| assuring a buyer their new car will save fuel costs but | | | | effective in the delivery of content of interest to a |
| not citing what kind of gas mileage the car gets or | | | | new employee, it is akin to introducing an outward |
| even whether the mileage can be measured. Hence | | | | facing point C on the A to B path, and does not serve |
| our first recommendation to implementing an | | | | to immerse the employee in the strategic employee |
| acculturation system is to establish how the system | | | | communications platform. Furthermore, delivery of |
| will set objectives and how those objectives are | | | | content of interest to a new employee can easily be |
| measured. | | | | accomplished in strategic communications and portal |
| An acculturation system should allow the organization | | | | platforms, such as SharePoint, so any potential benefit |
| to establish specific objectives that collectively | | | | is negated. The final nail in the coffin of a dedicated |
| measure productivity, or should be able to recognize | | | | onboarding portal might come from the objections (of |
| those objectives established in complimentary systems | | | | both HR and IT) to maintaining yet another portal in |
| such as learning and competency management | | | | addition to the employee communications platform, the |
| systems. The objectives could be events that are | | | | company’s intranet, employee and benefits self |
| either incomplete or completed, or they may be tasks | | | | service, and potentially others. |
| that can be completed in degrees or stages. | | | | Inspiration for the concept of immersion might be |
| Objectives might be achievable in any order, but some | | | | drawn from the field of education. A student on their |
| objectives may be dependent on the prior completion | | | | first day at a new school is quickly ushered through |
| of others. Individual objectives should be scored and | | | | the necessary paperwork in the principle’s office |
| weighted with respect to an overall Acculturation Index | | | | (transactional onboarding), then taken directly to their |
| (AI), which we recommend be calculated on a | | | | classroom where they are introduced to their teacher |
| percentage scale (the weighting and calculation of an | | | | and classmates. Over the ensuing days, the student is |
| acculturation index will be the topic of a future article). | | | | socialized in situ through engagement of the teacher |
| Examining the AI for a specific individual would indicate | | | | and fellow students, while at the same time the |
| how far along the A to B path the new employee is, | | | | teacher observes (measures) the students |
| and analysis of composites of the AI’s of multiple | | | | acculturation progress and makes any necessary |
| employees from one period of time against another | | | | adjustments to the process to optimize time to |
| will provide insight into how the company is | | | | productivity (such as suggesting friends or activities for |
| influencing—positively or negatively—the | | | | the new student). Failure to immerse a new employee |
| effectiveness of acculturation onboarding. | | | | in the A to B path to productivity is as undesirable as |
| Another interesting analysis of the acculturation index | | | | putting the new student in a separate classroom |
| would illustrate the constantly increasing index over | | | | surrounded only by material and information describing |
| time for either a single employee or a composite of | | | | how great a school they are attending. |
| employees. For example an AI analysis as | | | | Summary & Recommendations |
| such:indicates that the majority of acculturation | | | | Too many socializing onboarding systems today fall |
| objectives are achieved within the first 3 days, while | | | | short of their ability to provide a system that |
| an analysis as shown below:indicates a more gradual | | | | measurably and predictably achieves their purported |
| achievement of acculturation objectives. Neither | | | | goals and allows organizations to continually improve |
| outcome may be more correct than the other, but | | | | their acculturation process through cycles of |
| correlated with less than desirable outcomes, the | | | | adjustments and evaluating results. While these failures |
| method of engaging the employee, which will be | | | | may be due in part to the complex nature of collecting |
| discussed shortly, should be reconsidered. | | | | data to calculate an acculturation index, we believe it is |
| There are three types of acculturation objectives: | | | | also because acculturation systems don’t properly |
| competency objectives, social objectives, and | | | | balance the aspects of measuring individual and |
| satisfaction objectives. Competency objectives, such | | | | aggregated progress against acculturation objectives, |
| as completion of assessments that demonstrate | | | | actively engaging new employees through the |
| proficiency in skills associated with the employee’s | | | | acculturation process, and immersing the new |
| position, are excellent candidates to extract from | | | | employee in the organization’s strategic |
| learning or competency management systems. Social | | | | communications platform. Organizations seeking to |
| objectives—such as completion of a profile on the | | | | reap the benefits of quickening employees to |
| company’s social network, connecting to contacts | | | | effectiveness while maximizing the new |
| or “friends” in the network, and participating in | | | | employee’s satisfaction (and longevity as a result) |
| the company’s collaboration tools and | | | | would be well advised to construct an acculturation |
| wikis—may pose a greater challenge in collecting due | | | | system that measures, engages, and immerses. |
| to the diversity of data sources. Satisfaction | | | | Recommendations: |
| objectives, or measurements regarding the | | | | 1. Determine if an acculturation onboarding approach is |
| employee’s contentedness with their new job, are | | | | needed; all companies benefit from transactional |
| most likely to be collected from directly querying | | | | onboarding, not all companies benefit from |
| employees, coworkers, and supervisors using a survey | | | | acculturation. |
| or data collection tool. | | | | 2. Approach acculturation as an A-to-B path to |
| Acculturation objectives should also be defined | | | | productivity, with the principle business goal being to |
| according to the organization’s structure. Company | | | | minimize this path (quicken time to productivity) while |
| wide objectives include those that apply to all | | | | maximizing employee satisfaction. |
| employees, such as passing the company’s | | | | 3. Work to eliminate subjectivity in the system’s |
| network security policy exam, creating a company | | | | value through an acculturation approach that includes |
| social network profile, and indicating satisfaction | | | | measuring, engaging, and immersing candidates in the |
| regarding the company’s group health benefits. | | | | acculturation process. |
| Departmental or business unit objectives provide | | | | 4. Establish acculturation objectives that can be |
| greater specialization, such as passing the IT | | | | measured and scored, regardless of their source |
| department’s help desk usage test, or publishing a | | | | systems, and that contribute to an overall acculturation |
| technical post on the engineering wiki. Specific skills | | | | index that indicates progress along the A to B path. |
| associated with the position, inherited from the job | | | | 5. Use an appropriate mix of competency objectives, |
| description, represent the most specific objectives, and | | | | social objectives, and satisfaction objectives that make |
| if measured through the use of a competency | | | | sense for your particular organization’s |
| assessment system represent the most objective | | | | acculturation goals. |
| measurements of productivity in the AI and should be | | | | 6. Collect and analyze Acculturation Index (AI) data to |
| weighted accordingly. Finally, objectives might be | | | | determine how to make improvements to the |
| established for the specific individual assuming the role, | | | | acculturation process, creating a closed-loop system to |
| particularly if the individual needs remediation in certain | | | | improving the process. |
| skills. A good implementation of an acculturation | | | | 7. Define objectives at all organizational levels of the |
| system would allow for the assumption of the majority | | | | business to ensure consistency, but retain the flexibility |
| of acculturation objectives for individuals based on the | | | | to establish objectives specific to individuals if |
| position, job, and organization structure (location, | | | | necessary. |
| business unit, department, division, etc.), including | | | | 8. Acquire or build a system that is highly flexible in |
| company wide objectives, and allowing for the | | | | regards to integration. |
| dynamic specification of objectives specific to the | | | | 9. Actively engage employees in the acculturation |
| individual; otherwise, the burden of establishing | | | | process using methods similar to suggestive selling. |
| objectives for each new hire would hinder the | | | | 10. Active engagement should be intelligent enough to |
| consistent application of acculturation objectives. | | | | adapt to an individual’s unique path to productivity. |
| It should be obvious that an integration strategy is | | | | 11. Active engagement should encourage and promote |
| critical to an acculturation system, as the sources of | | | | interpersonal activity, not only with the new employee |
| acculturation objectives are myriad. Furthermore, to | | | | but also with coworkers. |
| facilitate the reporting, analysis, and data mining critical | | | | 12. The acculturation platform should immerse the new |
| for measurement and continual process refinement, | | | | employees in the organization’s strategic |
| the destination data storage should be dimensional in | | | | communications platform, not in an outward facing |
| nature versus transactional. Considered together, these | | | | dedicated onboarding portal. |