With Kettledrums and Trumpets: Communicating Values in Onboarding

Career pages are the neon signs of every company. A figurehead for the company culture and a reflection of new talent. Ideally, this should also include the mission statements with which potential employees can identify. But after recruiting, the communication of values really takes off. If a company has already communicated its values on the careers page, the next step is to pass these principles on to newcomers. There are many different tools and methods to ensure that the corporate mission statement is internalized during the onboarding process. You can find out exactly which ones here.

1. The most Important Facts summarized – The Brand Book

The first few days in a new company are often packed with many new impressions. Newbies try to immerse themselves in the history of a company by observing, watching and reading a lot. An effective way to pass on internal values to newcomers is to create a brand book that is given to them on their first day at work. But it’s not just values that find a place here. A brand book is an important building block in employer branding and at the same time an internal compass for new colleagues. The founding history, vision and mission should find their place here, as should the team itself. What do the individual employees associate with the mission statements? What anecdotes can you tell from situations with customers, for example? What shared team experiences have shaped them? If the individual values are underpinned with stories, this creates an authentic team feeling.

2. Organize joint Events – Karma Breakfast & Lunch Roulette

No one can convey the corporate culture and values as perfectly as the employees themselves. But how do newcomers and colleagues who work in a different team, for example, get to know each other? Creativity is in demand, especially now that the entire workforce is working from home. If there are no joint lunches or happy hours, the newbies and the old hands can get to know each other at a Karma breakfast, for example. Simply say “thank you”, praise or share anecdotes. And when colleagues give each other good karma, the nervousness of new employees quickly disappears. At a lunch roulette, colleagues who don’t see each other that often in daily business are thrown together.

3. The Famous first Impression – Head of Onboarding

The first day for new employees is often exciting. New surroundings, new people and new tools can overwhelm many of them. The way in which someone new is welcomed and accompanied through the first few days is particularly important here. The famous first impression is the best chance to convey the company values authentically. Therefore, in the best case scenario, a person who represents the values should be selected as the first “point of contact”. This does not necessarily have to be someone from the HR department.

Ideally, it is someone who has been working in the company for a long time and has helped to shape the shared values, for example. The person should radiate calm and be available to answer the many questions even after the first day. It is very important that the person has enough time to radiate the necessary openness and willingness to help. If she is under time pressure and does the onboarding on the side, the new team member will also feel this and may not dare to address problems and questions.

You can find out why we created the position of Head of Onboarding here.

Conclusion: Designing Onboarding Empathetically and Ereatively

Team spirit and creativity are needed to make it easier for new employees to get started and during their first few weeks. This is because there is often a lack of a fixed contact person and there is a great deal of reluctance to ask questions. A balanced plan consisting of guidelines, team meetings and availability is essential for the initial period. If the new arrivals feel   well looked after, their hero’s journey in the company becomes an adventure with a feel-good factor.

Are you interested in other onboarding topics? Then take a look at our other blog posts on the subject. My recommendation:

Agency Stories #5 – Onboarding

Phone, e-mail, Zoom or Skype? Team communication in times of physical distancing