When onboarding new hires, there’s no role more critical than that of senior leaders and executives.
A well-structured onboarding program ensures that these leaders integrate smoothly, align with your company's mission, and positively impact long-term business success. Yet, studies show that many organizations fail to effectively onboard executives, leading to disengagement, early turnover, and missed opportunities.
Our blog will explore how companies can onboard executives effectively, improve the executive employee experience, and create the foundation for senior leader success. Whether your organization is navigating the challenges of hybrid work or strengthening your company culture, these strategies will ensure your leadership team is set up for success.
Why Executive Onboarding Matters
Senior leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of a company. Their decisions have a ripple effect across departments, influencing business strategy, team morale, and overall company culture. However, onboarding for these roles often lacks the structure and depth needed for success.
In fact, 40% of new executives fail within the first 18 months, largely due to ineffective onboarding processes (The HR Team).
This statistic highlights the importance of investing in a strategic onboarding plan that aligns leaders with the company’s long-term goals. Executives face unique challenges when transitioning into a new company. Their role involves not just mastering daily responsibilities but understanding complex organizational dynamics and creating cross-functional relationships.
Effective onboarding ensures that senior leaders can hit the ground running and contribute meaningfully to the company's success.
The Phases of Effective Executive Onboarding
To onboard executives effectively, HR leaders must design a structured plan that spans multiple phases, from preboarding to the first six months of employment. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process.
1. Preboarding: Laying the Foundation
Preboarding is critical to setting the tone for an executive’s first day. This phase should include: A comprehensive introduction to company values, goals, and leadership expectations. Scheduling meetings with key stakeholders before their start date. Providing all necessary materials, such as organizational charts, strategy documents, and business goals, to help them understand the company's position in the market. Preboarding is often overlooked, but it's a crucial opportunity to begin aligning the new leader with your company culture. It's also the time to clarify key performance metrics and short-term objectives. Setting these expectations upfront is critical to ensure senior leader success.
2. The First 30 Days: Building Relationships
The first month should focus heavily on relationship-building. New executives need to establish trust with their teams, peers, and direct reports, which is essential for effective leadership. Schedule one-on-one meetings with team members and other senior leaders to:
Understand their perspectives on the company’s challenges and opportunities.
Learn about team dynamics and any pressing issues that require attention.
Build rapport and establish open communication channels.
It’s during these early days that executives begin forming their impression of the executive employee experience, so ensure they have the support they need to integrate smoothly. If the process is rushed or unclear, they may become disengaged and lose confidence in their ability to make an impact.
Amirra's personal approach helps leaders connect with their teams on a deeper level through the People Connector feature, which highlights each team member's personal likes, hobbies, and skills. By providing easy access to this information, leaders can better understand their team members beyond their professional roles, building trust, rapport, and open communication. This fosters stronger connections and creates a more engaged and dynamic team environment.
3. The First 90 Days: Strategic Integration
After the initial relationship-building phase, it’s time to dive deeper into strategic initiatives. The executive should now have a clear understanding of team dynamics and company expectations, allowing them to:
Participate in leadership team meetings and strategic planning sessions.
Begin contributing to cross-functional initiatives, ensuring alignment between departments.
Review progress toward the goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) set during preboarding.
At this stage, ensure regular check-ins to address any questions or challenges.
72% of employees say that one-on-one time with their manager is crucial for effective onboarding (Oak Engage).
Executives are no different. They need this time to reflect on their progress and receive feedback.
Key Components for Onboarding Success
A structured onboarding plan for executives should go beyond the first few months. To onboard executives effectively, your strategy must include continuous support and evaluation. Here are the critical components:
Clear Expectations and Deliverables
A major reason for early executive turnover is a lack of clarity around expectations. Setting measurable goals ensures that new leaders understand what is required for success. 60% of businesses do not set goals for new hires, which can lead to disengagement and turnover (Oak Engage). To avoid this pitfall, work with the new executive to establish clear KPIs within the first 90 days and revisit them at regular intervals.
Cultural Assimilation
Executives need to not only understand the business but also immerse themselves in the company culture. This is especially important for organizations with strong values or those undergoing significant change.
With Amirra’s orientation function your new leaders receive all in one place:
A formal introduction to company values and cultural expectations.
Opportunities for informal interaction with peers and team members (virtual lunches, coffee chats, etc.).
Resources that outline the history and ethos of the company, helping the new executive understand how culture drives business success.
A well-integrated executive can help reinforce your company culture at every level of the organization, ensuring that they lead by example and inspire others to do the same.
Mentorship and Coaching
Mentorship is one of the most effective tools for helping new executives navigate their roles. In 2023, there has been an increased emphasis on executive coaching and upskilling programs, which help leaders not only understand company dynamics but also enhance their leadership skills (McDermott + Bull). Assign a senior leader as a mentor who can provide guidance on both strategic initiatives and interpersonal relationships.
Amirra makes it easy for HR admin to assign the right “buddy” and will automatically suggest a match for mentorships for personal and professional development throughout the employee journey.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
One of the most important tasks for a senior leader is to foster collaboration between departments. The onboarding process should include time to: Meet with leaders from different departments. Participate in cross-functional meetings. Understand the pain points and priorities of other teams. Encouraging early collaboration will lead to more integrated decision-making and promote senior leader success across the board.
Addressing the Challenges of Remote Onboarding
Many executives are now onboarding remotely. While virtual onboarding presents unique challenges, it’s possible to maintain a strong executive employee experience by focusing on communication and engagement. To successfully onboard remote executives:
Schedule regular video calls with key stakeholders to build relationships.
Use digital tools to provide onboarding materials and resources.
Organize virtual team-building events to create a sense of connection and inclusion.
A significant portion of today’s workforce operates in a remote or hybrid capacity, and executives are no exception. Creating a seamless remote onboarding experience is essential to retaining top leadership talent.
Measuring the Success of Executive Onboarding
No onboarding process is complete without evaluating its effectiveness. Unfortunately, 55% of businesses do not measure the success of their onboarding programs (Oak Engage), leaving gaps in their understanding of what works and what doesn’t.
To ensure long-term success, Amirra automates pulse surveys at different stages of the employee journey and suggest 360-degree feedback meetings.
To assess how well the new executive is integrating into the company consider metrics like:
Time to productivity.
Team engagement levels.
Alignment with company strategy and goals.
By tracking these metrics, you can continuously improve your onboarding process and ensure the executive employee experience remains positive.
The Long-Term Impact of Effective Executive Onboarding
Onboarding is not a one-time event but a continuous process that should extend well beyond the first 90 days. A structured and supportive onboarding program can help retain leadership talent and foster senior leader success over the long term. It ensures that new executives understand the company's mission, align with its culture, and have the tools needed to drive growth and innovation.
Research shows that 86% of new hires decide whether to stay with a company within the first few months based on their onboarding experience (The HR Team).
This statistic underscores the importance of getting executive onboarding right from the start.
Conclusion
A well-executed onboarding process sets the foundation for leadership success and a positive executive employee experience. By investing in a structured, thoughtful onboarding program that includes cultural assimilation, mentorship, and goal-setting, HR leaders can onboard executives effectively and set them—and the entire organization—up for long-term success.
Remember, the goal isn’t just to integrate new leaders; it’s to empower them to lead with confidence, influence your company culture, and drive the business toward its strategic goals.
The message is clear: prioritize executive onboarding, measure its success, and continuously refine the process to meet the evolving needs of your organization.
Contact our team for a demo to find out how Amirra provides the solution you’ve been waiting for.
