May 23, 2023
Microsoft recently published an article featuring Siobhan O’Mahony, Professor of Strategy & Innovation, discussing the challenges of acclimating new employees to a company and its culture when working in a hybrid setting.
Onboarding has become a hybrid affair following the COVID-19 pandemic – sometimes virtual, sometimes in person, and sometimes both. Microsoft’s research has shown that a key component of success is focusing on the day-to-day lived experiences of its employees. In response to Microsoft’s finding that new hires relied more heavily on managers than ever before, upper management encouraged managers to personalize the onboarding process for each new employee.Microsoft encourages companies to have an onboarding buddy program to aid in developing strong support networks among colleagues.
O’Mahony says, “developing strong bonds among colleagues is imperative for improving “the quality of the collective mind” of an organization. It preserves transactive memory, which is “basically who does what” – a collective understanding of how an organization gets the job done.”
Without human interaction, the essential organizational muscle weakens. The company has found that providing a more personal touch to its onboarding efforts builds social capital, or the benefits that come from relationships.