Onboarding During COVID: Better or Worse?

It has been just over a month since, as some are saying, the world changed completely. And exactly two weeks since I started as VP of Marketing at MadKudu. What a time to transition to a new company!

While onboarding and working remotely isn't a new thing, doing so during COVID-19 seems to be a different beast entirely. This is my first time acting as a fully remote employee as well as getting integrated into a new team virtually. I recognize how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to do so. Since I've had several people who are soon to be starting a new role as well looking for pointers, I thought it would be helpful to share some things that have helped me. I hope this might help someone else, either during these challenging times or in the future.

Onboarding Remotely

Let me first start with the logistics and tactical elements surrounding the typical onboarding process before I jump into the 30-60-90 day strategy. In no particular order: 

1. Take Initiative

Especially in earlier stage companies, don't expect to be babysat or have your hand held through the process. A few items I made sure to do in the first couple of days:

• Peruse your company Slack channels and add yourself to any you think are interesting or relevant to your work. Slack is where your new coworkers are conversing, so join the conversation(s)!
• Stalk calendars and ask if you should be part of this meeting or that meeting. 
• Proactively schedule 1:1 time with everyone or, for larger companies, at least those on your immediate team.
• Schedule a week one wrap up meeting with your manager to give a status update, and be honest about how you are feeling (it's ok to admit you're overwhelmed or feel disconnected - this is new territory for all of us, your boss included).

2. Take Notes

Whatever your note-taking preference, create a space for each department and each person (or at least the people you'll likely work closest with). If you were in an office together, you'd often peek over your computer to see if a colleague is at their desk to ask a quick question, right? Instead, as a question or thought pops into your head, add it to the list under their name or department. Once you've got a few items on the list, schedule a quick 15-20 minute zoom call with them. I've been having fun telling my new coworkers to "imagine I pleasantly popped stopped by your desk seven separate times." 

3. Dig into Documentation

If you're like me and joined a pretty early-stage company, you're likely going to be doing a lot of your onboarding… alone. So, onboarding remotely is pretty fitting, right?! In the absence of a full-blown onboarding program (what is that?!), it can be helpful to understand where to go for help to feel at least a little self-sufficient, so get a quick rundown on what kind of documentation your new company has in place.

4. Think Before You… Write

It dawned on me that my new teammates are going to get to know me mainly via Slack and email (and video conference, of course). To that end, I started to re-read my messages before hitting 'send' and considered how they might be perceived given body language, tone, and facial expressions are missing. It's also worth mentioning that, unless you're sure it will land, maybe hold off on those sweet jokes (I'll admit this is the hardest part for me).

4. Bonus for Hiring Managers

I think there is a lot of information out there helping companies manage the onboarding process, but a couple of things that I'd suggest hiring managers to consider are below. They made the onboarding process easier and made me feel incredibly welcomed at MadKudu.

• Make sure everyone has uploaded a photo of themselves on Slack, Gusto, etc. So helpful to put a face to the name. 
• A virtual "Welcome to the team!" card with notes from employees that shows up in the employee's inbox on day 1 - it was a great surprise!
• Send their laptop and other accessories well in advance of their first day. 
• Implement a buddy system (or if it already exists, ensure one is assigned) - someone that helps the new employee navigate their first few weeks (and beyond!).

Your First 90 Days: A Balancing Act

It’s entirely possible that your organization and/or hiring manager has a fully baked onboarding strategy set up for you before you log in on day one. In my experience in the start-up world, however, that generally isn’t the case. Furthermore, when you join as the first in your role at any company, you can throw the "typical" 30-60-90 day plan right out the window. I've done it three times, and being the first or only person is a different game altogether, pandemic or otherwise. Despite all of the tips and tricks listed above (and, let's be honest, scattered across the internet these days), it isn't a cakewalk. It's a delicate balancing act that most of us deal with when starting a new job regardless of seniority or size of company:

1. On the one hand, you've got to get up to speed. This means absorbing as much information as possible to truly be effective at your job and develop a long-term strategy. All of this takes time; they call it a 90-day onboarding plan for a reason. The four areas I'm focusing on are: 1) The people and company (values, mission, vision), 2) The product and market, 3) The customer, and 4) The (marketing) operational processes already in place.
2. On the other hand, you need to, especially as a marketing leader, quickly execute on a few key areas and bring forth some highly-visible results. You're a venture-backed software company, after all. 
3. And on the third hand… we're in the middle of a freaking pandemic and on the cusp of a recession. 

During my first week, I worked to uncover any expectations in place and put together my own plan - I shortened the typical 90-day onboarding to a 30-60 day framework that incorporated quick wins alongside milestones for developing and sharing a long term marketing plan. I used the 1:1 I scheduled with my manager and CEO at the end of that first week to share my plan and get feedback. This included a discussion around the balancing act to show my understanding of our unique situation. We also discussed that the plan was just that - a plan. It needs to be evaluated each week and be modified as new information is available. 

So… Onboarding During COVID: Better or Worse?

This balancing act exists with or without the current pandemic and its economic impact. What it provides, however, is a new lens to view your priorities through. It allows you to focus on ONLY the most important items, which you should probably be doing anyway. Remove the clutter and unnecessary efforts. Focus on the customer. Lead with empathy. Take care of your employees. 

We're all going to come out of this more agile, more aligned, and ultimately more successful. 

For that reason, and because of the fantastic team at MadKudu, I have to go with better.

Happy onboarding!

P.S. What would you add?