HOW TO
ORIENT YOUR NEW EXECUTIVE LEADER
FOR A QUICK ASSIMILATION

Don Andersson

Quick start of new executives depends upon effective orientation if they are to be successful and make a positive initial and lasting impact. Often, the orientation and assimilation process is given a once over lightly approach and the candidate who successfully came through the executive search process is left to flounder creating an unintended collusion to create failure. This "How To" human resources executive leadership orientation and assimilation tool taps into your expertise and experience as it points out precise steps you can take to maximize the success potential of your new candidate and to minimize their possible turnover. Turnover costs are extravagant, especially at senior executive levels. Current studies indicate they can run as high as twenty four times base salary - and that's only what can be quantified. You now have an opportunity to invest in a human resources resource that will help your organization support your new executive's quick start by providing an orientation and assimilation process committed to their success. At the nominal cost of $15.00 you can learn how to quick start your new executive hire by: assessing the strengths of your current orientation process, providing three answers your new hire must have to understand the business culture in which are to be successful, assigning the first action required of your new hire - even before they begin work, making and implementing an orientation and assimilation commitment that will support your new hire success, clarifying the importance of your new hire being a resource for the success of their customers, presenting a starter list of questions and answers to orient your new hire and ease their assimilation, assuring the establishment of an effective working relationship between your new hire and the person to whom they report, identifying the answers the new hire's manager must provide, establishing an orientation start-up process to benefit from your new hire's initial reactions.

ORIENT YOUR NEW EXECUTIVE LEADER FOR A QUICK ASSIMILATION

Each person hired into a new position can quickly get overwhelmed. Everyone has expectations and makes demands. Reacting to each, causes time to fly. It also tempts your new executive to take a scattered, unfocused entry approach and to overlook any need to master the nuances required to make a smooth assimilation into her or his new organization. Despite the best of intentions, it's easy for failure to follow. Most organizational leaders are at least subliminally aware of the possibility of missing an opportunity for success at the time of a new executive entry. When it takes too long for that person to get assimilated, frustration emerges. That's why some sort of orientation assimilation is frequently used to introduce individuals to their new challenges. Often the orientation consists of little more than a friendly welcome, presentation of an employee handbook, a review of benefits, some cursory introductions and a "good luck" wish. With that minimal effort, the newly hired is considered appropriately oriented and is expected to make it on his or her own. What does your organization do to help your newly hired executives quickly assimilate?

Statement Yes No We use a current customer-responsive position description to screen all candidates. We have a description of our organizational culture and have identified and trained specific individuals to be a "culture resource" for our newly hired. We have described and prioritized the first year expected results we have of our newly hired. We expect each newly hired to develop an entrance strategy prior to their first day of work. We provide resources to help our newly-hired executive to develop her or his entry strategy. We expect our new executive to raise questions about how we do things, have a process for responding and expect to benefit from their fresh perspectives. We have established a "start up" budget to be used by the new executive to address needs identified and for which no budget item may presently exist. We expect our new executive to have free access to her or his "start up budget" and to be accountable for its expenditure. The individual to whom our newly hired executive reports schedules time to develop a collaborative working relationship with their direct reports. Easy access to the individual to whom one reports is available. The newly hired is clearly informed of the current year expectations for which they will be accountable and the standard by which their performance will be evaluated. Our organization encourages the use of a coach / mentor to help its leaders step up to the next level of their success potential.