Hi and welcome to Be The Flagship with our podcast host Jeff Parsons.
This is where we tackle the day-to-day talent management challenges you face, particularly
in hospice and small healthcare organizations.
And now over to our host.
Take it away, Jeff.
Hello everyone and welcome to Be The Flagship.
This is your destination for insightful discussions on professional growth and workplace excellence.
I'm your host Jeff Parsons and today we're delving into a topic crucial for both healthcare
employers and employees, how to improve your onboarding process.
In this episode we will be exploring the five C's of employee onboarding.
What are the five C's?
Well they are compliance, clarification, culture, connection, and check back throughout the
onboarding journey.
So grab your coffee and donut and let's dive into this enriching topic.
But first a commercial.
Are you struggling with a sales and marketing team that is out of alignment and is falling
short in meeting your organizational objectives?
We can help.
Flagship Talent Solutions will work with your sales manager and the sales team through a
coaching approach to ensure goal alignment and sales success.
To learn more contact Jeff Parsons by email at jeff at flagshiptalent.com or by phone
at 1-800-530-4189 extension 101.
So let's kick things off with my first C, compliance.
Ensuring new hires understand and adhere to organizational policies and legal requirements
of course is fundamental, especially for hospice and small healthcare.
How can your organization establish robust compliance frameworks during the onboarding
process?
Why should be included?
Well we can start with HR policies of course, safety regulations of course, and other regulatory
requirements that are specific to your healthcare industry.
So what are some effective strategies for effective communication and training to ensure
compliance?
Well, make sure you have clear policies and procedures.
Develop clear and concise policies and procedures that outline compliance expectations.
Make these documents easily accessible to all employees.
Use plain language to ensure that policies are easily understood by everyone in the organization.
Understand when you're onboarding a new employee, they may be new to your industry.
They may be new to your industry specific terms.
So in your policies and procedures, avoid those four letter words or those acronyms,
those letters that to you mean something, but to a new hire employee they don't mean
anything or they confuse the new hire.
And they feel awkward when they ask the question, so what is this?
So don't put them in that spot.
Make sure it's clear language, easily understood language, and language that can be understood
by someone who has not been in your industry before.
You can have training programs.
You can implement comprehensive training programs that cover compliance requirements.
And I know most of you do this.
This can include in-person training sessions, online modules, or a combination of both.
I've seen especially hospices I've been associated with in the past.
They utilize online modules oftentimes to complete the compliance training for their
new hire employees.
Use engaging and interactive training methods to keep employees interested and facilitate
better retention of information.
So make your training programs engaging.
Keep the interest of the person involved in the training programs.
Going back to the online modules again, you know, sometimes we back up a new hire start
date until we have our next orientation sessions.
And all we're doing is creating a bottleneck in the hiring and onboarding process.
If you had more online training modules or look for alternative methods for accomplishing
your compliance goals, then perhaps you could start an employee sooner and you could expedite
the onboarding process for your employees.
So keep that in mind.
Regular updates.
Keep employees informed about changes in your regulations, in your policies, in your procedures
that may impact compliance.
Regularly update training materials to reflect any modifications.
And utilize a centralized platform or communication channel to disseminate updates efficiently.
The worst thing you could have is a policy that's out of date, right?
As it refers, you know, when I mention open communication channels, what I mean, establish
open lines of communication between your employees and compliance officers or HR representatives.
Encourage employees to ask questions and seek clarification on compliance matters.
Foster a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting potential compliance issues without
fear or reprisal.
Scenario-based training.
Create real-world scenarios in the training programs to help employees understand just
how compliance principles apply to their daily tasks, why it's important, why it matters,
what are, you know, what are the risks if they don't follow the procedures.
Use case studies or simulations that mimic common workplace situations to reinforce the
importance of compliance.
Use autopsies, if you will, when you've had a compliance issue to tear it apart and understand
why it occurred and get a better understanding of how you can prevent that from happening.
Again, customized training for roles.
Tailor your training programs to address the specific compliance requirements of different
roles within the organization.
Again, online training gives you the opportunity to customize the training depending on if
you're an administrative employee, you know, or are you a registered nurse, as an example.
Provide specialized training for managers and supervisors to help them understand their
role in enforcing compliance within their teams.
Use multimedia.
Diversify your training materials by incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, infographics,
and interactive presentations.
This can enhance engagement and cater to different learning styles.
We all are different.
We all have different learning styles.
And so if you use different approaches, different types of multimedia, then you have better
odds at least of engaging your new hires in the compliance onboarding.
Use regular assessments.
Conduct regular assessments or quizzes to evaluate the employee's understanding of compliance
requirements.
This can help identify areas that may need additional focus or clarification.
Use assessment results to refine and improve materials over time.
You might use, you might consider testing to test their understanding of what they've
read or what they've seen, you know, the training topics themselves.
What about compliance champions?
What do I mean by that?
Well, identify and train compliance champions within the organization.
These individuals can serve as go-to resources for their colleagues promoting a culture of
support and understanding.
Empower compliance champions to facilitate discussions or training sessions related to
compliance.
This is a fabulous way of developing other potential leaders within your organization.
They get exposure to other parts of the organization.
They become, if you will, you know, the go-to person for your new hires, perhaps mentors,
coaches for your new hires.
And again, it's a growth opportunity.
You're developing a new hire, but you're also developing your compliance champions.
Documentation and record keeping.
It's a robust system for documenting employees completion of compliance training.
This documentation serves as evidence of the organization's commitment to training and
can be crucial in cases of audits or inspections.
Maintain accurate records of training content, dates, and attendees.
By combining these strategies, organizations can create a comprehensive approach to communication
and training that effectively ensures compliance and fosters a culture of awareness and responsibility
among all of your employees.
Our second C is for clarification.
Providing clarity about job roles, expectations, and organizational structure is essential
for a smooth onboarding experience.
How can employers ensure that your new hires have a clear understanding of their roles
and their responsibilities?
Well, you can start with a detailed job description.
Provide detailed and accurate job descriptions during the hiring process.
This document should outline the specific duties, responsibilities, and expectations
associated with the role.
Clearly communicate the goals and key performance indicators or KPIs associated with the position.
I can't tell you how many job descriptions I've seen when I've been engaged to do recruiting,
and I read the job description and I still don't know what the person is supposed to
be doing.
Right?
So the job description should be written clearly so that the person has a good understanding
of what the expectation is on a day-to-day basis.
Onboarding documentation.
Develop an onboarding package that includes comprehensive documentation about the new
hire's role.
This can include an organizational chart.
How about that?
Team structure and workflow diagrams include any relevant policies, procedures, or guidelines
related to the new hire's responsibilities.
Of course, if you're going to provide an org chart, make sure it's up to date.
Pre-onboarding communication.
Initiate communication with new hires before their start date.
Send them an email or welcome package that outlines what to expect on the first day and
provide an overview of their role.
Encourage new hires to reach out with any questions before their start date.
In other words, the onboarding process begins before their first day on the job.
I talked to a person the other day and they were comparing experiences from their previous
job to their new job and were just so impressed when their new manager reached out to them
before they ever started to make sure everything was going okay, to tell them how excited they
were, to have this person join their team.
It really made a positive difference and left a positive impression for that person.
Have a welcome orientation session.
Conduct a thorough welcome orientation session on the first day.
This session could include an overview of the company, its mission, values, its structure.
Allocate time for managers or team leads to discuss the new hire's specific role, team
dynamics, and the immediate expectations.
Certainly include the new hire's direct manager because you want to establish that connection
early and often, and bring in your more senior leaders and key stakeholders as well.
They need to be modeling the right behavior.
They don't need to disappear and then become a seagull manager flying in, flapping their
wings, making a lot of noise, crapping on everybody, and then flying away.
They need to be there in the positive moments.
They need to be there when the new hires begin their journey within your organization.
One-on-one meetings.
Schedule one-on-one meetings between new hires and their managers or their team leads.
Use these meetings to discuss the new hire's background skills and how they fit into the
team and larger organization.
Clarify the reporting structure and lines of communication within the team.
As relates to training programs, implement a good structure training program that covers
both general onboarding topics and specific job-related skills.
This could include shadowing opportunities, hands-on training, or access to online learning
modules.
We referenced that a little earlier.
Allow new hires to learn by doing with practical examples and exercises related to their role.
Oftentimes, what happens is that a new hire goes through orientation, they're sent to
their manager, and they're thrown to the wolves.
They never have that opportunity to shadow others to see what success really looks like
in that role.
They're just thrown in 12 feet deep water and expected to swim.
Mentorship programs.
Pair new hires with experienced employees who can serve as mentors.
This mentorship can provide valuable insights into the role, the company culture, and best
practices.
Choose your mentors wisely.
Make sure they're demonstrating your core values.
Make sure they're modeling the right behavior and leading by positive example.
Encourage open communication between your mentors and those they're mentoring.
Have goal-setting discussions.
Engage in goal-setting discussions with new hires.
Work collaboratively to establish your short-term and long-term goals and explain how these
goals align with the overall objectives of the team and the organization.
Provide a roadmap, in other words, for your professional development within the role.
This is important.
Have regular check-ins with your new hires.
Conduct regular check-ins during the first weeks or months to assess the new hire's
interests, address any concerns, and provide ongoing feedback.
Use these check-ins as an opportunity to reinforce the understanding of roles and responsibilities.
Documentation and resources.
Create a centralized location for important documents and resources related to the new
hire's role.
This may include process documents, standard operating procedures, and relevant manuals.
Make sure that the new hires have access to this repository note, how to use it effectively.
Important.
Make sure you encourage questions.
Create an open and welcoming environment that encourages new hires to ask questions.
Let them know that seeking clarification is not only acceptable, it's actually encouraged.
What a novel idea.
Foster a culture where continuous learning and improvement are valued.
By combining these strategies, you can provide your new hires with a comprehensive understanding
of their roles and responsibilities, setting the stage for a successful and a productive
integration into your organization.
Now let's talk about the third C. Culture.
Finding a connection between new hires and the organizational culture is key.
How can employers infuse company values and traditions into the onboarding process?
Well, incorporate your values in your orientation materials.
Integrate the company's core values into onboarding materials and presentations.
Really articulate what each value means and how it guides the organization's actions
and what it looks like when it's demonstrated.
Share stories or examples that demonstrate how employees embody these values in their
daily work.
Again, give them a picture of what it looks like.
Have a culture and value session, dedicate a specific session during the onboarding process
to discuss your company's culture and values.
This can be led and should be led by senior leadership.
Culture starts at the top.
Never forget that if your senior leadership is not willing or able to positively contribute
to the onboarding process and demonstrate in a positive way your core values, then you're
in trouble.
Use this session to explain the significance of each value and how they contribute to the
organization's success.
Provide personalized welcome kits.
Provide your new hires with personalized welcome kits that include materials representing the
company's values.
This could include a welcome letter from the CEO emphasizing the importance of the values,
branded merchandise or the handbook.
It should be embodied in a handbook, of course.
Have storytelling sessions within the onboarding process.
Host storytelling sessions where existing employees can share personal anecdotes that
highlight the company's values in action.
This helps new hires connect with the values at a human level.
Encourage open dialogue and questions during these sessions to create an interactive and
an engaging environment.
Host interactive workshops.
Design interactive workshops that allow new hires to explore and discuss the company's
values in a hands-on manner.
This can include group activities, brainstorming sessions, case studies, that sort of thing.
Foster collaboration and teamwork to reinforce the importance of your shared values.
Appoint cultural ambassadors.
That's an interesting thought, right?
Assign cultural ambassadors or mentors to new hires who can guide them through the onboarding
process and help interpret the company's values in a practical context.
Encourage these cultural ambassadors to share their experiences and their insights related
to the values and traditions.
You want to be very careful, of course, in selecting these cultural ambassadors.
They need to be the epitome of demonstrating your core values within the organization.
This is an opportunity to develop them and to grow them as well.
You might say, well, that just sounds a little bit odd, but if you follow the line of discussion,
you see that we're getting deeper and deeper in the employee connection process.
You want to connect with your new hires early and often.
If you're really serious about your core values, if it's not just that plaque of platitudes
on the wall, if it's real and it is a real expectation of your employees and your leaders
are demonstrating those same core values, if it's that important, then make sure you
blend in those core values into your onboarding process.
Make sure you integrate your values in training modules and online courses.
This ensures that new hires receive consistent messaging about the values throughout their
onboarding journey.
You don't want to be an organization where you say one thing, but the new hire sees something
else.
Include scenarios or case studies that emphasize how adherence to values leads to positive
outcomes.
Have and host welcome events.
Organize welcome events or activities that reflect your traditions and values.
This could be a welcome lunch, team building exercise or event, volunteer opportunities.
Use these events as opportunities to reinforce the importance of shared values in creating
a positive work environment.
Launch interactive online platforms, your company's intranet, social collaboration tools
to showcase values and traditions.
Post engaging content, employee spotlights or success stories that emphasize and recognize
values in action.
Encourage your new hires to participate in online discussions about the company's values.
Have a values recognition program.
In other words, if your new hires are demonstrating the right values, that's a behavioral thing.
Behaviors should be just as important a part of your performance discussion as their actual
job performance.
They should be treated equally.
You can have a person who's a great job performance, but they're poisoning the well.
Their behaviors are toxic.
You have to address the behaviors as well in their demonstration or lack of your core
values.
Recognize those who do demonstrate those values during team meetings, newsletters, social
media, that sort of thing.
Highlight the positive behavior.
Reinforce the importance of the value within your culture.
And implement regular reinforcement.
Reinforce company values consistently throughout the onboarding process and beyond.
This can be achieved through regular communication, training refreshers, ongoing reinforcement
in meetings, that sort of thing.
Incorporate values into your performance evaluations and recognition programs to emphasize their
continued importance.
And if you weave these things into your onboarding process, you can create an immersive and a
meaningful experience that helps new hires understand, appreciate, and embrace your core
values and traditions.
Okay, before we move on to my favorite C, let's go to a quick commercial.
Flagship Talent Solutions is a full cycle talent management and human resources consulting
company.
Our support services include external talent recruitment for professional and managerial
positions to find the right talent who will commit, perform, stay, and grow with your
organization.
Support for your internal recruitment teams for clinical patient care positions such as
RNs and LVNs to help ensure you are hiring the right talent.
Leadership coaching and development.
We can develop one person or your entire team.
Our goal is to take your bosses and create organizational leaders.
Sales coaching to ensure your sales team goals are in alignment with your organizational
goals.
HR consulting in all facets of human resources, including strategy development and culture
transformation.
Talent management support to ensure you have effective performance development and succession
planning processes in place.
And finally, support to help your organization create high performing teams.
Our passion is your talent.
Our result is organizational excellence through your most important asset, your talent.
We offer effective and affordable solutions tailored to your specific needs and budget.
Contact Jeff now to learn more.
You can email him at jeff at flagshiptalent.com or call Jeff at 1-888-530-4189 extension 101.
What are you waiting for?
Let's begin your journey today to take your organization to the next level and become
the flagship in your marketplace.
Okay, as I mentioned, the fourth C is my favorite, but because I have hammered it over and over
in previous episodes and I've referenced it a few times in this episode, I won't spend
as much time on it.
But this fourth C is connection.
Beyond culture, creating personal connections within the team and the organization contributes
to a positive onboarding experience.
So how can you facilitate meaningful connections from day one?
As I mentioned, day one is prior to the employment start date, right?
So there are things you can do prior to them showing up for work that can begin to connect
them with your purpose, your mission in the world, and connecting with the team.
The strategies can include key stakeholder involvement, connect with the organization's
mission.
Should include direct manager involvement so that the employee can connect with the
manager.
Team introduction so that the new hire can connect with the team.
Job shadowing so that the new hire can connect with a job.
Mentorship programs to strengthen relationships and create champions.
And social activities, establishing organizational and team bonding, strengthening bonding.
So you should take advantage of every single opportunity you have to connect at a personal
level with your employees, your new hires and your existing employees.
Because if you don't, that's lost opportunity.
The more connected your employees are, the more engaged they will be.
The more engaged they are, the higher their level of performance.
And if you have the right rewards and recognition systems in place, rewarding good behaviors
and demonstration of core values, then you will increase your attention rates as well.
The last C is check back.
Checking back, following up.
The onboarding journey doesn't end on the first day or on the last day of orientation.
How can employers, how can you ensure ongoing support and how can you gather valuable feedback
from new hires?
The importance of HR follow up and regular check ins, perhaps 30 days, 60 days, 90 days
check ins create an open communication channel for feedback.
Mirror your exit interviews.
I hope you're all doing exit interviews, but why aren't you doing interviews with your
new hires at 30, 60, 90 day intervals to see how things are going, see if they need additional
training, see how they feel about the organization, that sort of thing.
Get a pulse on where that new hire is because if you can keep that person beyond the 90
days, you've increased the odds of retaining that new hire for a longer period of time.
So mirror those exit interviews and utilize something similar for your new hires post
their orientation process.
Have luncheon forums for new hires to discuss their experiences.
Luncheon learns or just small group forums where you have a group of new hires and maybe
you alternate the participants or attendees, buy a pizza, and have some open discussions
with key people within your organization.
Maybe mix that up a little bit.
Maybe HR is one, but they shouldn't be the only one.
Maybe it's your executive team.
But have those forums, more intimate discussions for new hires and to discuss their experiences.
Hold direct managers accountable for properly onboarding new hires.
It's not just an HR responsibility.
It is an organizational responsibility.
And that direct manager who has the most to gain or lose by the success and performance
of that new hire must be involved and should be held to account.
Okay.
I think I've said a mouthful now.
So as we wrap up today's episode, remember that the five C's, which are again compliance,
clarification, culture, connection, and checkback, are the pillars of a successful employee onboarding
process.
Whether you're a healthcare employer shaping the onboarding experience or a new hire navigating
it.
These principles can make a significant impact.
To borrow a line from someone else, it takes a village, but it takes a village to properly
onboard new hires.
But the results for your organization will be increased engagement, performance, and
retention.
So thank you for joining me on this exploration of effective new hire onboarding.
Now it's time for a laugh.
You ready?
Okay, here we go.
So a man joined a big multinational company as a trainee.
On his first day, he phoned the cafeteria and shouted into the phone, give me coffee
quickly.
The voice from the other side responded, you fool.
You've dialed the wrong extension.
Do you know who you're talking to?
The new employee said, no.
Well, I'm the managing director of this company.
The man shouted back.
The trainee said, and do you know who you are talking to?
No replied the managing director.
The trainee said, good.
And he hung up the phone.
You don't want to miss next week's episode, I have a very special guest and it's our Christmas
episode.
So please join us again next week.
It's been a pleasure today and I look forward to the next time.
Take care everyone.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Be the Flagship with Jeff Parsons.
We hope you enjoyed it.
If you did like it, please subscribe and share with others.
Till next time, take the step to become the flagship in your marketplace.