Tag: onboarding | Artisan Creative

IQ + EQ + AQ = Onboarding Success

Wednesday, February 10th, 2021|

The first day at any new job is filled with equal doses of excitement and anticipation.
To start a new job in a remote environment where you meet everyone for the first time via a digital device can add an additional dose of nervousness.
To prepare yourself for a successful onboarding into a new company and integration into a new culture, follow the simple steps below.
First-day success falls into three categories: intellectual, emotional, and adaptability quotients. IQ + EQ + AQ = Success
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
This is the intellectual piece of success in any role. It’s the cognitive intelligence that is needed to carry forth the day-to-day requirements of the role. How well we retain the training material, how fast we learn, our verbal skills all come together to take on a rush of new information and experiences. This requires an operational plan for onboarding. The why, how, and what of doing our job.
Some items to take into consideration are:
Orientation and training plans.
Tools needed to accomplish my job correctly.
Team communication preferences and cadence.
Logins and access to files and collaboration tools
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
EQ includes a broad range of interpersonal skills needed to make a connection with the team.
This can start even before day one on the job by reviewing the new company’s social media pages and LinkedIn profiles to get a better sense of the team, their interests, and the company culture. Learning about and evaluating a company’s core values are key.
Some items to take into consideration are:
Be Friendly

Respond to a welcome aboard email and connect with your new team, participate in their various communications tools. We use Slack here at Artisan Creative and have a variety of channels for random posts, as well as setting our intentions and sharing our daily gratitude.
Build Connections

Reach out to your departmental team members individually and introduce yourself. While this can feel daunting, especially if you’re an introvert, making an effort at the start will have its benefits in the long run.
Be Curious

Ask questions and learn about each individual’s role and tenure in the company. Find out what they like about working there. Let them know what department you are joining and offer to help if they need anything from your team.
E-Coffee dates

Setup virtual coffee or lunch dates to make more personal connections and learn as much as you can about the company and its people.
At Artisan Creative, we use our annual Vision Board project as an icebreaker exercise where the team presents their personal and professional goals to one another and to our new hires.
Adaptability Quotient (AQ)
The third and equally important piece of the formula is the Adaptability Quotient, especially in today’s unpredictable environment impacted by the pandemic. Although many companies are adjusting to the remote work setting, it’s important to be mindful that many firsts can still occur during this time. Your remote onboarding may be a first for this hiring manager, so it’s important to stay adaptable as needed.
Some items to take into consideration are:
Positivity

Go with the flow and stay positive as both you and your remote team learn to master ever-changing communication skills.
Agility

Make course corrections and changes as needed. Demonstrating agility of thought and action is one of Artisan Creative’s core values, and it’s one we’ve relied on heavily during the eleven years we’ve been working remotely. It’s been even more important in today’s work environment where colleagues have had to juggle additional responsibilities including homeschooling.
Be open-minded

You may have learned processes or utilized tools in a different manner in your previous role. An open mind rapidly embraces new methodologies that may differ from your previous processes. If you see a better way, do share it once you’ve truly understood how your new company integrates with these tools.
Listening skills

Get to know everyone’s communication styles and activate your listening skills. It’s easy to misconstrue via text or slack, so when possible hop on zoom or a quick call for clarity.
Ask questions

Don’t be afraid to speak up if don’t know something. Every new role has a learning curve and it’s better to get clarity upfront.
We hope these tips create success for you in your new role. On day one, show up 15 minutes early, double-check your zoom and computer settings, fix your backdrop, grab a coffee and be ready to learn, connect with your team, and grow with your new company.
This article was originally published on Medium.com
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New Hire Welcome Kit: Why They are Important & How to Create Them

Tuesday, September 1st, 2020|

There are many facets to creating a successful onboarding process that truly welcomes and integrates your new hire. One of the best ways to make a positive, lasting first impression is by creating a new hire welcome kit. It may seem like a simple gesture, however, the thought behind is impactful. A mug with your company’s logo or a personally crafted introductory note goes further than you might think.

In its simplest form, a welcome kit shows your new hire that you care about them. It acknowledges their presence as a new member of your team and alleviates first day jitters. Beginning a job can feel overwhelming, so getting an extra special introduction makes your new hire feel appreciated even before they step foot in the office.

So what goes into a welcome kit?

The short answer: anything you want that exemplifies your company culture and spirit. In general, welcome kits have office supplies or company “swag” like mugs or notebooks with the company’s logo on the front. They can also include supplies necessary for the job, such as headphones, a camera, and, if possible, an electronic device like a laptop or Kindle.

If your company is known for a certain aesthetic, a creative welcome kit would reflect that. If you have a more playful or laidback company culture, throw in some quirky surprises like a puzzle or toys for their desk. Or if your company has a foodie culture, consider a personalized gourmet box from boxperience to add some flavor to their first day.

In the same regard, your welcome kit is an opportunity to introduce your company itself and the expectations you have of your new hire. They are a great way to get the onboarding process going because you can provide a welcome packet with the necessary basic information a new hire might want to know, such as an outline of rules and regulations, important contacts, and FAQs. They are also a fantastic way to tell your company’s story, share your company core values, and get your new employee invested in the culture that defines you.

To ensure your new employee receives a warm welcome, personalize your welcome kit! One of the best ways to do this is by including a handwritten note. It shows you care just that much more. Another great way to personalize your welcome kit is by putting your new hire’s name on some of the items you are giving them. By doing so, you are directly acknowledging them and giving your welcome kit that extra personalized touch.

It is the little things that count. You want your new hire to feel that you are just as excited about having them on your team as they are about being on your team. Providing your new hire with the necessary tools and personalized attention helps foster a smooth transition and is a great way to welcome them to the company.

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Onboarding Remotely

Tuesday, August 18th, 2020|

Like many aspects of work-life, the onboarding process has to be adapted to meld with our increasingly remote workforce. As it has become evident that the global pandemic is not subsiding anytime soon, companies have to decide to either completely stop work or find unique ways to keep their gears turning.

Onboarding, whether remote or in-person, is essential to the development of empowered, dedicated, and productive teams. A successful onboarding process allows for greater employee retention and reduced spending on the more costly process of new hires. Here are some things to keep in mind if you are remotely managing employees and find yourself having to do onboarding remotely:

Utilize the technology that is already widely available: Thankfully, many companies hopped on the work-from-home train long before a pandemic accelerated this transition across the globe and technology was already central to how many of us function. Collaboration technology such as monday.com or Trello has been popping up everywhere, allowing you to manage a team remotely. Applications such as Zoom or MS teams allow us to stay connected by holding video conferences remotely, and Google Docs, or Asana allows teams to collaborate on projects and documents remotely. All of which will be useful when formulating a remote onboarding process.

Keep the communication going: Communication is a central part of the onboarding process, especially when managing employees remotely. In many geographies, working in an in-person office environment is not possible currently and communication can often be lost or muddled. During the onboarding process, it is imperative to give feedback to the new hire, to set clear expectations, and to present your new hire an opportunity to give feedback, voice concerns, and ask questions. In this environment, over-communication is a key to success: Plan daily huddles, weekly video meetings, use Slack, or other messaging tools to keep the lines of communication open. During the onboarding phase, it’s key to evaluate progress, build rapport, and set clear expectations.

Document your SOPs Build a library of your standard operating procedures so that new hires (and the rest of the team for that matter) can easily access this relevant info. This will save you and other managers from responding to the same questions over and over, as well as set the standards needed for the team to adhere to. Tools such as Loom, Screenomatic, or Trainual are critical in creating a knowledge bank of best practices and training.

Remote does not have to mean impersonal: Working from home can feel lonely or disconnected, so it is essential that although you are onboarding remotely, you make new hires feel as welcome as they would if they were walking into your office on their first day. Do this by sending a welcome gift from Snackmagic or the Goodgrocer, reaching out on their first day with a welcome message, scheduling a Zoom team lunch with the whole team to provide a genuine introduction, and creating a lasting first impression.

Keep up the team spirit: Another one of the many aspects of work-life that is must be worked on even more diligently during remote work is company culture. When we cannot physically come together, creating a cohesive work environment becomes increasingly challenging. However, you can translate your company culture remotely by having group Zoom calls that are not work-related but function as a ‘get to know’ us event such as an online cooking event, painting classes, or plan for a virtual scavenger hunt. You can even co-work remotely, by keeping Zoom on all day during the first few days on the job.

Onboarding is much more than an orientation, it helps assimilate the new hire into their work environment and culture. . Especially when working remotely, it is important to create an ongoing onboarding process that promotes greater efficiency and greater employee retention.

Working solo from our homes does not mean we have to be in a silo.

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