Onboarding

Imagine stepping into an elevator. As the doors close, you notice something odd – everyone is facing the back wall instead of the doors. What would you do?

In 1962, social psychologists conducted a fascinating experiment. They had actors enter elevators and face the wrong direction. When unsuspecting people entered, something remarkable happened. Without question or hesitation, most turned to face the same direction as everyone else.

This wasn’t just about elevators. It revealed a fundamental truth about human behaviour: we naturally conform to what appears “normal” in our environment. People don’t typically challenge established patterns; they adapt to them.

How can we use this to our advantage? Most businesses struggle with getting their team to embrace systems because they’re primarily trying to change existing behaviours. It’s like trying to get people in an elevator to turn around when they’re already facing a certain way. It’s possible, but it’s a challenge!

But what if you could set these patterns from day one? This is where your onboarding process becomes your secret weapon. It’s your opportunity to establish “normal” before any other patterns take root. When a new team member joins, they’re actively looking for cues about how things are done. They want to fit in. They want to succeed. They’re literally asking, “Which way should I face in this elevator?”

And yet, most businesses completely miss this opportunity. They throw new team members into the deep end with a “sink or swim” approach, or they rush through basic orientation. The result? It often takes months before a new team member becomes a net benefit rather than a net drain on the business.

But when you have a systemised onboarding process that showcases your company’s core beliefs, something remarkable happens. That months-long learning curve can shrink to weeks or even days. Best of all, they’re learning that in this elevator, everyone faces the direction of systematic thinking.

Like with recruitment, your role isn’t to revolutionise onboarding single-handedly – it’s to work alongside whoever handles new team member orientation to weave systems thinking throughout the process. What follows isn’t a complete guide to onboarding. Instead, we’re going to focus specifically on weaving systems thinking in.

Day one – Welcome and orientation¶

The first day sets the tone. Focus on creating a warm, welcoming environment while conveying the importance of a systemised approach.

• Welcome message from the founder: Begin with a welcome video from your founder or CEO. Keep it short (3–5 minutes) but impactful. They should share the company’s story and journey, weaving in how your systematic approach helps make the vision possible. At a small business, the founder may prefer to do this in person, but encourage them to at least create a video for the future.
• Essential tools introduction: Wherever possible, deliver their onboarding induction through the tools they’ll be using daily. Instead of just telling them about your systematic approach, demonstrate it by having them complete their first-day activities through your project management platform and get introduced to your documented processes through your systems management software.

Day two – Learning the ropes¶

The second day addresses the new hire’s specific role and the work they’ll be carrying out.

• Daily routine: Clearly define the daily routine and expectations, including how to log time, handle enquiries and access support. This structure provides order and predictability.
• Review of core systems: Guide the new hire through the core systems relevant to their role, providing hands-on training. This is mainly about providing an overview rather than expecting instant mastery.
• Review core values and policies: Have them read the company or employee handbook, which emphasises the importance of systems to the culture. They’ll see how your values, policies and systems work together to create “the way things are done here”.

Day three – Deepening systemisation expectation¶

The third day reinforces the systemised approach and helps the new hire appreciate they’ll be expected (and empowered) to contribute to continuous improvement.

• Systems thinking introduction: Share your core systems philosophy. I love giving new team members a copy of our “Systems Thinking Video Guide”, covering beliefs like “blame the system, not the person” and “continuous improvement is everyone’s job.” (Access a copy at SystemsChampion.com/resources.)
• Systems Champion mentorship: Connect the new hire with a Systems Champion (this can be you or one of your allies) for ongoing support, checking in occasionally during the first few months. This also gives you the opportunity to track their questions, gain insights and ask for ideas for improvement.

Day four – Getting hands-on¶

On the fourth day, focus on allowing your new hires to engage in actual work as early as possible.

• Essential, repeatable and delegable tasks: Start with simple, practical tasks that give them a taste of real work. Find easy-to-follow processes from their department and let the new hire complete them, allowing them to contribute quickly and build confidence.

While I’ve shared ideas for the first four days, true onboarding extends well beyond that. It’s typically a 30–90 day process. I just wanted to get you thinking.

Systems for the future¶

Can you see how each element of onboarding becomes an opportunity to embed systems thinking? This sort of change will take time, and every business is different. So start where you can, when you can. Pick the elements that will have the biggest impact. Maybe it’s recording that founder’s welcome video, or documenting your core systems philosophy. Every new team member who experiences your systematic onboarding becomes another person facing the right direction, making it even easier for the next person to do the same.