Page 4 - The Leadership Line: September 2021

HR Highlight

Sarah Kelly

Sarah works in the Charleston Admin/HR office as a Human Resources Specialist. She has been
with MIL for 5 ½ years, and it is here where she discovered her calling for Human Resources. She
obtained a master’s degree in Human Resources Management, and just recently passed the PHR
exam certifying her as Professional in Human Resources. Sarah is passionate about providing
top-notch customer service and interacting and creating close working relationships with our
employees. Sarah is responsible for handling new hire orientations, offboarding employees, as well
as assisting employees and managers with HR related issues, questions, and forms.

Culture and Onboarding

Onboarding is among the toughest types of job transitions. Why? Because new hires, even
if they are experienced professionals, are unfamiliar with the business, don’t understand
how things really work, lack established relationships, and must adapt to a new culture.

If you want new employees to embody the company’s values ( as expressed in The Pledge),
managers must show them what that looks like. New employees are like sponges. While
they get settled in, they’ll be absorbing every move you make—whether you’re making
them consciously or not.
When onboarding managers will benefit from a checklist. Great managers set clear
expectations and act as guides to new employees. Managers could take a coaching approach
and assign a buddy within the department to assist with immersing the new hire to MIL’s
culture.

Given that most people stay at (or leave) a job due to their relationship with their immediate boss,
leaders should pay close attention to the roles of managers during onboarding. It’s important that
members of management establish one-on-one relationships with their direct reports. This can occur
when new employees are handed off after completing certain orientation activities. A few elements
managers could focus on in the first interaction and throughout their relationship with an employee
include:

» Get the team involved (and aware) when possible
» Assign a buddy
» Share important first week information
» Reinforce key teams and stakeholders and set up regular chats with the new hire
» Celebrate first year anniversary and early accomplishments

A strong culture attracts top talent, but a focus on ensuring all employees align with it is what gives
MIL the traction to meet ever-demanding business objectives.