Strong cultures approach onboarding as a critical opportunity to build safety and belonging for new hires.

Companies like Apple and Pixar use onboarding as an opportunity to imbue key mindsets and norms. For example, Apple new hires receive a note that says “People don’t come here to play it safe. They come to swim in the deep end. They want their work to add up to something. Something big. Something that couldn’t happen anywhere else. Welcome to Apple.” At Pixar, you are brought into a movie auditorium where leaders say, “Whatever you did before, you are a moviemaker now. We need your help to make our movies better.”

• **Use the PALS Onboarding Method (Daniel Coyle): **
  • Personalized Welcome: New hires are greeted with their name on a screen or sign on the wall - or if remotely - when they log in.
  • Artifact: A token of appreciation (t-shirt, emblem, etc.)
  • Lunch with the Team: Eat with a team, not to talk about work, but to get to know one another. If remote - a virtual lunch or happy hour.
  • Solo Meeting with the Manager: A Microsoft study found that employees who met with managers early built stronger networks, possessed a stronger sense of belonging, and had higher retention rates