Most leaders (well, most good leaders, anyway), would agree that onboarding is a key part of the employee development process. Just as a baby needs a smack on the butt to start breathing, your new team members need something to help them get started at the beginning of their employee life wth you. They feel more comfortable, have a better idea of what to do day-to-day, and subsequently add more value to your organization more quickly.
Onboarding is not just about coming into a new company, though; it’s about coming into a new role. As such, we should consider how onboarding can be useful for internal hires, too. Many organizations prefer to hire internally for open positions, whether promoting people or moving them laterally, maybe into another location or a new department. As employees move into a new position, the shock may not be as great as it is for someone just joining the company, but there are still plenty of new experiences ahead, and proper onboarding for the role can be very valuable. Consider what they need to know about:
Expectations How will the expectations people have for them in this role be different from their last role? If they are promoted into their first supervisory role, they often need to lead functional experts rather than being functional experts. If they go to a new location, is this a new market where they are introducing the company, or an existing one where they are trying to grow (or at least, not shrink)? As people move into a new position they face new expectations, and they need to be ready for that.
Partnerships Who do they need to work with to get things done? There are relationships within the company and with external partners that may not always show up on an organizational chart. The networks that help them get things done may be very different now, so how can you help them make and make use of the connections they need?
Employee Relationships In addition to the relationships they need in order to get work done, how might their personal relationships with other employees change? If they are promoted to a leadership role, they may need to adjust the personal relationships they have with the people who now work for them. If they move to a new location, especially in a new country, what does the local culture suggest about personal relationships in the workplace? They are more likely to avoid problems if they know from the beginning what is acceptable and what is not.
Career Path Though you should focus on doing a good job in the role you’re currently in, you should always be giving some thought to what comes next. How does your work in your current role help prepare you for your next one? What kind of development opportunities should you be pursuing? These are questions your employees may have when they change roles, and it’s best to address them up front so they don’t waste time that could be spent on developing their skills for the future. When they change roles internally this may put them on a different path than they were on before, so it’s good to make sure that your internal hires understand what effect this has ton their career path.
When used well, onboarding is a great tool for boosting employee engagement and performance That’s just as true for your internal hires as it is for the newbies from the outside.