5 Things I Always Want to Do When Onboarding and Training a New Joiner
When I do this, it sets them up for success. When I don’t, we both struggle.
I’ve onboarded people into so many different roles – marketers, salespeople, operations specialists, admins, finance professionals, project managers, and more. One thing I’ve learned is this: the effort I put into onboarding can absolutely make or break how fast they ramp up, how well they perform, and whether they end up staying.
Key Takeaways in 30 Seconds
A detailed internal job description helps set clear expectations.
Early hands-on tasks accelerate learning and engagement.
Frequent feedback during the first weeks builds alignment and trust.
Learning from the new joiner’s fresh perspective adds value.
Designing quick wins boosts confidence and motivation for everyone involved.
Here are the five things I always do when onboarding and training a new joiner:
1. Have an Internal Job Description
We all have the job posting – that’s how we found the person in the first place. But I’m talking about something different: an internal job description.
This document includes:
Key responsibilities: What they will own, contribute to, and what they won’t be doing (especially important when there are overlapping roles or when it's a new role for the company and not everyone might know what to expect from them).
Key KPIs: How their performance will be measured and when they are expected to achieve specific milestones.
Plan of outcomes for the first 3 months: I usually create this in a 30-60-90 format, paired with their training plan.
Reporting structure: Who they’ll report to and interact with regularly.
Once this document is ready, the most important step is sharing it with everyone who needs to know. In my company, I keep these internal JDs public. When we’re hiring someone, I want the team to know why and what we’re expecting from the new person.
2. Get Their Hands Dirty as Fast as Possible
Early in my career, I used the "throw them into the water and see if they can swim" approach. It wasn’t intentional – I simply didn’t know better. That’s how I was onboarded in every company I’d worked for.
Over time, I learned there are better ways to set people up for success. But I still believe in getting their hands dirty from day one. For example:
If it’s an outbound salesperson, I have them send a few emails or make a few calls on their first day.
If it’s an operations person, I’ll assign a small task or ask them to analyze a specific process immediately.
Nothing helps someone understand the job better than doing it. Plus, it gives me a chance to provide fast feedback early on. Which brings me to point number 3.
3. Create Fast Feedback Loops
The first few weeks are critical for building alignment. During this time, I’m more hands-on than usual, even if I’m not someone who enjoys micromanaging.
Here’s why:
Expectations: We need to align on expectations and ways of working as quickly as possible. The faster we do this, the sooner we’ll see results together.
Trust: I trust the person I hired from day one, but I also need to trust their work. The sooner they show me I can rely on them, the sooner I can let go.
I’m not afraid to share feedback frequently, especially in the first week. Whether it’s positive or constructive, it’s important to communicate quickly. And yes, I might nitpick small details during onboarding (e.g., ensuring CRM data is perfectly clean). It’s my chance to show them what matters to me and set the standard.
4. Let Them Teach Me Something
I need the new joiner to teach me (and ideally the team) something within their first week or two. This taps into their fresh perspective (they'll lose it quickly) and their expertise.
Some examples:
Customer perspective: They can tell me what our website or product looks like to someone seeing it for the first time.
Competitor research: What insights did they gather during the interview process?
Domain knowledge: If they’re a specialist, I want them to teach me something I didn’t know about their field.
For example, when we recently hired an SEO specialist, I was excited to learn something new about search rankings from her during the interview (and that's why we picked her). Similarly, with new sales hires, I like asking them to share what worked (and didn’t) in their previous roles. How did they get their leads? How did they collaborate with marketing? What did they hate about it? It’s not just about learning for myself – it’s also a great way to get the team involved and foster collaboration early on.
5. Let Them Win
Everyone wants to prove themselves. That’s why I design onboarding plans to give them a quick win.
For example, if I’ve hired a sales superstar, I don’t want them spending weeks reading the company handbook. I want to help them book their first client meeting within the first few days. When they do, I celebrate it with them and the team.
Why? Because first wins:
Build confidence.
Motivate the individual and the team.
Show them the path to success.
Even if I have to hack the system to create an early win, it’s worth it. Success breeds success, and I want them to feel it from the start.
Onboarding is a two-way street. The effort I put into the process directly impacts how successful the new joiner becomes. When I follow these five steps, I see them thrive. When I don’t, we both feel the pain.
So, here’s my reminder (to myself and anyone else building a team): invest in onboarding. It’s worth every second.
What’s your go-to onboarding strategy? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Weekly Spark
Weekly Update: I’m going to race in Shanghai! Yes, we decided to swap Hyrox Sharjah for Hyrox Shanghai and I’m super excited to see what’s Hyrox community like in China! We’re two months away from the race, that means probably the most painful phase of training. Not fun (a gym-friend just called my training ‘disgusting’). But I must admit, signing up for Shanghai was a great push and I can’t wait!
Recommended Read: We covered how can you design the onboarding process for your new joiner. But as I said, it’s a two way street. Here’s "How to on-board yourself when you join a new team” - great resource to share with your new joiners so they know you expect them to contribute to their early success.