How does professional onboarding succeed in IT?

The onboarding study by Haufe 2023 shows alarming figures: “21 percent of respondents said that new employees left the company quickly because there was no professional onboarding”.

Haufe names as a possible reason that “many companies still lack process structures and defined standards for onboarding”.

But who is responsible for the topic and who is driving it forward? Computerwoche writes: “Of course, onboarding is a team task in which many people should be involved. But it needs employees who plan the process, coordinate it and distribute tasks. Without clear responsibilities, there is a risk that onboarding will not happen properly.”²

On the other hand, with good onboarding, there is a greater chance that “new employees become productive more quickly” and “take on tasks and projects independently, allowing the company to benefit from their performance sooner”, Computerwoche concludes.

Professional onboarding in IT is therefore the key to ensuring a successful start. In this article, I would like to show you step by step how you can optimally design your onboarding from the specialist department in IT. To help you visualise this process even better, true to our industry, we’re getting more innovative and taking an unusual approach: we’re putting ourselves in the shoes of our characters Max, Stefanie and Anna. Max’s onboarding journey starts now!

A promising start in an IT company

Max, a recent graduate in software engineering, had been preparing for this moment for years. His first day of work as a developer in a renowned IT company had finally arrived. The anticipation of the challenges ahead was mixed with excitement and a little nervousness. But Max was ready, because before he started he had already met his future team, his manager Stefanie and his mentor Anna via video message.

The first impression on the start day was one of a warm welcome. Stefanie, the development team leader, welcomed him personally. She showed Max around the office, introduced him to his new colleagues and explained the corporate culture. Stefanie emphasised the importance of a solid start in his career and pointed out the importance of a well thought-out induction plan.

A warm welcome and the importance of preparation

Stefanie was not only an experienced team leader, but also a passionate advocate for the successful onboarding of new employees. The induction plan consisted of clear steps and goals to help Max track his progress. The structure of the plan ensured that Max could find his way around his new environment.

Stefanie took enough time four weeks beforehand to create a plan for Max’s onboarding. She also discussed the plan in advance with Anna, Max’s mentor for the onboarding period. The plan contained concrete tasks for the first 4 weeks, such as getting to know specific people from the company, familiarisation with the organisational and technical tools. Data protection training, occupational safety and IT security training were also on the schedule. For all topics, the plan contained a defined objective, a prioritisation, the estimated effort from very high to very low, as well as contact persons from the company who could help with these topics.

When she went through the plan with Max in the first days, she encouraged him to use the resources available to him and to ask all questions openly. She was determined to ensure Max’s success.

Stefanie also took the time to discuss his personal SMART goals with Max. It is important that employees know from the beginning what they will be measured against and how to prioritise their tasks. These goals were specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Max quickly realised how important these criteria were in planning and measuring his professional development.

The importance of SMART goals

By setting SMART goals, Max was able to divide his professional journey into clear stages. Anna helped him to work together to set the goals so that they were specific and precise. He understood that this was the first step in knowing what needed to be achieved.

The measurability of the goals helped Max to track his progress. Anna encouraged him to review his progress regularly and to share this in regular meetings as needed. The goals were challenging but achievable, which motivated Max to do the best he could.

Anna also emphasised the relevance of the goals to Max’s career ambitions and the company’s goals. This helped him to make a clear connection between his work and the larger goals of the company.

By setting clear timelines for his goals, Max was able to ensure that he continually stayed on track and kept his professional development in perspective. The SMART goals were like a map for his career, helping him to plan and follow the path to becoming a successful developer.

Anna, the dedicated mentor

Stefanie knew that the induction plan and SMART goals were just the beginning. Max needed a dedicated mentor to help him find his way in the new company. Anna was keen to teach him not only technical skills but also the intricacies of the company’s working culture. Anna’s role was also to take Max to lunches and socialise within the company. He also found it easier to turn to Anna for organisational questions than to go directly to Stefanie with every question.

Soft skills and the corporate culture

In addition to technical skills, Anna also emphasised the importance of soft skills. Communication, teamwork, problem solving and time management were as important in IT as technical expertise.

The ability to solve problems was seen as essential by Anna. She gradually showed Max how to effectively identify problems, analyse them and develop solutions using the shadowing method. Max learned from his observations that problems are often opportunities for growth and innovation.

Time management was another important aspect. Max had to learn how to manage his time efficiently and set priorities in order to succeed in a fast-changing environment. In case of uncertainties, e.g. with time tracking or customer queries, he could ask Anna and his other colleagues for advice and thus learn.

Anna also helped Max understand the company culture. She explained to him the values of the company and what was expected of the employees. He now felt not only technically well prepared, but also able to fit into the culture of the company.

The evaluation of the onboarding process

During his first months at the company, Max continuously developed his technical skills and soft skills. Anna and Stefanie were on hand to give him advice and practical help. Their regular meetings helped Max to stay on track and pursue his goals.

The evaluation of the onboarding process in a feedback meeting after 3 months was another important step in Max’s journey. Stefanie listened carefully to Max’s feedback and made sure that his needs were met. She was also able to give Max her feedback and plan further steps for their joint development. They realised that the onboarding process was a continuous process that needed to be reviewed and adjusted regularly.

Max as a mentor

Max was impressed by the support and the company culture. He felt comfortable and motivated in his new position. His path to a successful career in IT was well on track thanks to the structured induction plan, the SMART goals and the dedicated mentor Anna.

Inspired by his own journey to a successful IT career, Max decided to become a mentor for new employees himself and shared his knowledge and experience. He firmly believed that the best way to succeed was to help others along the way.

Conclusion: A promising path into the IT world

Max’s story is an example of how a structured induction plan, clear goals and a good mentoring programme can pave the way to a successful career in IT. Together with your HR, managers and committed colleagues, you can build a solid framework and fill it, get started and gradually, iteratively, improve the process. It takes good internal communication, clear role allocation, sufficient time, trust and commitment to welcome new employees and develop them into long-term colleagues.

Notes (partly in German):

Veronika Birkheim is available as a sparring partner for your onboarding and retention processes. You can easily contact her via PEOPLETALENT. It is certainly worthwhile!

[1] Haufe Onboarding Studie
[2] Computerwoche: Arbeitgeber unterschätzen und ignorieren Onboarding

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