Welcoming New Team Members!

Studies have shown that companies with a standard onboarding process had 54% greater new hire productivity and 50% higher new hire retention rate. Here are some recommendations to ensure an inclusive onboarding process from the get-go:

Establish a Code of Conduct

• A code of conduct sets company norms for behavior and establishes expectations for an inclusive workplace
• Creating an effective code of conducts starts with the team who drafts it: this means integrating team members at all levels of seniority who care about DEI, not just HR
• Your code of conduct should open with a clear statement of purpose, based on your company’s mission, values, and business. Consider beginning with a "Statement of Values" marked by simple, people-first language.
• Explicitly state how and when actions that violate the code of conduct (including any anti-harassment policies) will be handled, and who is involved in enforcement

Sample Code of Conduct

Sample Anti-Harassment Policy

Communicate Performance Expectations

• Establish goals and standards as early as possible and communicate them clearly
• "OKR" and "KPI" are common frameworks to consider for tracking progress and providing feedback
• Understand how performance reviews can be biased:
  • Manager Feedback Bias can manifest in considerations of leniency, stereotyping behavior or expectations
  • Self-Rater Feedback Bias can happen during self-evaluations as a result of imposter syndrome, a cultural aversion to self-promotion, or societal expectations and messaging concerning self-promotion
• For instance: the critical feedback men received was heavily geared towards suggestions for additional skills to develop, while feedback for women tended to be more personality based. Being conscious of potential biases before performance evaluations is key

Sample OKR Framework

Sample KPI Framework

Open Door Policy: Mentorship and Guidance