𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 / 𝗢𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

90% of startups fail. How can you ensure yours thrives?

In the coming weeks, we'll dive into five crucial execution pitfalls in your startup and how to avoid them. While challenges are inevitable, many originate from missteps in planning, comprehension, and execution.

We’ll mitigate those risks.

"Success is a distillation of all

the failures which came before."

– Guy Raz

Let's Get Started

Today, we explore the pivotal moment of onboarding and its lasting first impression.

Effective onboarding is crucial for startup success. It helps to:

• Retain top talent and reduce turnover

• Increase employee engagement

• Encourage customer retention

• Connect performance to company growth

• Accelerate time-to-productivity

With employees representing your highest expense—or one of them—fast and efficient onboarding impacts your growth and margins.

Onboarding Process Breakdown

A lot of information needs to be covered for a new hire to get up to speed.

Before someone begins, they should receive:

• Knowledge about the company, including media and decks

• Any forms to be completed and signed

• Their schedule for the first week

• Internal preparation for arrival e.g. access to systems

In the first week, focus on these areas:

• Make the first day special based on your culture

• Introductions to the founders, team, and leaders to get a broad perspective

• Assign an onboarding mentor, ideally from a different team

• Set clear 30/60/90-day goals and expectations

Regular Check-ins

Employees should be evaluated on their first day.

While they will need time to learn processes, tools, and team dynamics, they can still demonstrate learning and participation from the outset.

For the first two weeks (at least), have new hires reflect at the end of each day:

• What did you accomplish?

• What did you learn?

• What do you look forward to understanding tomorrow?

Each response should be one sentence or two sentences to avoid an onerous exercise.

This inquiry encourages new hires to process their learning and prepare for the next day, and it allows managers to clarify anything when needed.

Onboarding Project

New hires can be assigned a worthy project to complete. Examples include building an org. chart, proposing a new process, or writing a blog post.

This activity reinforces learning, encourages collaboration (e.g. how to get things done), demonstrates competence, and improves the company.

Give Feedback Early

Conduct a light version of your evaluation 6-8 weeks after starting to encourage feedback. This also shows that performance is valued and how it's assessed.

Focus on future expectations and discuss any issues with performance or interactions with others. It's much easier to address these early before they become bigger problems.

With so much invested in your employees, effective onboarding leads to faster productivity and company growth.

______________________________

This post was written by me with AI editing. The illustration is generated by AI.

Our latest newsletter includes Founder Lessons in Launch by Asmaa Kabbaj.

Subscribe here.

𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲: 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗸 is a 500-page handbook with over 130 separate articles that ascend into topics like leadership, growth, sales, marketing, operations, finance, and teams. In five minutes, learn the best methods and practical solutions to reach your dreams.