Pre & Onboarding Experiences
A key takeaway is to let things flow naturally and not force something onto someone.
—Frederik Gail, Owner & Acquisition Specialist of Letmework.
Pre & Onboarding Experiences
“I was happy to have a few weeks to really get to know the company”
Frederik Gail is the owner and Acquisition Specialist of Letmework, a language recruitment agency that sets time aside to get to know candidates as individuals. The team consists of dedicated recruiters that will hold your hand when applying for a job slightly out of your comfort zone. Moving abroad is scary. Inspired by the freedom of freelancing, Frederik wanted to inspire others to make the same move he did in late 2018 when he moved to Thailand. With a cluttered recruitment market, they’re constantly on the lookout for effective tools to make your life easier when relocating.
We asked Frederick about the key to a good Onboarding process: “The insight is to treat your company and the people within that company as a family. A key takeaway is to let things flow naturally and not force something onto someone.”
In Frederick’s Own Words
Letmework’s owner described to us his virtual onboarding experience during another company’s process. “I was hired by the company before the launch of a big product for a big client, so I was happy to have a few weeks before the launch to really get to know the company.
Pre & Onboarding Experiences
Treat your company and the people within that company as a family.
—Frederik Gail, Owner & Acquisition Specialist of Letmework.
Pre & Onboarding Experiences
Treat your company and the people within that company as a family.
—Frederik Gail, Owner & Acquisition Specialist of Letmework.
Communication with the New Hires
Communication should be informal but not to a point where the communication gets too casual or vague. Speaking the truth and preparing ahead are important for me. Transparency is crucial for me as a business owner – and that applies across all of my stakeholders; from the supplier to the client, employee, etc.
Creating a Full Welcome Package
I’m about to hire an intern, and I’ve set up some goals for week 1, week 2, etc. That way, we’re already off to a schedule, and scheduling is important for an employee to feel like part of the team. Having responsibility nurtures all the good stuff you’re looking for in a person. It’s the true test to see if this job is really for them.
So, in a welcome package, I’d obviously serve them a delicious cup of coffee, an interesting introduction to the company that isn’t dull, and then tell the employee how they’re going to benefit from reaching THIS and THIS goal – then teamwork will be up for grabs right there on your first day.
Pre & Onboarding: Challenges for a Startup
For me, one of the biggest challenges is trying hard not to “force” the company values onto a new colleague. It’s so easy to jump right into slideshows on how the company works in and out. But both parties – the hire and the management – need to set clear expectations of the onboarding process. Remembering that things should evolve naturally is key for me. You’re not only trying to teach your colleague something new – you’re also learning something.
Another challenge is patience. Things don’t always go the pace you want them to – and the working hours might go beyond what you’ve budgeted for. The first thing a capitalistic leader usually thinks of when his employee doesn’t meet the KPI is how she/he can optimise it. Do we need to fire that person? Instead, I think the insight is to treat your company and the people within that company as a family. When things don’t go your way, you don’t fire a family member. You work it out. You have patience.
The last challenge I want to include is the passion you put into your startup. The passion an entrepreneur has for his startup is likely to be on a different scale than the employee you’ve just hired. A challenge is not to force that passion onto someone else.
To sum up, a key takeaway is to let things flow naturally and not force something onto someone.
Pre & Onboarding Experiences
One of the biggest challenges is trying hard not to ‘force’ the company values onto a new colleague.
—Frederik Gail, Owner & Acquisition Specialist of Letmework.
Pre & Onboarding Experiences
One of the biggest challenges is trying hard not to ‘force’ the company values onto a new colleague.
—Frederik Gail, Owner & Acquisition Specialist of Letmework.
What Was Your Own Pre & Onboarding Experience Like?
It was a few slideshows and some Zoom meetings. I was onboarded to a Fintech startup in Copenhagen, and it was right during the first Covid lockdown of Denmark. I was hired by the company before the launch of a big product for a big client, so I was happy to have a few weeks before the launch to really get to know the company.
We had a Zoom stand-up every day to check in on everyone. That was great, and it’s something I’ve been doing since I’ve turned to HR. It’s so important to keep constant communication, even when it’s not really necessary. Just check in to see how things are flowing!