Thought Leadership in Action

Onboarding, also dubbed organizational socialization, helps new hires acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become effective and engaged employees. Research has shown that successful onboarding strategies raise the odds of positive outcomes for new employees – including higher job satisfaction, better job performance, greater organizational commitment, a reduction in stress and less likelihood of quitting.

However, human resource leaders and managers need to tweak onboarding techniques for the growing number of young employees who are members of the Millennial Generation (also known as “Generation Y”). The reason? This newest crop of young professionals tend to be highly educated and remarkably proficient in using technology, yet too often ill-prepared for the workplace with a tendency to feel entitled and sometimes even downright disrespectful. By incorporating an understanding of Millennials’ values and goals, an updated onboarding process can zero in on what it is that makes this generation “tick” and use this understanding to quickly and effectively bring new employees up to speed in the workplace.

That’s the theme of 90 Days, 90 Ways: Onboard Young Professionals to Peak Performance, recently published by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD). Written by public speaker and HR consultant Alexia Vernon, the book points out that it is high time for organizations to learn how to relate to Millennials. After all, the tech-savvy Gen Y demographic (comprised of those born between 1980 and 2000 ) will make up the single largest generation in the workplace by 2016.

Understanding Millennials

“Although young professionals are diverse in educational background and privilege, there are still key similarities to be aware of and to use in your onboarding strategies,” Vernon writes. “One motivator is paramount and needs to be considered before a young professional ever walks in your door: engagement.”

She explains that Millennials think about work in a fundamentally different way than previous generations – they have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to feel ownership over their work. They also want to understand how what they do affects not only other employees, clients and customers, but the community and the world at large.

Their sense of entitlement, Vernon suggests, comes from growing up in a self-help culture that has promoted the idea they are entitled to a career that has meaning to them personally. While this has created a stereotypical view of Millennials as “coddled,” HR leaders and managers need to accept and work with this attitude, she says. By recognizing that this generation expects to have a voice in decisions that affect them and to feel that the rest of the organization is their team or community, Millennials can be onboarded and feel connected to their new jobs more quickly and efficiently.

Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that Baby Boomers (still the largest generation in the workplace for several more years) will have about 10 to 11 jobs during their careers, Millennials are expected to have at least nine jobs before they turn 32. However, Vernon writes, most can be incredibly loyal to their organizations if they have work they feel is important and makes an impact. These young professionals are looking for a possibility-centered work culture, a sense of autonomy and opportunities for integrating work with their life – and onboarding tactics need to reflect these values.

Takeaway Tips from Alexia Vernon for Onboarding Millennials:

• Communicate the “4 Ps” consistently from day one – professionalism, performance, problem solving and passion.
• How should young professionals be held accountable for job performance? Ask them to answer this question.
• Remind your new hires about the grounds for assessment they have agreed to. Hold them accountable to the vision of achievement they helped co-create.
• Inspire Millennials by finding out what motivates them and then help them get these needs met through their work.
• Give feedback that is both timely and specific and keeps the focus on identifiable behaviors. Always have a personal follow-up plan.
• Shift talk about employee mistakes and obstacles into opportunities to learn and grow.

The Importance of Managers for Onboarding Success

A survey by the Society for Human Resource Development found that 44% of managers of young workers reported some workplace intergenerational conflict exists in their companies. In her new book, Vernon (who is a member of the Millennial Generation herself) offers examples of how young employees too often aggravate and frustrate older workers with behaviors such as texting during meetings, showing up late for work and even “dropping by” the CEO’s office to discuss vacation plans.

She presents a convincing case that managers need to understand the significant role they can play in successfully training and onboarding the Y generation, as well as encouraging professional behavior in the workplace from new hires’ first day on the job. The key, Vernon writes in 90 Days, 90 Ways: Onboard Young Professionals to Peak Performance is for managers to take a greater sense of personal responsibility for successfully onboarding young workers over the course of the first 90 days on the job.

For example, managers should let young workers know specifically what’s expected of them during their first week on the job. That means being clear about explaining everything from appropriate dress and social media policies to performance expectations. “This is the time for these workers to see if they’re really a good fit for your company or not,” Vernon states. “Don’t make the mistake of trying to sugarcoat your culture. That doesn’t help anyone.”

Vernon also emphasizes that the “90 days” of onboarding noted in her book’s title is important. The reason, she explains, is that neuroscientists have found it takes about 90 days to change habits – and it is the number of days needed by most new hires to lay the foundation for success in their companies. Because onboarding is inherently about developing new habits, Vernon emphasizes that behaviors that are critical to job success in your organization should be continually reinforced for 90 days.

During this time, managers should focus on relationship building, she writes: “The most important relationship for young professionals to build is their relationship with their direct supervisor or manager. Be curious, and ask your new hires what gets them jazzed. Begin to explore how they like to work and what they need to be successful.”