9/26/12 Places to Work: Welcome Wagon | Articles | Archive | Inside Business Magazine Best

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Issue: September/October 2012

Best Places to Work: Welcome Wagon

By Dale Luckwitz Whether through bus tours, breakfasts or mentors, these companies get new hires rolling with a warm introduction. Lisa Charltons new co-workers probably considered her a little odd on the first day. As a welcome for every new employee, Earnest Machine hosts a staff breakfast, complete with the persons favorite childhood cereal. But Charlton had missed the when you were a child part of the equation during her interview and ordered Wheat Chex and Total, her current bowls of choice. They said, You must have had a deprived childhood, recalls the accounting clerk. She laughed and told them she ate Lucky Charms and Peanut Butter Capn Crunch like other kids. Yet, the mistake made for a perfect ice-breaker: Everyone had a good time with it. Having cereal made me feel very welcomed, especially when co-workers from other departments came to meet me, she says. It was a very relaxed atmosphere so I got to find out about their personal lives too, which was great. For Earnest, a distributor of fasteners for heavy machinery and wind turbines, the gathering is just one step in an orientation that prepares new employees for the first day and beyond. New hires are greeted with business cards, a training schedule and a mentor. The checklist even includes an introduction to the CEO. The onboarding practices shouldnt just stop, says Sally Reynolds, human resources manager. Get onboard: Plan and prepare. Start the onboarding practice right after you make the job offer, says Reynolds.

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VIP tour: Cleveland Metroparks legal assistant Janice Kinchy has hiked Whipps Ledges, paddled the 34-foot-long historic Voyageur Canoe on Hinckley Lake, and checked out the horses at the Rangers Mounted Units Stable in Brecksville. But this wasnt her weekend itinerary. It was a part of the Metroparks one-day New Employee Bus Tour. This tour was a great opportunity to not only experience some of the many diverse recreational activities offered throughout our multiple locations, Kinchy says, but also connected me with other Metroparks employees that normally would not cross my path in my everyday job tasks. This is important, says Harold Harrison, director of human resources and labor relations, since the Metroparks covers 16 reservations and more than 22,000 acres throughout Cuyahoga County and beyond. The parks also span diverse business sectors including golf courses, a zoo, nature centers and swimming areas. It forged a camaraderie between those attending that has stayed with me over time, says Kinchy. Get onboard: Show them why youre passionate. We want employees to be engaged in the entire Cleveland Metroparks process, says Harrison.

Breakfast club: Eggs, pancakes, fruit and blintzes are on the spread at Cliffs Natural Resources quarterly staff breakfast. Its an awesome opportunity to meet people outside of your department, says Michelle Borys, manager of global internal communications. To ensure everyone mingles, Cliffs creates a seating plan that mixes folks from throughout the organization. Youre going to have an opportunity to be seated next to someone you may not work with or even know, she says.
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In addition, the breakfast allows new and tenured employees to see themselves in the context of the larger corporate picture

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9/26/12 Places to Work: Welcome Wagon | Articles | Archive | Inside Business Magazine Best

In addition, the breakfast allows new and tenured employees to see themselves in the context of the larger corporate picture with presentations by CEO Joseph A. Carrabba and CFO Laurie Brlas. Plus, the food is always excellent, says Borys. Get onboard: Keep employees in the loop. Its an opportunity to hear the CEO and CFO speak, learn whats going on in our industry and our company and where we are going next, says Borys.

Hey, buddy: Becoming a mentor at Amresco is a bit like being asked to join an exclusive country club. While the biochemical and life science manufacturing and supply company pairs every new employee with a buddy as a part of its onboarding program, only the very top performers are asked to serve the role. Thats something you should have to work toward, says Ken Wade, human resources lead. With only about 30 mentors, the New Buddy program has taken on an air of prestige, as managers work with future buddies to develop the skills needed to join the ranks. Theres an exclusivity piece to it, says Wade, something to aspire to. Get onboard: Promote growth. We have to continue to reward and look at our top performers as an exclusive group, but not to the point where were excluding others from getting there, says Wade. Well have those conversations and push those conversations back to their managers about what they need to do to become a top performer.

Related Taxonomy - Best Practices Toolbox - Human Resources Popularity: This record has been viewed 100 times.

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