By turning your onboarding experience into more than just an administrative formality, your company can foster a people-first culture that ultimately strengthens culture and performance.

The process of onboarding is a strategic investment in your people — by building a strategy centered around a people-first culture, every new team member, whether in the office or the field, is intentionally welcomed into the company’s culture, one that’s rooted in connection, integrity, and performance.

Warm Welcome Tactics

Onboarding Lunch

Consider starting your onboarding experience with a meet-and-greet over lunch. Designed to be casual yet impactful, lunch can bring new hires, leaders, and field representatives together to foster immediate connection.

Company leaders and owners can utilize this opportunity to share more about the company, what it stands for, and what every employee can expect. During this time, it can be valuable to share the company’s core values, history, and mission and emphasize the company’s people-first philosophy and commitment to excellence.

Field employees can also join to discuss their roles, share insights from the field, and what can be expected.

Guided Tour of Departments

Leading a guided tour of each department gives new team members a real sense of how the organization operates and how every role contributes to the bigger picture.

This process can help employees feel connected and seen, establishing early engagement and alignment between field and office teams and bridging that gap.

30/60/90-Day Check-Ins: Intentional Growth for Office Employees

For office employees, onboarding should extend beyond the first week. Structured 30-, 60-, and 90-day check-ins ensure new hires are acclimated successfully and equipped for long-term success.

Each milestone conversation should focus on four key areas:

• Cultural integration: Is the new hire connecting with the company’s values and team dynamics?
• Support and resources: Does the new hire have the tools and mentorship needed to succeed?
• Role clarity and competency: Are role expectations clear and attainable?
• Engagement and feedback: How can the company better support the employee’s success?

These check-ins reinforce that onboarding is a two-way process, one that values transparency, growth, and continuous improvement.

Field Onboarding & Real-Time Coaching

For field employees, coaching should happen regularly. Supervisors provide clear expectations and continuous feedback aligned with project goals, safety standards, and performance metrics.

By engaging in real-time dialogue, leaders can ensure every team member remains aligned, supported, and accountable in the fast-paced field environment.

Performance Management

As an employee navigates their role, it’s important to consider effective performance management. Continuous check-ins supported by specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals can help keep feedback actionable and focused.

Teams can also use strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat (SWOT) analyses to align their work with company-wide business goals.

This approach can reinforce a powerful message: every employee plays a direct role in the company’s success by contributing to a healthy environment and a culture of high-performance, collaboration, and results.

Conclusion

By fostering connection, providing meaningful coaching, and leading with integrity, making a commitment toward fostering a people-first culture ensures every new team member becomes part of the company’s mission.