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Most new developers are familiar with the dread of “onboarding.” Onboarding refers to the first few weeks or months of work, where new employees are expected to set up their workstations, learn about the company and its expectations, and graduate from being brand new to being a valuable member of the team. From my experiences and the experiences shared by other industry professionals, this sensitive period in one’s employment is often mismanaged by a variety of companies, no matter the size or industry. In this blog, we will explore why onboarding is such a minefield, and how Imaginet leveraged their expertise to ensure a positive onboarding experience for new consultants.   

Why Onboarding Issues Exist 

A pitfall for onboarding is veteran employees have difficulty remembering what it was like to be unacquainted with the company they’ve been with for years. Some organizations use the same training tools for decades, rarely updating the materials new employees require to feel comfortable performing the work tasks they’ve been hired for. Others automate workstation setup and try to quickly integrate newcomers into teams, relying on documents and wikis to make the process as hands-off as possible. This will likely result in new team members feeling uncomfortable or unwelcome in asking questions to their busy managers. Either of these situations can result in high-value employees underperforming or falling through the cracks and burning out. 

The Imaginet Difference 

Imaginet’s onboarding system acknowledges the issues presented by traditional onboarding solutions and presents a simple and effective alternative: One-on-one mentorship. Regardless of experience, every new Imagineer is assigned a member of the veteran consulting team to be their personal mentor. For new hires, having an expert voice available at the click of a button is invaluable as it allows for more personalization and breaks down the barriers between new talent and institutional knowledge. For the veterans themselves, having a close relationship with new additions to the organization can provide lasting connections with people they might not know otherwise. 

The mentorship takes its form based on the needs of each new hire. At the beginning, each party has an idea of what they want from the relationship – the mentor having a firm understanding of company culture and expectations, and the mentee creating a short list of self-selected goals to review. This allows the new hire to feel a sense of self-determination and sets them up for better engagement and fosters any desire to learn.  

My Imaginet Experience  

My initial onboarding process lasted a couple of months. During this time, I was provided with scheduled check-ins with my mentor, along with informal meetings to answer questions as needed. After I was better acquainted with my work and my team, and was more comfortable in performing my day-to-day tasks, my meetings changed but continued. To this day, I have meetings with my mentor as my understanding of software architecture and design continues to expand. Some employees may elect to stop scheduled meetings with their mentor, but they can always ask questions or voice concerns without judgment, as mentors typically are not on the same team as their mentees.  

Conclusion  

While it may sound strange for a high-tech company to adopt such an organic training method, it’s important to remember people make the technology we rely on, so a human-centric strategy is key to meeting the wide variety of needs a newcomer has. 

It’s also important to note that this type of hands-on approach is adopted in all of Imaginet’s business practices. We ensure our clients experience access to our knowledgeable staff and can ask questions at any point of the project. We also ensure our clients are kept informed and allow for complete transparency.  

If you have a project in mind, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch by filling out the form below. Make sure to follow our blog for the latest technology tips, tricks, and updates.  

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