6 Tips for Onboarding New Managers Successfully

Like any new employee, a new manager has to adapt to a new working environment and organizational culture. But as managers, they also need to meet and lead their teams, and take on leadership responsibilities within the company. This is why giving the management onboarding process enough attention is important to a company’s overall productivity and future success.

How to Onboard New Managers

The process of onboarding managers has similar elements to onboarding new employees. However, onboarding a new manager is vital as it has much to do with the company’s future performance. The goal with the management onboarding process is to 

• Orient new managers with the company’s vision and mission
• Introduce your company’s leadership culture
• Build relationships with the team
• Learn day-to-day responsibilities
• Understand company goals and set expectations

A great onboarding experience can create leaders who help increase productivity and improve employee retention. Here are six great tips to build an effective management onboarding process at your organization.

1. Give an overview of your company’s mission and vision

Giving a new manager a company overview is the simplest first step to an effective management onboarding. A company overview generally includes information about

• The company history
• What you offer (products and services)
• Who your customers are
• The company vision, mission, goals, and values
• Team structure and organizational structure
• Important company policies

Once the new manager understands what you do, make sure they understand why you do it. Be sure to spend a good amount of time detailing the company’s values, mission statements, and vision. Pointing out the organization’s values, mission statements, and vision assists the leader in establishing strategies geared toward accomplishing the company’s purpose after the onboarding process ends.

2. Explain your leadership culture

Make sure your new manager understands your management philosophy and what makes your company unique. Be sure to set clear expectations with managers about what’s expected of them after the onboarding period ends. If your new manager has direct reports, you should also go over important company policies such as 

• Vacation and leave policies
• Employee benefits
• Security policies
• Employee handbook and rules
• Conflict management and resolution
• Promotions and internal mobility policies

You may also want to coach new managers on how you recognize your employees and conduct performance reviews.

3. Set clear expectations

Make sure your new manager understands all the processes, goals, and outcomes they will be responsible for in their role after the onboarding period ends. For instance, are they held to the sales performance of a particular team? Managers should understand their responsibilities for the outcomes their team needs to achieve. How often are managers expected to communicate results and challenges to leadership? Similarly, what work do you expect managers to take on and what work do you expect them to delegate? Use the onboarding period to make sure these expectations are clear.

4. Introduce the team

It is now time to introduce your new manager to the team! Keep in mind that the manager and employees are dealing with a change, which can be challenging. A great place to start is by briefing new managers about the responsibility of each team member. Set up a one-on-one meeting for each team member and the new manager so they can get to know each other and share interests and hobbies. Additionally, encourage the new manager to schedule a team-building activity to build morale, improve socializing, and encourage team spirit.

5. Offer job shadowing and mentor programs

Job shadowing is a great way for managers to see first-hand how things are done at your company! You can start by encouraging your current leaders to include your new managers on important leadership meetings, customer calls, budget discussions, etc. Allow your new manager to ask questions and participate in the work. You may want to schedule follow-up training with them to address any outlying questions and to clarify processes. 

Mentorship programs are also a great way for other company leaders to coach your new manager on leadership competencies and how your organization deals with conflict.

6. Check-in regularly

New managers may be just as anxious and uncertain as new employees.  Don’t expect them to be perfect and meet all the expectations during the first few months. Set up regular meetings between new managers and the HR department to monitor the progress of your new leader. Keep track of the new manager’s insights and thoughts about working in the new environment. Give the new leader endless opportunities to provide feedback about challenges they face in guiding their team.

As you continue to build out your management onboarding process, you may begin to find areas you want to improve and focus on—like some of your wellness programs and benefits. To get started improving these areas, talk to a Wellbeing Specialist today!

References

• Ali, Mudassar; Li, Zhang; Khan, Salim; Shah, Syed Jamal; Ullah, Rizwan. (August 17, 2020). Linking Humble Leadership and Project Success: The Moderating Role of Top Management Support With Mediation of Team-Building. Emerald. Retrieved October 20, 2022 from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJMPB-01-2020-0032/full/html
• Cupshalk, Chimae F. (June 2019). A Case Study of Creative and Critical Thinking in New Manager Onboarding Programs. Northcentral University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved October 20, 2022 from https://www.proquest.com/openview/0364679e1e640a6d976847e7c98058ab/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y.
• Eight Elements Every Manager Onboarding Process Needs To Be Successful. (March 14, 2022). Forbes. Retrieved October 20, 2022 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2022/03/14/eight-elements-every-manager-onboarding-process-needs-to-be-successful/?sh=41fa0899569f.
• Onboarding New Managers Checklist. (March 2, 2018). Resources for Employers. Retrieved October 20, 2022 from https://resources.workable.com/onboarding-new-managers-checklist.
• Noureddin, Loubna. (March 21, 2018). Viewpoint: 5 Key Steps to Effective Manager Onboarding. SHRM. Retrieved October 20, 2022 from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/viewpoint-5-key-steps-to-effective-manager-onboarding.aspx.
• Paavola, Niko. (September 2019). Successful Organizational Socialization From a Sales Management Perspective in a Business to Business Organization. University of Helsinki Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry Department of Forest Sciences. Retrieved October 20, 2022 from https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/307336/Paavola_Niko_Pro_Gradu_2019.pdf?sequence=2.
• Rollet, Jules. (April 8, 2022). Your Go-To Checklist for Onboarding New Managers. Officevibe. Retrieved October 20, 2022 from https://officevibe.com/blog/new-manager-onboarding-checklist.