Onboarding: A Ticket to Belonging

“What does onboarding look like?” It’s a question we get a lot from candidates. We don’t blame them one bit. Onboarding can look so different from company to company. Will it be sink or swim? Is there any training? Who will you meet? At Third and Grove, we believe that a thoughtful onboarding process introduces new team members to the right people, identifies and addresses skills gaps, and clarifies expectations for the first ninety days and beyond. We’ve done the work of translating that roadmap into a remote-friendly and purposeful plan, and we want to share that like it’s open source code.

Pre-boarding

After a new team member’s offer letter is signed, we send them a welcome email right away. This communication outlines what, if anything, we need from them, but it’s more of a memo to set expectations on what they can expect from us.

Our Operations team sends a welcome kit to the new team member, including items that the whole family can enjoy, like the M&Ms we had custom printed, along with a run down of our values and what life at TAG looks like.

We inform the new team member that we’ll be sending an onboarding schedule outlining their first few weeks here, asking if they have any standing appointments or schedule needs to alleviate any anxiety over personal conflicts. Starting a new job comes with some unknowns, and we aim to anticipate or eliminate as many as we possibly can.

Welcome aboard!

On the team member’s first day, they meet with our Operations team first thing in the morning to access accounts and go over policies. Step-by-step instructions are given live here, going at the new team member’s own pace. Benefits are reviewed directly with HR.

We also use the buddy system. That means we pick someone from outside the new team member’s immediate team, usually at a similar seniority level, to act as a buddy during their ramp-up. While they’re always encouraged to ask their manager or team any questions they have, we recognize that it might feel uncomfortable at first. The buddy simply gives them one more support person to lean on and get to know outside of their direct team. For example, a question to a buddy might look like, “Hey, is it a big deal to reschedule this meeting?” when you are not sure what the vibe is on flexibility level. Buddies offer neutral and honest guidance, and spend some time one on one getting to know the new team member.

In an official capacity, managers are clear with their new team members about expectations for their first ninety days and have open conversations where input is given on both sides. Our CPO checks in with new team members at their 30, 60, and 90 day checkpoints to ensure there are no gaps in their onboarding. We want to confirm the new team member feels supported and empowered to own their role.

A map to belonging

On top of being thorough and personal with our onboarding, we also make a concerted effort to bridge communications between the new team member and the rest of the existing team. On their first day, new team members are asked to introduce themselves in Slack using the controversial @here, telling the team a bit about themselves and taking a stand on our long-running debate of whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich.

One on one intros are made early and often, which is particularly helpful in a remote environment where you might not speak to someone directly until you need something from them. During the first few weeks, new team members meet their immediate team, their project teams, TAG’s owners, and the leaders of each department. Of course, we also invite them to our weekly remote Watercooler call, a Monday informal chat. Once the Monthly Staff Meeting or TAG Team Trivia rolls around, we find ways to introduce and highlight the new team members company-wide, like two truths and a lie during the Monthly Staff meeting. We also always say that if you want to chat with your coworkers, there's a conversation to be had somewhere —whether that's in #music, #food, or even #birding—if you’re into that sort of thing.

A worthwhile journey starts with heart

It is our goal that every new team member is set up for success, and we’re grateful to our entire team for this cross-functional effort. Together, we are able to offer a personalized onboarding experience that’s coupled with transparency and feedback, as well as initiate crucial connections early on. Because it’s not enough to just like your welcome package, or to just like your manager. New team members need to feel a sense of belonging with the team at large. Through including them where needed from the beginning, we create a path for just that.