" Guidance Isn’t Babying >> It’s Smart Leadership (Even for Seniors)"
Here’s Why Onboarding Still Matters
“We hired someone senior they’ll hit the ground running, can!”
🎯𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸
So someone has 20+ years of experience doesn’t mean they understand your business, way of working or expectations.
🚧𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱
A company I worked with hired a senior finance manager, solid credentials, came from reputable company, aced personality test 100%.
On Day 1, was led to her desk, given access to the accounting software. End.
No introductions.
No company briefing.
No clear role breakdown.
Week 2, confusion set in.
Week 4, mentally checked out.
Week 6, resigned and left.
👉𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Every company has:
📊Different Systems
🧑💼Different Leadership Styles
🛠️Different Tools & SOPs
📣Different Communication Preferences
Even the most seasoned professionals need direction to succeed in a new environment.
✅Why onboarding matters? ... yes, even for senior hires.
🔄It speeds up 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 into your team and culture
🧭It sets 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 and role boundaries
💬It opens 𝘁𝘄𝗼-𝘄𝗮𝘆 communication early
👥It reinforces your 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 as a professional employer
𝗢𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 isn’t about “babying” it’s about setting them for success
🗓️𝗔 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 3-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻
𝗗𝗮𝘆 1: 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 & 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Office tour, Meet-the-team
Company history, vision, core values
IT setup, access to tools, information
𝗗𝗮𝘆 2: 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 & 𝗞𝗣𝗜𝘀
Clear brief of responsibilities
Introduce key processes
Overview of reporting & LOA flow
𝗗𝗮𝘆 3: 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 & 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀
Walkthrough of systems
First set of tasks/goals
Q&A with supervisor
Even if you don’t have an HR department, a founder or manager need to walk through these steps.
🧠𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀:
❌Assuming senior people don’t need guidance
❌Skipping culture briefings
❌Expecting immediate results without context
❌Not assigning a buddy
Result? Wasted hiring costs.
💡𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗽
Always follow up after the first week.
“How are you settling in?”
“Do you have what you need to do your job well?”
“What’s unclear so far?”
These check-ins show that you care and they build trust fast.
✨𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
Hiring experienced talent is just the beginning. Onboarding them properly is what drives performance and retention.
🔑Don’t assume they’ll figure it out.
✅ Guide them. Support them. Watch them thrive.
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I am Kevin Goh, 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 & 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀, Building Modern HR for the Evolving Workplace
This article originally appeared on LinkedIn by Kevin Goh – Director. You can read the full post here. Adapted and shared with permission.
