According to a study by Deloitte, 70% of C-suite leaders were considering quitting their roles. This often comes down to their quality of life, and for C-suite leaders this usually begins at the onboarding process. Though onboarding is important for every role, it’s especially important for executives, many of which have different needs. This is why you need to find the balance between helping them to get stuck into your business goals straight away, whilst also ensuring that they avoid burning out and heading elsewhere.
The Ins and Outs of Effectively Onboarding C-Suite Leaders
- Provide Essential Information Immediately - When you are onboarding an executive, you need to provide them with as much information as possible, which means giving them more than a standard handbook or manual. Ensure they are familiar with long term goals, the job descriptions of other members of the team and have a schedule of upcoming events. Even the contact information for stakeholders and upcoming project deadlines are important to share.
- Give Them Quality Time with The Team - It’s always a good idea to give new executives time with the people they will oversee, a chance to connect and get to know each other. They need to earn the trust of their team and establish a strong connection with everyone, which doesn’t happen overnight.
- Let Your New Executive Speak for Themselves - It’s important for you to build up an executive’s reputation, but you should also let them speak for themselves. Consider organising a discussion or meeting for the executive to lead, giving them the chance to showcase their experience, knowledge, and goals to the organisation.
- Show Excitement for the New Executive - Announce the new executive hire and build them up beforehand, ensuring that everyone in the organisation knows who they are and what they do. Highlight their past achievements, provide an insight into their personal life, and promote what they want to achieve as an executive leader.
- Set Expectations from the Beginning - To avoid any misunderstandings, be clear with your expectations from the beginning. Be open and honest about what you expect from a new executive, and be clear with what the position entails, both day-to-day and on a long-term basis. Find out if there is anything that you can do to make their transition to the role easier, or what support they need.
Onboarding is always important, but successfully onboarding an executive can have a huge impact on how much they enjoy their leadership role. For an executive to truly thrive, they need to feel informed, supported and part of the team from the very beginning.
If you’re looking for support in hiring and onboarding new c-level executives into your company contact Fidarsi today and we’d be happy to discuss this with you.