Leadership Effectiveness In Employee Onboarding

Every struggling new hire carries “baggage” from their last job. They just need a reset, not a rejection. A new hire once froze in a meeting when I asked for their thoughts. Later, he admitted, "In my last job, only managers spoke. I wasn’t sure if I should." That’s when I realized you’re not just hiring a person. You’re hiring their past workplace norms too. I now use a 3-phase framework to spot, reset, and reinforce workplace norms early. Phase 1: Surface the hidden sensitivities New hires won’t tell you what’s confusing. They’ll just hesitate. I try to uncover what they assume is “normal.” I look for clues: 🔍 Do they wait for permission instead of taking initiative? 🔍 Do they avoid pushing back in discussions? 🔍 Are they hesitant to ask for feedback? You can do this with an easy expectation reset exercise in onboarding: 1. "At your last job, how did decisions get made?" 2. "How was feedback typically given?" 3. "What was considered ‘overstepping’?" Their answers reveal hidden mismatches between their old playbook and your culture. Phase 2: Reset & align Don’t assume new hires will "figure it out". Make things explicit. I set clear norms: 1. Here, we challenge ideas openly, regardless of role. 2. We give real-time feedback—don’t wait for formal reviews. 3. Speed matters more than waiting for perfection. For this, use “Culture in Action” moments. → Instead of just telling them, model it in real time. → If they hesitate to push back, directly invite them to challenge something. → If they overthink feedback, normalize quick iteration—not perfection. Phase 3: Reinforce through real work Old habits don’t vanish. They resurface under stress. The real test is how they act when things get tough. Create intentional pressure moments: 1. Put them in decision-making roles early. 2. Assign them a project where feedback loops are fast. 3. Push them to own a meeting or initiative. Post-action debriefs help here: “I noticed you held back in that discussion—what was going through your mind?” This helps them reflect & adjust quickly, instead of carrying misaligned habits forward. Most onboarding processes focus on training skills. But resetting unspoken norms is just as critical (if not more). A struggling new hire isn’t always a bad fit. Sometimes, they’re just following the wrong playbook. What’s a past habit you had to unlearn in a new job?

7 ways to onboard like a leader, not a manager Managers check boxes. Leaders build connection, confidence, and commitment — starting on Day 1. Here’s how to make your onboarding unforgettable (for the right reasons): 1. Build with “Flexture” — Structure + Flexibility ↳ New hires should feel the investment. ↳ Structure shows you care. Flexibility shows you trust. ✅ Outline a clear first 2 weeks → Company, team, role, audience → Add white space for questions, exploration, or deeper dives You’re not training robots — you’re planting roots. 2. Assign a Culture Buddy ↳ Give them one go-to person from the start. ✅ Someone who can: → Answer questions → Explain culture → Say “I’ve got you” during the messy middle Connection makes onboarding stick. 3. Build a Shadowing Rotation ↳ One mentor gives them one lens. ↳ Three or four gives them depth. ✅ Let them shadow multiple teammates → Different styles → Different systems → Different strengths Then, let them schedule it — build ownership from the start. 4. Ask Early, Ask Often ↳ Don’t assume “no news” is good news. ✅ Daily or weekly check-ins → “Where are you stuck?” → “What’s still unclear?” → “What’s working really well so far?” Feedback isn’t a final step — it’s the foundation. 5. Empower Resourcefulness ↳ Managers answer every question. ↳ Leaders teach people where to find the answers. ✅ Create a resource map → FAQs → Ticket systems → Key people to go to Show them how to navigate — don’t just point the way. 6. Introduce Mission Early ↳ Don’t just show them what to do — show them why it matters. ✅ Tie tasks to purpose → “This is how your work connects to our mission.” → “This is the impact we’re building together.” People commit when they understand the bigger picture. 7. Celebrate Small Wins ↳ Recognition builds momentum. ✅ Day 3? Celebrate initiative. ✅ End of Week 1? Celebrate curiosity. ✅ Week 2? Celebrate growth. New hires are watching everything. Start with belief. The first 2 weeks determine whether someone sees a future with your team. Make those days Intentional. Personal. Memorable. Lead. Inspire. Achieve. Ignite it. 💯🔥 ♻️ Repost to help others transform onboarding 🔔 Follow Dwight Braswell, MBA for tactical tools and frameworks 👉 Get 200+ leadership questions + the New Leader Bundle: https://lnkd.in/gmYczQHh

What’s the #1 cause of frustration and friction you encounter as an organizational leader? We believe the answer centers on “unmet expectations.” We have observed a common 4-step cycle when companies hire new employees and begin setting expectations. The cycle goes like this: Step 1: Hope. After a new hire, the supervisor is hopeful the new employee will fulfill their assigned role perfectly, and the employee is excited about their new job. Step 2: Unclear expectations. Rarely does the supervisor take the time to engage the new employee and deliver a clear duty description with roles and responsibilities. Despite not delivering clear expectations, the supervisor is sure that the employee understands their expectation of “ABC” but often the employee has a very different picture of the expectations and believes their job entails “XYZ” Thus, they quickly transition to the next step. Step 3: Frustration. The supervisor grumbles, “My darn employee won’t do their job!” While the employee complains, “My boss is a toxic leader!” This leads to a critical decision in Step 4. Step 4: Fire/Quit/Tolerate. The supervisor fires the employee. The employee quits. Or they maintain the work relationship, but the team suffers due to suboptimal performance. A healthy 4-step cycle looks like this: Step 1: Hope. This remains the same. Step 2: Clear Expectations. The supervisor sits down with the employee and gets to know them during onboarding. They both share their backgrounds, hobbies, families, goals, and strengths/weaknesses. The supervisor asks, “What are your expectations of me as your supervisor?” The supervisor creates an environment of caring engagement and open communication. Only when this is complete, does the supervisor clearly lay out the expectations for the employee in the form of 1) Company Values 2) Required Skills 3) Roles and Responsibilities 4) Goals/Key Performance Indicators. Step 3: Review Standards. The supervisor regularly sits down with the employee and reviews these agreed upon standards. The supervisor praises the employee for areas of compliance, holds them accountable for areas of non-compliance, and helps the employee solve problems and develop in their role. Step 4: Conform or Leave. The supervisor is on a firm foundation and the employee chooses to either conform to the clear standards or leave the team. This healthy cycle is vital to solving two critical aspects of organizational leadership. The first is building culture. The values the supervisor describes to the employee are the desired cultural values of the company. Relaying the importance of these at the outset and routinely reinforcing them is essential to building the company’s desired culture. The second aspect is holding people accountable. The clear initial discussion and following one-on-ones minimize emotions from the equation and make holding someone accountable a much easier and feasible endeavor. Looking for more leadership development? Message me!