Leadership onboarding from an EVP Perspective

Organisations can leverage their EVP to accelerate the onboarding process and maximise the contribution of new leaders. 

Employee contributions:

• Self-efficacy, or the belief in one's ability to perform a job successfully, is a crucial element in effective onboarding. Research demonstrates that self-efficacy positively impacts organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and retention rates (Bauer, 2010). Recognising this, organisations should implement onboarding initiatives that specifically target and enhance new hires' self-confidence as they adapt to the new organizational environment.

Employer contributions:

• Role Clarity: The EVP can help to clarify the role of the new leader within the organization, their responsibilities, and how they fit into the overall structure. Research by Bauer (2010) on onboarding highlights the importance of role clarity for new employee success. This can be extrapolated to leaders, where role clarity is even more crucial for effective decision-making and influencing others.
• Organisational support: A mixed-methods study (Warshawsky et al, 2020) at the 2019 American Organisation of Nurse Leaders (AONL) annual meeting, involving 41 nurse leaders and drawing on data from 647 nurse managers, identified key strategies for successful onboarding and transition of nurse managers:
• Structured onboarding with specialised processes (e.g., a structured residency-type programme, lasting between 100 days to a year, is recommended. Succession planning and emerging leader programmes can foster a growth mindset and prepare future leaders).
• Mentorship and coaching (formal mentorship programmes involving experienced nurse managers or directors are crucial for guidance and support. Building trust and fostering open communication are essential for successful mentoring relationships).
• Knowledge development courses (competency development can be delivered through various methods, including self-paced online modules, in-house courses, conferences, and simulations).
• Program evaluation (to determine effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and ensure sustainability. Cost-benefit analysis can demonstrate the return on investment and support continued funding for development programmes).

How Quickly Leaders Get Onboarded from an EVP Perspective

Watkins (2013) advocates for a shift from basic "onboarding" to a more comprehensive "integration" approach for new executives. The authors argue that simply bringing an executive "safely on deck" is insufficient and that companies must actively support their integration into the new role and organisation.

The authors highlight the following key points:

• A global survey of 588 senior executives revealed that organisational culture and politics were the primary reasons for failure in new roles, not a lack of competence. Almost 70% cited a lack of understanding of norms and practices as a major challenge.
• Well-integrated executives can reduce the average time to reach full performance by a third (from six months to four). A "sink-or-swim" approach is costly, both financially and in terms of the executive's reputation and followership.
• The authors propose a framework with five core transition tasks new executives must undertake:

1. Assuming operational leadership
2. Taking charge of the team
3. Aligning with stakeholders
4. Engaging with the culture
5. Defining strategic intent

• They also define four levels of integration support companies can provide:

1. Sink or swim (minimal support).
2. Basic orientation (information sharing).
3. Active assimilation (organised meetings with key stakeholders).
4. Accelerated integration (custom-designed experiences, such as workshops and deep-dive discussions).

• Includes a case study of a consumer goods company that successfully transitioned from basic orientation to a more robust integration approach, resulting in improved performance and faster time to full effectiveness for new executives.
• The authors urge organisations to treat integration as a fundamental part of their talent strategy, investing the necessary resources to support new leaders and reap the rewards more quickly.

References:

Bauer, T. N. (2010). Onboarding new employees: Maximizing success. SHRM Foundation

Warshawsky, N.E. Caramanica, L., &. Cramer, E. (2020). Organizational support got nurse manager role transition and onboarding, The Journal of Nursing Administration, 50 (5), 254-260 

Watkins, M. (2013). The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter. Harvard Business Review Press