There was recently a poll to ask how important onboarding was. An answer could be given between 2 and 5. Most people chose 5 -- very important. I certainly won't argue against that. But, it is a large mistake, in my opinion, to become complacent because you have a good onboarding system set up.
Onboarding can serve a lot of getting started questions. What are the benefits? How do you apply for them? Setting up direct deposit of paychecks. What are the basic company rules? Hours? Remote options (if any)? Security -- both physical (ID cards usually, sometimes thumb keys) and network (passwords, network access, etc.). These are all important (and I'm certain I have forgotten some important aspects). They provide a working environment for the new employee -- giving that person the ability to function within the company. This process may take as long as a week to get ID cards returned, network permissions changed, etc -- and it is to the company's (and employee's) benefit for this to happen as quickly as possible.
But consider a fledgeling bird. They have watched their parents, exercised their wings, grown their feathers. At some point, they jump off the edge of the nest. Most of the time they stay in the air. Occasionally they fall to the ground (hopefully not far, birds still can attain a pretty fast terminal velocity). But, now on the ground, they are vulnerable -- "out of their element" and without support. They have a small window to recover or they will enter the next phase of the circle of life.
Onboarding should, minimally, provide the nest -- the ability to survive while they become functional. But exercising that muscle means doing tasks and projects. Growing those feathers requires time and experience. And they are often required to jump off the edge of the nest before they have all of the knowledge and experience needed. (Recognizing that they would have a hard time getting it without applied efforts.)
So, how to help the fledgelings soar? Whether in a company, a school, an outdoor survival school, or whatever. This is where mentoring and coaching (see my earlier blogs -- and other sources, of course, exist) take over.
I would suggest that during the process of onboarding is the best time to also start the mentoring system. It may be a bit early for coaching unless both the company and the employee have a well-defined focus for their work tasks from the very beginning. But such is possible. If so, having the same person perform both coaching and mentoring may work very well (but multiple people can serve the purposes).
By all means do prepare the plane but get that runway cleared to ascend to the heights.
