This is a condensed version of a checklist I put together for a client. The HR staff used it with new leaders who were entering the organization. Each line on the checklist has activities and metrics associated with it.
Bank of America (BOA) has 3,000 executives total in the company and started an on-boarding process six years ago due to the integration needed following a series of mergers. Participants include internal promotions, external hires, and executives who enter BOA through a merger. Within the first 120 days the executives meet with key stakeholders; connect with a peer coach to gain insight into the business, how to navigate the culture; conduct a “New Leader Team Integration” meeting; participate in a “mini-360 feedback review”. Once they have a group of ten or more new executives they schedule the execs for their New Executive On-boarding Program. This program includes relationship building – meeting the other new executives; listening to speakers from across the company, etc.; and feedback on the “mini-360 review”. A full 360 is recommended after the executive has been on board for 18-24 months.
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has 500 executives. BMS has what they call a “fairly strong culture” and a “very matrixed” organizational structure that can be complicated to enter as a new hire. The on-boarding allows the new leader to learn the written/ unwritten rules of the organization. It also helps the executive build relationships, set short-to-medium-term objectives, learn about the business, and obtain support, feedback, and coaching. BMS uses their cultural assessment results as a guide for their new executives. They also have created an assessment based on their culture survey that all new hires complete and the results are organized into a development report for the new executive. Each new executive is expected to develop an integration plan and is assigned an internal mentor to set key objectives. They also participate in a ½ day seminar called New Leader Integration in which the new leader and team meet together with an internal BMS facilitator to review what’s going well and what’s not going well with their staff and then reviews the feedback with the new leader and his/her team. Their on-boarding also includes “integration assistance” (coaching) for six months or more.
Kellogg has approximately 30,000 employees globally. Their on-boarding program began in 2006 and is still being developed. It is intended to assist new hires to clarify what the job expectations are in the short- and long-term and connect the new executive with key stakeholders. They also provide tools to support the stakeholder meetings – for example, the new executives’ assistants set up the appointments for the meetings and new execs are provided with discussion guides for those meetings. The new hire has a review at 30, 60, and 90 days. An important part of successful on-boarding at Kellogg is relationship building.
Capital One has developed what they call a New Leader Assimilation Program (NLAP) and it is intended to enable new leaders to start generating business results in the first 90 days. The program has three steps. The first step takes place before the new leader joins Cap One. In step one an internal HR representative conducts interviews with key stakeholders to identify key challenges, goals, performance expectations, history of how the role has evolved, and key networks. The coach then synthesizes this data into a “Customized New Leader Transition Guide.” The new leader receives the report on day one of the job and then meets with his/her boss to discuss the report, set goals and priorities, and identify resources to help the new leader succeed (e.g., executive coaching, training courses). Step two takes place within the first week of the job. The new leader participates in a meeting with his/her direct reports. This is facilitated by an HR person. The new leader leaves the meeting for an hour or so while his/her directs identify professional, career, and personal information. The HR person debriefs this with the new leader and his/her staff. Then, an “assimilation buddy” is assigned for 90 days. This is usually a peer who can provide insight into the culture, help identify networking opportunities, etc. Step three takes place after the new leader has been on the job for six months. The new leader participates in a 360 degree feedback survey and then discusses the results with his/her boss and an HR representative to identify on-going development needs or update goals.
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