New Manager Onboarding
Successful companies understand what it takes to train managers who have limited time, maybe overwhelmed assimilating new information, and potentially bring limited or entry-level leadership skills to their job. One-size training does not fit all the needs of a new manager. I have tested and measured a multifaceted approach to onboard new managers, saving thousands in company spend while simultaneously achieving key results.
Training Experiences Reflect Company Culture
Onboarding new managers via classroom training events only, without involving their managers or providing ongoing performance support, sends a clear message — “Managers, you’re on your own”. Furthermore, while in-person training may be straightforward to operationalize, relying solely upon the “tried-and-true” classroom model is a reflection of a company’s culture and its talent development strategy. In that scenario, the return on value is invisible to the L&D department and important skills remain undeveloped in participants.
Solution Summary
Immediately after being identified, new managers need just-in-time, personalized, and ongoing performance support, in both technical and interpersonal skills, in order to help them rise to the new challenges they will face in their new roles. In addition, involving a new manager’s immediate supervisor in the onboarding process not only increases the adoption of support resources, but contributes indirectly to raising levels of engagement within new managers’ direct reports.
The impact study of this solution measured engagement as well as showed reduced costs (over the prior solution) and greater value for managers in both the short and long-term. The most recent version of the blended approach allowed managers to customize their learning based on their individual needs, ultimately leading to higher performance and happier teams.
“Blending face-to-face mentoring and peer coaching with online simulations, AI chat-bots, and personalized checklists, has shown to be more effective and less expensive than supporting single-event, classroom training for onboarding the new manager.”
Solution Detail
New Manager Roadmap - A Virtual Onboarding experience for people leaders
My Role Solution Designer & Program Manager
Goal A single source for onboarding managers using smarter technology for on-demand, personalized support across one year
Skills Used Stakeholder partnering, needs assessment, benchmarking, interviewing, influencing, executive presentation, data analysis, decision making, UX design, vendor selection / management, project management
Modalities In-person coaching, dynamic web portal, interactive video, mobile AI chat bot
Objectives Completed
Rebuilt online access to on-demand manager resources
Rebranded onboarding communications
Developed an AI chat-bot coach
Reimagined onboarding e-checklists for week 1 through 6 months
Repackaged on-demand micro-videos demonstrating technical and soft-skills
Demonstrated agile design with performance metrics
Results
Impact study revealed the top three most valuable resources used by new managers helping my team focus its resources
Saved ~$400k/year over prior, ILT-only solution
Mobile chat bot (performance support):
Adoption rate = 68%, Annual retention (of those subscribed) = 96%.Introduced automated scripts (tied to HRIS reporting feed) for locating and inviting newly identified people managers, each Monday, to subscribe to 12 months of on-demand, customized support.
Solution Layers
Buddy system for spot coaching
Virtual facilitator-led training (V-ILT) — monthly, facilitated, manager-to-manager web conferencing
Asynchronous chat-bot “performance coach” (a mobile, AI personality providing on-demand and time-sensitive information to subscribed managers over 12-months)
Interactive micro-video lessons (practice scenarios with quizzes and custom learning paths)
Personalized onboarding 30-60-90-365-day checklist generator (based on start date)