Onboarding 101: How we set up new hires for success

Hiring a new Jampper is a big milestone for us. We put a lot of effort into finding the right people for our team. So, when a candidate accepts our offer, we want to do everything we can to help them succeed.

Just as we know that an app download does not equal a user and that marketers must retarget users throughout their entire journey, we also know that for a new hire to really become a Jampper we need to engage them early on!

Our onboarding process is designed to help new Jamppers become true members of our team. How, you wonder? Read on to discover the 5 key elements that make our onboarding process effective, scalable, and more importantly, unique for each new Jampper 🙌.

1. Define a clear goal 🎯

Joining a new company, and sometimes even a whole new industry, can be overwhelming. That's why we set a clear purpose for our onboarding process and make sure that new hires know what they can expect early on.

During the first few weeks, we share our mission, culture, and unique ways of doing things. New Jamppers gain a general understanding of what we do and how we do it. All of this helps them adapt to their team and confidently step into their role and responsibilities.

💡 How we do this: A few days before their start date, each manager sends a “First Day” email to the new Jampper with information about their first day, and an overview of our onboarding process so that they know what to expect.

2. Pay attention to the details (and show how much you care 😃)

As part of our onboarding process, we include certain personalized initiatives so that every new Jampper experiences a unique welcome to the team:

• Welcome Kit 🎁: We make sure that new hires have everything they need to work comfortably from home—no matter where they are located. Whether it’s a computer, headsets, a monitor, a chair, or any other relevant setup item. Plus, we always include Jampp Swag 😎. Warning: we may go a little overboard with the Sticker Mule laptop stickers 😂.
  
• Jampp Buddy 🙋: This is someone who will support the new Jampper throughout their first weeks, as a point of contact or a person they can lean on and ask questions to (whether it’s related to their role or life at Jampp).
  
• Welcome Email 👋: It’s our way of introducing the new Jampper to the team by sharing a bit of what we’ve learned throughout the hiring process. We highlight the skills and experience that they bring to the team, but also include hobbies and random facts to show their personality. We always wrap them up with a custom-made Welcome GIF!
  
• Welcome Coffee ☕: New hires have a laid-back chat with more experienced Jamppers from other teams. They get a glimpse into their journey at Jampp and what they can expect from the future. It’s a way of bringing people together while enjoying a sweet treat that we send their way 😋.
  

3. Share knowledge and showcase your team 🤓

New Jamppers participate in 101 Training Sessions that ensure everyone has the same general understanding of what we do. These sessions are specifically designed to transmit our knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit as they cover everything from how our business and the industry work to more complex topics like our technology and products.

Each Team Lead takes the time to sit down with new Jamppers to talk about their role and how their team works towards accomplishing Jampp’s goals. Even our founders devote time to getting to know new Jamppers and transmitting our story and culture through what we call Jampp’s Blue Book on Day 1 📘.

Naturally, we combine these 101s with role-specific training sessions so that Jamppers have everything they need to ramp up to their responsibilities.

💡 How we do this: We have an Onboarding Agenda Calendar with scheduled sessions. It’s a rolling calendar that takes place every two weeks, so all new Jamppers go through the 101s together, which is great for the new hires who get to know other new Jamppers and share their learning experience.

4. Keep it simple ⚖️

A key pillar of any effective onboarding is clear, straightforward communication.

For the new Jampper, there is a lot of new information to process such as names, concepts, or the platforms we use. To organize how we deliver that information, we have an internal wiki that contains everything from the basics of our industry and books of interest to our branding assets and an overview of each team. We also make sure that the manager (as well as the Jampp Buddy) is always available to answer questions.

For the ones coordinating the onboarding process, there are lots of steps to consider. To keep things organized between the different teams involved, we have a mix of sync and async comms.

💡 How we do this: Among the ones who organize the onboarding process, we use a Trello board with different lists, one for each new Jampper. Each list has a set of cards that represent the different steps of the process and that contain relevant information such as email templates or checklists to keep track of our progress.

5. Always ask for feedback 💬

At Jampp, we believe that there’s always room for improvement, so we always ask for feedback from the people involved. Whether it’s from the manager leading the process, someone helping out with administrative tasks, or a new Jampper that has just experienced our onboarding, everything helps!

💡 How we do this: Aside from asking for feedback regularly, when a new Jampper reaches the end of their first month at Jampp, we host a Lifecycle Check consisting of three meetings: 1) with their manager for a review of their first month at Jampp, 2) with the buddy to officially “wrap up” this process, 3) with the People & Culture team to give specific feedback regarding hiring, onboarding, and day-to-day life at Jampp.

At the end of the day, the most special thing about our onboarding process is that we’re able to truly convey who we are and what drives us. We want Jamppers to reach their first month at Jampp feeling like they belong, they understand our culture and our products, and are ready to make a contribution.

Our process is sufficiently structured to be scalable and flexible enough that it can be personalized for each new hire. This allows us to onboard multiple people at the same time, while being flexible enough to adapt to the needs of each new recruit. After all, we believe that Jamppers are our greatest asset, so what’s more important than providing an effective and unique welcome to the team?

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Ready to experience our onboarding process first-hand? Check our open positions and discover if you have what it takes to become a Jampper.