In my daily work inside the cultures of numerous African organisations, I discover common truths.
One of these is how hard it is to onboard new hires quickly and effectively.
Speed is essential because, after the first thirty days, a new joiner has heard so many varied opinions from colleagues and bosses that the opportunity has been lost.
Effectiveness can best be judged by how quickly a new person becomes productive.
So, we coach the creation of an onboarding video, produced by staff to a brief approved by their leaders, as the foundation of a successful onboarding experience.
But beyond that initial introduction to the company, we need to find better ways to exchange the more profound knowledge a newbie needs.
Traditionally, onboarding relies on a ‘push’ approach—providing structured training, policies, and processes for new hires to absorb.
However, a more effective method is to create ‘pull’- encouraging employees to take the initiative, seek out knowledge, and actively engage with the organisation’s culture.
For this approach to succeed, two key elements are essential.
Firstly, having brand-focused activities to connect the new employee to the organisation’s identity, ensuring that every learning experience aligns with its values and goals.
Secondly, creating an onboarding journey offers new joiners a structured yet innovative way to navigate their learning. Ideally, this should be shaped around four ‘C’s:
Culture - Why does the organisation exist? What do customers value about our brand? How do we do things around here?
Clarity - How does my role contribute to the bigger picture? What does success look like for me and the organisation? Connections - Who do I need to collaborate with? How does my work impact customers?
Compliance - What essential policies must I follow, from regulations to sustainability? If invited to explore these questions, new hires naturally seek out people and resources beyond their immediate team, fostering integration and engagement. If they struggle, they can ask questions.
For example, ‘If our brand was a person, what would it stand for?’
From an organisational psychology perspective, this method taps into self-determination theory, which emphasises autonomy, competence, and relatedness as key drivers of motivation.
Encouraging employees to discover answers actively fosters a sense of ownership over their development, making learning more meaningful and memorable.
Additionally, social learning theory suggests that seeking out connections within the organisation helps embed norms and behaviours more effectively than passive information intake.
Chris Harrison leads The Brand Inside.
www.thebrandinside.com