'Onboarding' is a new term compared to its older sibling, 'orientation', but while they are complementary, onboarding goes further and explores the unwritten and informal life of a new employee. This Psych Press graphical presentation takes a short look at this long process and what it involves for Human Resource Practitioners.

1. Orientation to Onboarding:
Magnifying New Hire Success
Psych Press News

2. What is Onboarding?
Onboarding is a processs
that introduces new hires to
your organisation’s culture.
Onboarding
Orientation
Recruitment
“The best onboarding
strategies provide a fast
track to meaningful,
productive work, and strong
employee relationships”
– Ndunguru, 2012
© Copyright Psych Press 2013

3. Orientation and Onboarding
• Orientation and
onboarding are
complementary
• Orientation is a starting
‘event’ covering formal
requirements such as
legal obligations
• Onboarding is a longerterm even lasting weeks
or months aimed at
enhancing a new hire’s
potential for success
More
Onboarding
Onboarding
Orientaton
© Copyright Psych Press 2013
Even More
Onboarding

4. Maslow Meets Onboarding
Growth
• Career aspirations,
professional development
Esteem
• Expectations, what’s
rewarded (and what’s
not)
Belonging
Safety
Physiology
• Unwritten rules,
who’s who
• Health &
safety, policies
& procedures
• Workplace
layout,
where
things are
Orientation is focussed on
formalities and avoiding
problems, onboarding
encompasses how to
achieve excellence.
“Ask two questions: what
emotional take-away does
the onboarding process
create? What perceptual
take away does the
onboarding process create?”
© Copyright Psych Press 2013
– Ndunguru, 2012

5. Value of Onboarding
Thus, onboarding should
achieve…
• Belief and acceptance of
organisational goals and
values
• Commitment and effort
towards the organisation
• Desire to remain
connected with the
organisation
© Copyright Psych Press 2013
Employee
Culture
Vision

6. Growth of Onboarding
• Pre-GFC, implementation
of onboarding grew
strongly
• Intention or
implementation went
from around 40% to 76%
of Aberdeen Group
surveyed businesses
• By this time, orientation
programs were in nearly
93% of businesses
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
– Dai & De Meuse, 2007
© Copyright Psych Press 2013
2005
2006

7. Successful Onboarding
Best-in-class onboarders use
strategies such as…
• Creating new hire checklists
• Introducing new hires to the
‘go to’ people
• Provide forms to new hires
before their first day
• Create peer networking
opportunities
Employee
– Laurano, 2013
“Onboarding fails when it’s
viewed as an event instead of a
process…”
– Vargas, 2013
© Copyright Psych Press 2013
Employer

8. Implementing Onboarding
“There are two key
performance indicators of
successful onboarding: time
to productivity, and
engagement and retention”
– Dai & De Meuse, 2007
Success Factors…
• Emotionally engage
starting day one
• Articulate expectations
and your reasoning
• Addressing cultural fit is a
journey, not a destination
• Link expectations to skills
and relationships
• Onboarding is about
helping hires form new
habits
© Copyright Psych Press 2013

9. If you’re serious about Onboarding...
We encourage you to visit our website at
http://psychpress.com.au/psychometric/talentdevelop.asp?employee-induction to see more about how we
can assist your induction and onboarding process.
Alternatively, contact Dr. Gavin Didsbury on +61 3 9670 0590
or email info@psychpress.com.au to discuss your needs.
© Copyright Psych Press 2013

10. References
Dai, G., & De Meuse, K.P. (2007). A review of onboarding
literature.
Laurano, M. (2013). Onboarding 2013: A new look at new
hires. Aberdeen Group, Boston.
Ndunguru, C.A. (2012). Executive Onboarding: How to hit
the ground running. The Public Manager, 41(3), 6-9.
Vargas, J. (2013). Generation Y: Yearns for challenging and
satisfying government work. T+D, 67(3), 9.
Vernon, A. (2012). New-hire onboarding: Common
mistakes to avoid. T+D, 66(9), 32-33.
© Copyright Psych Press 2013