This idea stems from a crucial point made in the blog Finding Congruence in the Onboarding Process. If you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, I highly recommend you do so. It discusses the importance of aligning new hires' abilities, values, and beliefs with those of the company. By ensuring this alignment during the onboarding process, you set the stage for a more motivated and integrated workforce.
In the final note of that blog, we posed a thought-provoking question: “Why not involve managers and team members in the onboarding process instead of relying solely on the Talent Acquisition (TA) team?” This question has sparked some deep conversations. Let's explore why including managers and team members in onboarding could transform the way companies approach employee onboarding.
Typically, Talent Acquisition (TA) teams are responsible for managing the logistics of onboarding—handling paperwork, benefits, and initial training modules. While the TA team plays a pivotal role, the onboarding process is much more than a checklist of tasks to be completed.
Onboarding is about emotional connection, culture immersion, and long-term success. And frankly, the TA team can’t—and shouldn’t—be expected to carry that responsibility alone. That’s where involving managers and team members comes in.
Managers play an irreplaceable role in setting the right expectations. After all, they will be the ones overseeing the new hire’s performance, understanding their strengths and challenges, and aligning their abilities with the team’s objectives.
When a manager gets involved early, they can:
In short, managers can offer a layer of personalization that the TA team might not have the time or bandwidth to provide.
At FocusU we believe culture isn’t taught; it’s experienced. And who better to give a new hire that first taste of company culture than the people they’ll be working with every day?
By involving team members in onboarding, you:
Team involvement takes the onboarding experience beyond transactional and makes it relational—key to building that congruence we talked about earlier.
Now, picture this: Instead of a one-way stream of information coming from HR or the TA team, the onboarding process becomes a collaborative experience. The new hire doesn’t just learn about the company’s values and expectations through documents or videos; they live those values by interacting with the people who embody them every day.
Here’s how FocusU can structure a more collaborative onboarding approach:
FocusU believes in crafting onboarding as a journey, one that spans pre-onboarding, induction, and post-onboarding stages. By involving managers and team members from the very beginning, you’re doing more than onboarding an employee—you’re fostering a sense of belonging. As new hires see leaders and colleagues actively involved in their integration, they are more likely to feel like they are part of something bigger.
And, as our insights show, employees who feel connected to the company's mission are not only 18x more committed but are also 40% less likely to leave within the first 90 days
There’s no doubt that onboarding is a multifaceted process that requires more than just the procedural efforts of HR and TA teams. Involving managers and team members turns onboarding into a holistic experience, enriching the new hire’s introduction to the company and aligning their abilities, values, and purpose with your organization’s.
What do you think? How can your company better involve managers and team members in onboarding? Let’s talk about it. Schedule a call with our team.
Penned by Ashutosh Kumar Singh, Sr. Associate - Content Design
Read More:
How FocusU Turned New Hires into Company Culture Champions
6 Pillars of Effective Remote Onboarding