Your employees are the foundation of your company and your culture. So, it stands to reason that every hire you make will either enhance your culture or detract from it - one person at a time.

We know that finding top talent is difficult! And with the current talent shortage, now more than ever, the candidate is in the driver’s seat. Once you finally find the right person to bring onboard, someone with the right talents and the right fit for your team, you want to do everything you can to develop and keep them. And this starts from the moment you send them that offer letter.

Did you know that Zappos pays new hires $2000 to quit within the first week of their employment? Although that seems like an incredible gamble with their hiring budget, this policy encourages those who are only there for the paycheck to take the money and run, leaving those who really want to be there.

What's at the Foundation of a Strong Company Culture?

A strong company culture always starts with a climate that attracts talented people and makes them want to be there — the kind of vibe they don’t want to leave. You can begin to create that feeling before they even walk in the door on their first day of work if you put a strong pre-boarding plan in place and you will be able to continue to amp it up with a great onboarding plan.

Pre-boarding happens between the day your candidate accepts the job and their first day of work. There is a great deal of uncertainty for most people during that "in-limbo" period, and research shows that when companies create a strong connection and sense of belonging during that pre-boarding time, new hires come in with a greater sense of purpose, stronger feelings of engagement, and an increased desire to work hard and perform.

Do you have an opportunity to improve how your company handles pre-boarding and onboarding? We help organizations transform their old-school orientation process (that primarily consisted of tedious piles of paperwork) into something much more powerful. When you bring someone new into the fold, it is the perfect time to stoke the fires that keep the climate warm and strengthen the feelings of belonging or sense of “tribe” within the group.

You can do this work yourself by considering:

• How can you give a warm welcome and introductions to the staff before their first day of work?
• How can you create a sense of belonging for your new hire before their first day of work?
• How can you give your new hire a grand greeting on their first day of work?
• How can you use the concept of a buddy program for your new hires first few weeks or months?
• How can you set your new hire up for the perfect first day of work, so they know what to wear, what time to arrive, where to park, etc.?
• How can you set expectations for success with your new hire right away?
• How can you help your new hire to understand the “rules of engagement” in your office (those unwritten rules that those who work there know)?
• What kinds of things can you to so that their desk and office are ready for use and set up just for them?

Take some time today to make a plan to Up Your Culture and establish a tribe that people don’t want to leave.