Onboarding accelerates the assimilation of new hires into senior leadership roles and integrates executives in a more structured and effective way. By strategically immersing new leaders into a corporate culture, businesses can make a more meaningful impact and empower teams for long term success.

At a time when cross-industry and cross-function moves are becoming more common, onboarding is crucial to bridge the gaps. We help you sustain high-performance through leadership transitions by creating onboarding plans tailored to the role requirements, your corporate culture, and the capabilities and background of the incoming executive. We support recently hired or internally-promoted executives with the knowledge and strategies required to:

• Meet the expectations of the role
• Achieve performance management goals
• Navigate stakeholder and decision-making networks
• Understand cultural nuances and driving principles
• Drive short and long-term success

Coaching is a key component of our onboarding strategy. From the first qualifying call, through the entire selection process, we coach executives on how to bring forward their knowledge and capabilities to meet the hiring organization’s expectations. Coaching should not suddenly end after the selection is complete. Continuing as a trusted advisor through the entire onboarding process ensures that our in-depth knowledge of the organization’s structure, teams, and culture can be made available to the executive and the hiring managers at the most crucial time of the working relationship.

Our Approach to Onboarding

Long-term Success

Onboarding has traditionally been seen as make-or-break within the first 90 days, but this can contradict with leadership transformation plans that can span multiple years. While the initial onboarding period is essential, we work with your teams to develop a long-term vision for the role and extended evaluation milestones. We empower leaders to quickly deliver a positive impact to your organization while not being restricted by short-term vision.

Tailored to the Executive

We tailor our onboarding and coaching programs to meet the specific requirements identified during the skills, knowledge and personality assessment of the incoming leader, in context with the role requirements and corporate culture. We highlight ways to maximize strengths and implement training and coaching plans to fill gaps.

Performance Management And Milestones

We work with your leadership teams, HR and the incoming executive to sign off on measurable performance expectations. This ensures all parties are set up for success by co-creating performance targets and making priorities clear.

Comprehensive Onboarding Guide

We help you create a comprehensive onboarding guide that details reporting hierarchies and stakeholders, employee analysis data, team capability strengths and gaps, strategic plans, vendor relationships, performance goals, company values, and any other areas that are essential to your success.

Managing Relocation

Our search consultants have extensive experience with cross-border hires and executive relocation. Changing city, country or region can be extremely unsettling for executives and their families. We make sure that your onboarding strategy includes support for creating a new home in a new environment.  

Managing Leadership Overlap

A short overlap in leadership terms gives the departing executive an opportunity to share their strategic vision and impart historical knowledge that could otherwise be lost. If an overlap is not possible, we make sure that the departing leader creates a comprehensive handover guide and is available for a limited number of advisory calls.

Two-way Onboarding Process

The entire organization is responsible for the success of the new hire and there needs to be a two-way onboarding process. Remaining open to learning and evolution ensures that your organization can benefit from their extensive experience and unique background. This is especially true when building diverse teams.

Internal Onboarding

Onboarding is not just for external hires. Too often internal promotions leave employees in unfamiliar territory with little support while facing the unique challenge of redefining their status within the organization. We offer internal hires the same level of support and coaching as external candidates to ensure maximum performance.   

Culture Assessment

Corporate culture often defies clear articulation and new hires can be left to slowly interpret the dominant beliefs and behaviors of the workforce, with some clashes along the way. We use culture assessment tools to create a structured analysis that clearly outlines governing principles, working practices and potential pitfalls.

Partner With Us

A well-planned onboarding process ensures that your organization thrives under new leadership and minimizes the risk of costly failures. It guides executives to reach their maximum performance while facilitating productive working relationships between new and existing employees. We look forward to deeply understanding your business and guiding your team through the hiring and onboarding process.