What did you have to learn on the fly at your current job that you wish you had known at the beginning?

Some of us could answer that question with a pretty long list. Some of us have shown up on our first day and been left staring at a vague job description trying to guess what our boss’ expectations might be for our first few weeks.  This was me for the majority of the jobs I’ve held as an adult. It’s not a great feeling.

Why are some organizations so bad at orienting new staff?

My guess? They drop the ball with this either because it takes a lot of time to do well or because they simply don’t know where to begin.  Probably both.

After a long hiring process, you’re tired, you’ve got a backlog of tasks to catch up on, and you just want to get back to work as usual.  So what do you do? You resort to orienting the new kid on the block in the same way that you were oriented (“Here’s the Wi-Fi password.  Glad to have you on the team!”).

Well, I can’t help you with the time piece (it definitely will eat up some real estate on your calendar), but perhaps I can get you started on what crafting a process for orienting new staff might look like in your context.

These are not all the questions you need to be answering, but here are 3 that I believe every new hire is asking:

 

1. Where do I fit?

A new hire has a very keen eye for workplace culture and team dynamics.  They’re gauging, “How do people work together here?” “What are the personalities in the office?” “Do people like being here?” “What is my relationship with that person going to look like?”

Everyone has a fierce need for belonging and our desire to find this in our workplace is no different than anywhere else.  Recognize this and act as a social guide for them as they navigate this new community.  Bring them around the office personally and introduce them to anyone on the team that they might not have met already. Bring coffee and donuts for the whole staff on your new team member’s first day as a way of gathering everyone together and celebrating. Do what you have to do to keep the vibes positive and celebratory.

When we get a new person on our Family Ministries Team, we’re out on the parking lot waiting for them with party hats on (there may have even been some colourful feather boas involved at some points).  Their office or workstation will be decorated with a huge Welcome sign and there is a gift basket with a handwritten note waiting for them on their desk.  We want them to know immediately that they are valued and accepted here.

Within their first week, there will be an entire morning blocked off for them to get to know their immediate team better.  Our goal is for everyone to get a sense of how this new team functions together and what collaboration will look like.  Having everyone share the results of some personality test or strengths assessment works well for this.

 

2. What am I supposed to be doing?

Give your new hire as much clarity around this question as possible.  It’s easy to forget how much you don’t know when you’re just starting out.  Make a detailed list of everything they’ll need to learn.  Include other staff in this process. We add to this list every time we hire and will ask new team members at the 3-month mark, “What was unclear when you started? What did you need to figure out on your own? What do you wish you had known when you first got here?”  We’ll ask similar questions at the one-year mark as well.

Based on this exhaustive list, I walk new staff through a detailed document that answers at least these three questions:

      What am I doing on my first day?

While I will give them a bit of time to settle into their new workspace, every other minute of this day is intentionally scheduled.  They’re given keys and taught the basics of how to navigate the systems of their new environment, but we also include components that unpack our vision and values as a church.  Lay out your orientation plan for them and put them at ease that they won’t be tossed into the fray unprepared.  Give them plenty of face time with you and lots of opportunities to ask questions.

       What am I doing in my first week?

This is still a tightly scheduled period of time.  I will literally access their new work calendar before they arrive and fill this first week up with orientation tasks and meetings on their behalf.

As their leader and supervisor, you need to identify what they need to grasp in this first week so that they can experience some autonomy and ownership in their role as soon as possible.  This may not be what you think.  They don’t actually need to have all the details of all the office systems and all the passwords to every church account within this first week.  Some of that stuff is better given on a need-to-know basis.

For me, I want them to have a really good understanding of our church culture, what we value as a staff team, and where we’re headed.

      What are my goals for the first three months?

Start dialling back the micro-management at this stage, but still clearly define their main tasks.  Set goals for them so that they know what your expectations are and what the “wins” are for them in this first stage. Make sure you’re still giving them plenty of attention and opportunity to ask questions.  For the first few weeks, I’m checking in with them daily and reviewing their calendar with them to make sure they’re on track.  This will slowly transition to a rhythm of weekly check-ins and monthly one-on-one coaching sessions.

Some examples of goals I set for my team at this stage include:

– Read 3 books in 3 months.  These are foundational books for how we do ministry, which I choose for them

– Recruit x number of volunteers. Nothing solidifies vision better than having to articulate it to others.

– Identify 3 areas needing improvement and take the lead in addressing at least one of them.

– Sit down with all staff members (10 in our office), as well as key volunteer leaders, and interview them about their ministries and personal stories.

 

 

3. Why should I care?

This breaks down to two questions, in my mind:

“Is there a vision here that I can see myself giving years of my life towards?”

“Is there a healthy and attractive culture on this team that I want to be a part of?”

It’s not enough for them to know what they need to be doing in their job, they need to own the “why” behind it as soon as possible. One of the first ways they will answer this question is by finding out why you care.  Let them see your passion.  Take the extra time to share the stories that fuel you. They will eventually make the vision their own and develop their own passion for it, but they will lean heavily on yours at this stage. It’s ok for them to vicariously own the vision for now.

For our last two hires in Family Ministries, I drove them to a parking lot across the street from our local high school and shared the story of my own experience as a teenager.  I shared about my parent’s failing marriage, my brother’s drug addiction, and my own struggle to cope with the daily drama that this brought into my life.  I shared about the investment of other adults in my life and how significant they were in seeing me through this difficult stage of life.  I want them to hear about the memories that drive me to do what I do for the next generation.

They need to know this is real for me; this isn’t just a job.

How can you share your passion with your new team and articulate the “why” for them?

 

What’s Your Take?

When you start intentionally orienting new staff, you’re giving them a gift and modelling for them what it looks like for your team to help each other win.  New hires will not only feel valued and cared for, they will lead with more confidence, find more joy in their work, and become more effective and more productive quicker.

When you give new staff your time, you are building a foundation of lasting influence with them and will be able to lead out of a place of relationship and respect rather than positional authority. That sounds like it’s worth the extra time, no?

What questions would you add to the list? What do you wish you had known when you started your current position?  Leave a comment!

Thanks,

-Dan

 

PS – not quite at the orientation stage yet and need help with the hiring process? Check out my thoughts on 3 ways our brains might be hijacking our attempts to hire the right people as well as an example of the hiring process that we currently use in our church.