Navigating as a New Hire
Advice from a New Associate at T. Rowe Price
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt everyday life, but new employees are still onboarding at T. Rowe Price. In-person meet and greets are Zoom calls, a first day lunch is a virtual hangout, and starting your first day involves a help desk call.
The onboarding vehicles have changed, but the purpose of the process has not. Onboarding aims to give new employees a strong start and tools for success. And, like everything here, it's done with a collaborative spirit. New hires shared their experiences and offered advice on navigating the virtual halls of the firm.
Focus on Building Relationships.
At T. Rowe Price, relationships are key. As a highly collaborative company, it's important to develop networks right from the start. Your manager will have a list of "meet and greets" on Day One. Be prepared to ask questions:
- Tell me about your role.
- How do you expect our roles to interact? (Or how have our roles traditionally interacted?)
- What does it take to be successful in this role?
- What is your preferred method of communication?
Be Proactive about Social Interactions.
Having strong connections at work is a great way to build happiness both physically and emotionally. But in a remote environment, there's no coffee pot or courtyard to mill around and chat. At T. Rowe Price however, your colleagues are likely socializing in different ways.
Ask your team or your manager about social events. Your team may have water cooler chats or virtual happy hours to maintain connections. Also, consider incorporating 1:1 chats with folks, inside and outside your team, to learn about the organization and to network.
Ask If an Onboarding Buddy is Available.
You may have the opportunity to partner with an onboarding buddy. They are typically veteran employees who can explain the rules of the road. An onboarding buddy can also help build your network, provide role clarity, and highlight the nuances of the organization.
Lean on Your Colleagues
Starting a new job can be stressful but can be amplified in a virtual environment. To acclimate to a new role and the firm, associates recommend:
- Get ready in the morning just like you would for the office.
- Use video during meetings to connect names to faces.
- Ask questions (even uncomfortable ones) to understand how things work.
- Take frequent breaks like you would in the office for coffee, snacks, and pets vying for attention.
T. Rowe Price is often described, by our staff, as a global company with a community feel. Whether in the office or on Zoom, associates connect and help each other. Having a collaborative nature is a key to success at the firm. Just as important, is having a trusted network to counsel, support and when needed, humble you to make sure you thrive at the firm.
Take the advice of new hires and find your place at T. Rowe Price.
Awesome Onboarding: How Tech Can Make New Employees Feel Welcome
Life at Paylocity
Below is an article originally written by PowerToFly Partner Paylocity. Go Paylocity's Page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
An employee's first day at your company may be one of the most exciting in his or her career — until the avalanche of onboarding paperwork begins.
Using technology to improve your onboarding process — and therefore, your employees' first impressions of your company — can help make those employees more productive, more quickly. It can also ensure they stay at your workplace longer.
"Onboarding software can make the process more consistent and let employees dive into their job faster," writes Tatiana Lebedzeva for Ere Media's TLNT. "IT is not a magic stick, and you can't automate the parts that heavily rely on human relations. … Focus on the areas where onboarding software is most applicable, no matter whether it's an out-of-the-box product or a custom solution."
In fact, you can start as you finalize your employment agreement with a new hire by allowing important documents to be signed electronically, writes Nick Otto for Employee Benefit Adviser.
"The top 10 percent of candidates are on the market for 10 days or less," Otto writes. "In the final steps of the whole process, you're mailing the offer letter for a signature to the employee. "You're adding days to the mix, and those are days a competitor can swoop in and give a better offer."
After you seal the deal, your onboarding system can start making the employee feel welcome in advance.
"You can automatically send welcoming emails to newcomers, reminding about the needed documents, (such as) security cards, passports and driver's licenses," Lebedzeva writes. "Or, it can provide a link (so hires can) upload the required documents. Along these lines, sharing some basic information about the company and planned onboarding activities for day one will be equally helpful."
When onboarding begins in earnest, a portal system for onboarding can help you and the employee track progress, advance through training sessions they don't need and provide a lasting central location where employees can check back to find important documents, like the employee handbook and benefit documents.
You can even add information to personalize the experience and help your new employee feel comfortable, writes Cathy Reilly for Entrepreneur.
"Have employees who will be working closely with a new hire record short introductory videos, where they talk about who they are and their interests," she writes. "That way, (new employees) can know a little bit about everyone. Then when they actually meet in person, they can begin to make a deeper connection with their co-workers."
Finding ways to make your company's onboarding engaging and insightful through technology will help an employee feel productive and welcome, and emphasizes their importance to your organization.
"Comprehensive support, a welcoming environment and an engaging experience from the first moments trigger employees' motivation for a productive and long-term relationship with the company," Lebedzeva writes.
