Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Part I Prepare for Your New Employee’s Success Before You Start Recruiting

Chapter 1 Understand the Organization-Wide Benefits of a Total Onboarding Program: An Executive Summary 3

Chapter 2 Clarify Your Destination and Messages to the Candidate and the Organization 17

Forms and Tools 2.1 Purpose and Priorities (Downloadable), 21

2.2 Onboarding Track Record (Downloadable), 23

2.3 Messages (Downloadable), 26

Chapter 3 Craft Your Time Line, Write a Recruiting Brief, and Align Your Stakeholders 29

Forms and Tools 3.1 Total Onboarding Program Time Line (Downloadable), 30

3.2 Recruiting Brief (Downloadable), 38

Part II Recruit in a Way That Reinforces Your Messages

Chapter 4 Create a Powerful Slate of Potential Candidates 47

Forms and Tools 4.1 Employment Brand (Downloadable), 52

4.2 Candidate Sourcing (Downloadable), 66

4.3 Candidate Tracking (Downloadable), 67

Chapter 5 Evaluate Candidates Against the Recruiting Brief While Pre-Selling and Pre-Boarding 69

Forms and Tools 5.1 On-Site Interview Day Plan (Downloadable), 74

5.2 Interview Guide (Downloadable), 81

5.3 Interview Debrief (Downloadable), 87

5.4 Reference/Background Check (Downloadable), 90

Chapter 6 Make the Right Offer, and Close the Right Sale the Right Way 95

Forms and Tools 6.1 Offer Closing Process (Downloadable), 99

Part III Give Your New Employee a Big Head Start Before Day One

Chapter 7 Co-Create a Personal Onboarding Plan with Your New Employee 113

Forms and Tools 7.1 Personal Onboarding Plan (Downloadable), 117

7.2 Onboarding Conversation Guide (Downloadable), 125

Chapter 8 Manage the Announcement to Set Your New Employee Up for Success 129

Forms and Tools 8.1 Announcement Cascade (Downloadable), 138

Chapter 9  Do What It Takes to Make Your New Employee Ready, Eager, and Able to Do Real Work on Day One 143

Forms and Tools 9.1 Accommodation Checklist (Downloadable), 145

Part IV Enable and Inspire Your New Employee To Deliver Better Results Faster

Chapter 10 Make Positive First Impressions Both Ways 161

Forms and Tools 10.1 Pseudonewcomer Audit (Downloadable), 168

10.2 New Employee as Valued Customer (Downloadable), 171

Chapter 11 Speed Development of Important Working Relationships 179

Forms and Tools 11.1 Assimilation Checklist (Downloadable), 186

Chapter 12 Provide Resources, Support, and Follow-Through 201

Forms and Tools 12.1 New Manager Assimilation (Downloadable), 203

12.2 Acceleration Checklist (Downloadable), 204

Appendices

Appendix I Organization-Wide Transformation 217

Appendix II Sourcing Candidates on the Web 221

Notes 225

Glossary 231

References 235

About the Guest Experts 237

About the Authors 241

Index 243

About the Author

GEORGE BRADT is founder and Managing Director of PrimeGenesis, the premier executive transition consultancy. He was previously an executive at Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Disney, Coca-Cola, and J.D. Power and Associates. He is also the author of The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan, from Wiley.

MARY VONNEGUT is a Partner in PrimeGenesis. She was formerly president of a retail operation, senior vice president of marketing at Hanover Direct, and worked as a management consultant. She has launched new businesses, built marketing departments from the ground up, and crafted growth strategies.