Onboarding

It’s time to join your organization. Onboarding is the official process of integrating. Every organization will go about this process in a different way, and some organizations will be better at it than others. Onboarding in remote scenarios is even more crucial than on-site onboarding because you won’t be able to go to the person in the next desk or cubicle for help. It is a collaborative process, and this chapter helps you make your plan.

Onboarding can be thought of in terms of three key dimensions:

1. Technical Onboarding:

Technical onboarding is where you learn about the expectations, accountabilities, and resources needed to perform the technical aspects of your work. It is important to understand your action-taking rights so that you understand where your autonomy begins and ends when you are away from your supervisor. Job descriptions and supervisor discussions can help you with this. If possible, schedule weekly coaching sessions (especially to start) to check in and ensure you are on the right track. When you understand what you are contributing and how that contribution fits into the larger organization you will gain confidence and feel belonging faster.

2. Social Onboarding

When you join an organization, it is easy to feel like you have been dropped into a different country with a different language, value system, and ways of getting things done. Building relationships will help you adjust more quickly. In addition to being a source of information about your job, relationships help build camaraderie and trust. When you see opportunities, take time to ask your supervisor and co-workers about themselves in informal dialogue. Integrating into the social side of the organization can be more challenging when remote (Felstead et al., 2003; Gitlab, 2021). If remote, see if your supervisor can help you set up virtual coffee chats. This can be a short meeting over a virtual coffee and is an opportunity to learn and ask for guidance.

3. Cultural Onboarding

You will also need to learn about organizational culture. Organizational culture is the collection of stories, traditions, values, and expectations that helps workers make sense of their shared world and guides actions, interactions, and priorities in the workplace. Every organization has a different culture  and because organizational culture is often “unspoken” it can be difficult to put your finger on exactly what it is. When working together in an office, the culture is transmitted through behaviours and visible elements such as how people dress and how physical space is allocated. Absorbing a company culture when working remotely is more challenging.

Understanding the importance of showing up to meetings early, whether you should send an email outside of the typical 9-5 workday, and if you should address someone by their first name or more formally, and what behaviours will impress your supervisor are all influenced by culture. Review documentation such as strategic plans, social media, organizational wide apps, and the website looking for what the organization values. For example, if your placement has a “Water cooler” Slack channel for funny GIFs and casual conversation it probably is saying something about how relationships and collaboration are prioritized. You can also take note of what behaviors are supported, praised, or discouraged. Don’t forget to simply ask your supervisor and colleagues questions to uncover those priorities, values, and assumptions that will be seemingly invisible yet influencing your work activity. Schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss culture and values after you have had time to get settled as values and priorities may be easier to understand after you have been at the organization for awhile.

During the onboarding process find out about:

1. Where you can find additional resources that relate to your tasks
2. How you might meet other team members to get to know them, their work, and their goals
3. Expectations surrounding work etiquette, dress code, video meetings, work hours, availability of support from supervisors or others, and deadline flexibility etc.
4. Which technology channel to use for what purpose and when if working remotely
5. How organizational values translate to the work you will be doing
6. How you can learn more about the organizational culture during your onboarding process
7. What organizational rituals exist (for example all-hands-meetings, monthly lunch-and learns) and if they are something you can attend
8. How people relate with each other, including how conflict is resolved, how people make decisions, and what leadership means within that organization.

Your Placement Onboarding Checklist

During your first few meetings, there will be an opportunity to talk about goals, norms, and expectations. This checklist will help you engage in a two-way discussion. Use this as a guide rather than feeling that you have to read each question. A placement is a collaboration and so be prepared to be flexible.

Goals

Ask your supervisor about their goals for having a placement student. What motivated them? What will success look like for them?

Talk about what motivated you to sign up for the course. What goals you have (meeting people in the industry, developing hard skills, developing soft skills, learning about a professional environment, experiencing work in a particular industry etc.). You may have many but try to pick a few to zero in on.

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Communication

Discuss how you will communicate. Should you keep all questions for a weekly meeting? What should you do if you have a question that is blocking your current work (should you have a backup list of work to do if you get stuck or should you email or text them)? Is there someone else you should ask questions of if your supervisor isn’t available? Should all questions be in writing to keep a record? Note that setting and keeping a regular meeting time with your supervisor is vitally important for your learning objectives and overall performance.

Let them know about your communication style.

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Culture and Context

Ask them about the organizational culture. Do they have a written vision, mission, goals, and values? Can they give examples of how their goals and values influence decisions? Are there any resources you can read to better understand the context of the work you will be doing?

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Supervision

Ask them about their supervisory style. How do they prefer to give feedback? What does initiative look like to them? How can you help establish trust? How would they describe an ideal placement student? If appropriate ask your supervisor about what they like about their job and what they find challenging, you may find it appropriate to ask if there is anything you can do to help alleviate their challenges.

Let them know about your learning style, your thoughts about feedback, and what type of supervision helps you perform at your best while also challenging you. Talk to your supervisor about your other commitments, any limitations you might have (such as being away for the winter break etc.)

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