Workplace culture starts from the leadership team so this is vital to remember first. Every new team member you hire of any role or position will bring their own thoughts, ideas and experiences - so making sure you find ways of listening to these is vital to organisational success. I found when leading my non-profit that having an ‘open door’ policy worked really well. Also to try humanise the organisational structure and say that everyone’s views are equal. My team members found it welcoming when I said I didn’t know everything and we’re a team together. Having clear policies which are available really helps alongside regular all-team meetings where team members could add to the agenda. Inclusivity only works when you include.

Goals are important in almost everything. When each team member share the same goal, major setbacks can be avoided. Addressing concerns: new team members could have concerns that should be answered head on by team leaders. Setting and managing expectations: Some members could have expectations that made them join the organisation or influenced their decisions. Setting realistic and actionable expectations will definitely lead to smooth onboarding to most members.

Some of the things I’ve found work well are: Detailed induction packs - containing the most important info for the new entrant upfront. Such as the organisation’s governance structure, where they sit within it, the role of their team/group and what influence they can explore. Buddying them up - connect them to a suitable person in the organisation that will share all the ‘soft information’ of how to get things done. Such as helping them understand the organisation’s culture, connecting them to peer groups, opening the door to them building personal relationships with key stakeholders. Promoting cross-organisational initiatives to them as soon as possible, ideally including something connected to their initial objectives.