Goals of Day 1 Onboarding Of Acquired Company Employees
- Create a positive first impression of NewCo as an employer of choice
- Build pride, belonging, understanding, and genuine enthusiasm for working at NewCo
- Accelerate individual and team performance
- Design creative ways to make the orientation special, memorable, engaging, and effective
- Create a sense of one company, united for a common goal
- Most likely a series of meetings (may include some on-line components)
- Provide all employees with logo gifts
- Involve executives in design and implementation to heighten profile, interest, and participation (not your father’s orientation)
- Create a celebratory atmosphere
Day 1 Orientation
Educate employees on NewCo:
- Leadership Team (bios, interesting facts, hobbies, stories, video clips)
- Organizational Structure (including international offices)
- Vision
- Business Priorities and Strategy (When will OCEO and MT determine these for the combined org?)
- Revenues (how does the company make money? – so employees can help make more!)
- Brand (both internal and external)
- Competitors
- Products and Services (what each company had and what’s possible together)
- Customers/Members
- Business Partners
- Policies and Procedures
- Compensation and Benefit Information
- Performance Management
- Health, Safety, and Wellness Programs
- Code of Ethics/ Confidentiality
- Communication (including key meetings, forums, and events)
- Culture (eight operating protocols)or (how to fit in, avoid embarrassment, and be successful)
What to Avoid in Day 1 Employee Onboarding
- Employees filling out mind-numbing paperwork
- A tedious data dump
- Boring presenters
- No humor or entertainment
- Death by PowerPoint (with clip art)
- Butt-numbing chairs
- Uncomfortable room temperature
- Cheap or cheesy gifts and trinkets
- Facilities too small to accommodate demand
- Lousy food
- Not enough time for people to interact during breaks
- Executives who do “touch-n-go’s” or “flyovers” without any real engagement ...