New Student vs. New Employee

When my daughter started a new middle school, we were overwhelmed and impressed by the communication, organization, and knowledge sharing. They had a system in place that worked! I was expecting to feel like a fish out of water, the new kid on the block, but they started including our family in their community soon after Julia was accepted. Activities included, a pizza party to meet your “peer pal,” dinner with your “peer family,” and a new student breakfast—all before the first day of school. Additional outreach came from the future room parents, admissions director, principal, and welcome committee. Although I thought at first it might be overkill, at every single opportunity we learned more about the school and felt more a part of the school—all the while accomplishing the greater goal of making my daughter feel comfortable and ready to hit the ground running.

This made me think about new employees that join our company. How are we inviting them to be part of the community? Are they being shown the ropes from various perspectives? Beyond HR, what knowledge are we sharing with them? How long does it take them to feel like part of the community? Are we doing everything to ensure the new employee is comfortable and ready to excel in his or her job?