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Improving New Hire Productivity Using Visual Thinking
By Christine Martell | June 21, 2008
Recently I attended the Senior Forum of ASTD-Cascadia program, Improve New Hire Productivity Using Visual Thinking. It was facilitated by Barrie Levinson, the Director of Consulting at Xplane
Visual Business Cards
To get us started thinking visually, we each got a blank card and drew a business card to explain what we do. When asked to reflect on what it was like to introduce yourself visually, and to hear others’ explanations, this is what participants reported:
- easier
- more enjoyable
- sustainable
- relaxing
- evoked more questions
- learned about the person
- easier to understand what the job entailed
- faster to understand
- gets past the jargon and buzzwords
- engaged interaction
- immediately multidimensional
- focuses on one component
- works when both are on the same plane, similar expectations
- requires talent and confidence
- some jobs are easier to depict than others
Pains and Gains
Using a template on the wall, which you can see behind Barrie in the photo above, we explored what a new hire might be experiencing. Some of the pains included feeling confused, uncertain, incompetent, anxious, fearful and eager to please. The potential gains identified were for career, discovering a new neighborhood and restaurants, new challenges, new relationships and experience.
Looking at the whole environment
The next templates we filled in were to help us identify what someone might be thinking, hearing, seeing, saying and doing. We started with a role in our own offices on laptop size pages, which we could also add stickers to for more visual engagement.
To explore all the roles perspectives in a new hire process, small groups filled in a one of Xplane big heads. Each one represented the people who might be involved in a new hire process: hiring manager, co-worker, shadow person, department head, hr/payroll/training, and the new employee.
Mapping out how each person might intersect with the concept of new hire enabled us to see patterns across the roles. Feelings of anxiety mixed with excitement. You could see where there were similarities and differences.
Looking at the timeline
The next part of the process involved small groups looking at who is involved and what happens before someone is hired, on their first day, the first 30 days, and 31-60 days. Working with facilitators from Xplane, each group then listed best practices at each point.
Best Practices Pre-Hire
- Show you care about them in everything you do
- Give them all the logistical information they will need before the first day
- Send welcome emails from all team members
Best Practices Day One
- Make a good impression
- Help them learn what they do
- Introduce them to people across all levels
- Help them learn who solves what issues
- Make sure the logistics are ready, have a checklist
- Company logo gifts, welcome notes, being them to lunch
- Ask them how they like to be recognized, what they like (have something day 2)
- Don’t overwhelm them with information, leave free time for absorbing
Best Practices First 30 Days
- Have structure to orientation
- New hire scavenger hunt with quiz questions for different people
- weekly progress check with manager
- lunch with different co-workers
Best Practices 31-60 Days
- On boarding team continues to meet
- Provide focus questions for everyone involved
- Exit interviews if the person leaves
- Entry interview for people who stay
- Events for people hired at similar time
Overall
It’s all about relationship building from pre-hire through 60 days.
Many thanks to Barrie and Xplane for providing a glimpse into working visually. Also thanks to the participants who shared best practices from a wide range of organizations.
Other posts on similar topics- Visual Thinking in E-Learning
- The Accidental Trainer
- I do new employee orientation when we hire, am I a trainer?
- Informal Learning in the workplace
- Learning from an impromptu online community
Topics: Senior Forum |