Belonging through onboarding
This post originally appeared in Dr. Rachel A. Larimore’s weekly Samara newsletter on June 13, 2023. If you’re interested in receiving these emails, scroll to the bottom of this page to subscribe.
“Onboarding” commonly refers to new staff orientation. Often the focus is tax forms, learning the policies and procedures, and other logistics. However, onboarding should also be about welcoming and building relationships.
Believe it or not, the onboarding process actually begins the moment you announce the position and continues up to a year after employment. What?! 🤯
Onboarding builds the foundation for a long-term relationship working together.
The onboarding process should create a sense of belonging. New staff should feel they belong and are part of the team while also feeling they can be their authentic selves as a member of the team.
To create that relationship, we provide clear training about the logistics (so they know what’s going on) while also connecting with them as a person.
Before school starts this might look like sending a handwritten note the entire team has signed–separate from the official hire letter. Or maybe a welcome package sent to their home that includes tools they’ll need as a nature-based teacher (a nice journal, hand lens, stocking cap, etc.)
The start of school orientation will include touring the facilities (Inside, Outside, & Beyond), potential natural hazards in the area, discussing the program philosophy, and all policies and procedures. And…it’s also important to introduce the team to each other, provide them a space for their gear, and facilitate more relaxed time for team members to build relationships.
The first year after the new staff’s arrival is another important step of the onboarding process–one that is often missed. Individualized professional development plans along with regular check-ins between supervisors and staff members can help create a sense of belonging. An individualized professional development plan is unique to the individual’s skills, knowledge, and interest rather than one-size-fits all professional development.
In the first year some programs implement a mentoring program where new staff members are connected with a veteran staff member. When several new staff are joining the team at the same time, some programs will offer monthly check-in meetings with all of the new team members. This is a chance to answer any questions or clarify policies, procedures, and philosophy.
It can also be a nice touch to celebrate a team member’s 1-year anniversary! (It’s even better if it comes with a cash bonus or a gift of some sort. 😀)
Whatever your approach, I hope you’ll share the logistics of the job, while also creating a sense of belonging. After all, this is a team member we hope will flourish and thrive in the program for years to come!
Keep changing lives,
Rachel
Rachel A. Larimore, Ph.D., Chief Visionary of Samara Learning
