Information on how to set up and use the Onboarding Report, for line managers and discussions
Purpose
The Onboarding Report is designed to facilitate the seamless onboarding of the successful hire. To be used by the new team member’s line manager, the report describes how to get the best from them, keep them engaged and their preferred working styles and culture.
How it works
The report takes a strengths approach, flipping low-end scale scores to high-end alternatives (see example below). This means that it is safe to share with individuals who are not trained in psychometrics, as low Sten scores can sometimes be misinterpreted as being less favourable.
Example: A Sten score of 2 on Listening becomes a score of 9 on Talkative. It is the same data but presented in a positive, strengths-based format.
The line managers can use the information in the report e.g. a preference for roles that allow them to speak up and discuss ideas when introducing them to new projects and environments.
A few useful tips
- There are no rights or wrongs
- The report indicates styles and preferences. Individuals may flex their approach depending on the circumstance
- Personality is not fixed, it can change over time
Set up of Onboarding Report
Page 3 - describes the 4 factors that are key to motivating and engaging new hires
Page 4 - highlights the strongest preferences of the candidate
Page 5-8 - gives more in-depth information about each scale along with onboarding advice for the line manager
Uses of the Onboarding Report
1. Resource for line manager
The predominant use of the Onboarding Report is as a key insight into the strengths and preferences of the new member of the team. Line managers should read through the report at the start of the onboarding process, or even before they meet the individual, to start to build up a picture of the ways they can help the new person to thrive.
Tips:- Use the Interaction section to learn about how the person is likely to behave as they get to know their team. Is there anything you could do to make this process as easy as possible? Do they prefer to work with others or alone? How might you best support them in social situations?
- Use the Stimulation section to consider projects, tasks or responsibilities that the person is likely to find particularly engaging. How do they like to approach new projects? What is their preferred working style? What could you do to make sure they have access to this type of work?
- Use the Reward section to think about how the person stays motivated. What will your role be in ensuring that they feel stimulated, how can you adapt it to their personality? How might you adapt your management/mentoring style, are they fulfilled by praise or varied work? How can you help them feel fulfilled in their role? How you can help them to feel engaged, consider whether they are motivated by praise or a variety of work
- Use the Environment section to think about their preferences and how they fit into your organization’s culture. What can you do to help them feel at home? How might you expect them to respond to changes in the work environment? Within what work contexts might they need some extra reassurance?
- Think about whether there are any parts of the role that the person might need some extra support with.
- Think about your next steps. Do you have any questions for the new team member? Is there anything that their new colleagues could do to help?
2. Springboard for discussion in the first manager meeting
Some clients choose to use the onboarding report as a tool to facilitate their first 1:1 meeting with the successful hire. This can be a powerful way to get to know the new person, discuss how they work best and start setting some goals for the future. However, you should be careful to make this conversation open and supportive, rather than feeling like a second interview.
There are two broad approaches to using the report in the meeting. You can either read through the report beforehand, make some notes of topics to discuss and use these during the meeting. Or, you can use the report itself and go through the key areas together.
For the first option, we suggest using the tips in the above section to think of some key topics you’d like to discuss with the individual. Try to ask lots of open questions to ensure the meeting is a two-way conversation. For every idea you suggest, ask for their thoughts and input. It is up to you whether you mention the Onboarding Report or not at all.
For the second option, you’ll need to do a little more preparation work as the new hire may have some questions about the report and the nature of the personality information.
Tips for using the report in the one-to-one:
- Don’t aim to discuss every element. Take time before the meeting to pick and choose the parts that you think are most important, relevant or interesting.
- Introduce the report and let them know that it is designed to be a development tool to help make sure that they feel supported and engaged in their new role. Remind them that there are no rights or wrongs and that it is primarily a tool to help you manage/mentor in a way that suits them.
- Link the scale that you are discussing to an aspect of their new role e.g. a preference that will come in useful for an upcoming piece of work. Ask them questions to gain input on the topic you are discussing.
- Avoid discussing the scores directly with the individual. Don’t say: “You’ve scored 8 on talkative, let’s get you running pitches in the first week”. Do say: “I understand from your responses to the questionnaire that you have a preference for work that requires a rational approach. Could you tell me more about this? I’ve thought of projects coming up that would allow you to use this…”
- Consider using the meeting as an opportunity to set some goals for the individual’s first few weeks/months and set a time for your next discussion.
To see an example of an Onboarding report, click here!
Last Updated: January 2024