What are some of the challenges that arise in revamping an employee onboarding program?
A revised scope can always be tricky—such as, in the beginning you were planning on one week for onboarding, but a change happens at the top and now you're tasked with condensing it into 2.5 days or fleshing it out into two weeks.
—Will Mosher, Atlanta, Georgia
The biggest challenge is helping others understand the difference between "need to know" and "nice to know." Onboarding is often seen as an event rather than a process and goes beyond day one. This ensures we aren't info-dumping on our new hires with things they simply won't remember.
—Jon Talamantez, Phoenix, Arizona
Ensuring buy-in at all levels is a challenge. We are in the process of revising our onboarding program to be self-provisioned through e-learning to ensure that employees can view and review onboarding materials during times when it is most conducive to their schedules. With that being said, how do we hold the learner accountable for viewing the materials that are so vital to their success in their new role?
—Sara Lucas, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Not everything should be left to self-training. Don't underestimate the added value of human contact to enable proper learning.
—Wanda Comprés, Santiago, Dominican Republic
