First Impressions Last: Crafting an Effective Developer Onboarding Process
This week marks my third onboarding experience at Atlassian, a process I previously underwent while at ThoughtWorks and as a contractor. Each time, I am consistently impressed by the structure, resources, and overall ease of the onboarding journey. It encompasses a wealth of resources, interactive elements, and even instructional videos that guide new hires every step of the way.
The significance of first impressions is not limited to individuals; it's equally pertinent to organizations. Just like individuals, companies too have a golden opportunity to make a memorable first impression during the onboarding process. Several studies validate the importance of onboarding, particularly concerning employee retention. As cited in an article by Kat Boogaard
Up to 20% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment, and 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experience great onboarding.
The Developer Perspective
Having spent a decade consulting at ThoughtWorks and working on around 30 different projects, I've seen my fair share of onboarding processes. It can be incredibly frustrating when the first few days on a new project are spent wrestling with environment configuration instead of making meaningful contributions.
I've been part of three projects throughout my tenure at Atlassian, and I'm glad to report that I've never experienced this issue. Onboarding here is a breeze – the process is streamlined, documents are current, and teams are well-informed and helpful.
For instance, Atlassian provides scripts for developers to install necessary tools with the correct versions easily. Subsequently, a different script checks for proper installations. The satisfaction of seeing a line of green ticks, signalling a successful setup, is indeed a developer's delight!
Importance of Up-to-date Documentation
Accurate, detailed, and current documentation is a crucial aspect of onboarding. It should encompass the technical nuances and team culture, processes, communication channels, and best practices in a straightforward, jargon-free language.
A common issue I've encountered in at least half of the projects I've worked on is outdated onboarding documentation. One successful discipline I've found is asking the most recent team member to update the onboarding document, sharing their insights about any missing information.
Yet, while effective, this approach is not as efficient as automation. Moving forward, strive for an 'onboarding-as-code' approach. Ensure scripts are accurate and informative, guide users through subsequent steps (like going to a particular place to download a package or patch the system), and update them as required.
In conclusion, a great onboarding process sets the tone for a successful stint at an organization. By paying attention to details and constantly refining the process, companies can provide an experience that helps new hires acclimate faster and fosters a greater sense of loyalty.
"20% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days" - is a shocking statistic.
Love the tool to setup and tool to test the setup, what a great approach.
The final step of all the onboarding I arrange for my team is to tell us how we can improve the process - and better yet make the change to the process whilst it's fresh in their minds.