Onboarding New Hires –Imagine the Best!ILTA Hashtag ‐ #USSPG3 

August 19, 2014            ILTA Hashtag  #USSPG3          

Thank you for being here today

Presenters:

Denise E. Ash, Training ManagerJackson Kelly PLLC, Charleston, WVRebecca Dunaway, Trainer Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, Nashville, TNMaritta Terrell, TrainerLloyd Gosselink, Austin, TX

Onboarding …

How do you ….?What do you …? How long …? What are …?What happens when…? 

Onboarding …

Best Foot Forward:• Greeting• A.R.t.H.• Outline• Activity & 

Materials

Outline of ILTA USSPG3 Session

Onboarding New Hires – Imagine the BestIntroduction…………………………………….. Maritta Terrell

What is GOOD Onboarding? Ideas and examples ………………………..… Maritta Terrell

Onboarding Examples andSurvey Results…………. Denise Ash & Rebecca Dunaway

Audience Q & A – Feedback

Summation

Onboarding New Hires –Imagine the Best

Reduces costs associated with learning on the job

Saves co‐workers and supervisors time training the new employee, thereby increasing production

Increases morale and reduces turnover by showing the employeehe/she is valued

Onboarding New Hires –Imagine the Best

Increase Job Satisfaction

Jump start relationships

Innoculate Against Turnover

Provide support through feedback, 

coaching, and follow‐up

Increase Performance

Clarify delivery expectations

Clarify objectives

Onboarding New Hires –Imagine the Best

Some Best Practices:• Implement BEFORE first day• Welcome• Clearly communicate• Well‐defined Training Opportunities• Monitor performance frequently• Assign mentor (buddy)

• ILTA Example

• IBM example

• Microsoft Case Study

Onboarding New Hires –Imagine the Best

Let’s Make it FUN!

with a littleGamification!

Onboarding Examples and Survey Results

Contestants

Over 500 47%

200 to 500 31%

100 to 200 16%

50 to 100 10%

1 to 50 3%

We ask 133 surveyors  the total numbers of USERS at their firm.   

Which of the following categories had the LARGEST response:

• 1 to 50• 50 to 100• 100 to 200

• 200 to 500• Over 500

Number of Offices

Number of Trainers

1 Trainer 42.19%

Number of IS Personnel

Over 15 42.75%

WallerRebecca Dunaway

Jackson KellyDenise Ash

• Approximately 400 Users

• 4 Offices

• 2 Trainers

• 18 Information Systems Members

• Approximately 500 Users

• 12 Offices

• 2 Trainers

• 17 Information Systems Members

Does the majority of firms handle any of the onboarding process PRIOR to the 

new hire’s first day:• Yes• No

NO

YES

What is Onboarding?

Survey CommentsDoes your firm handle any of the onboarding process PRIOR to the new hires first day?

Survey Comments:• Setup Networks Accounts and Telephone

• New Employee Information Form

• HR Paperwork handled prior to first day such as federal and state tax withholding, direct deposit, overview to benefits options   (distributed via email, extranet and RedCarpet)

• Initial Conflict Checks

• Lateral hires:  File transfer needs, Emails, Contacts, Calendar

• Training schedule and links to technology information

• Send video talking about history of the firm.

What is the approximate length of the entire new hire training process for Attorneys?

• Two Hours• Half Day• One Full Day• One Day and Half• Several Days

Two Hours

Half Day

One Full Day

One & ½ Day

Several Days

Survey Summary

Two Hours

HalfDay

One Full Day

One and 1/2 Days

Several Days

Attorney 28.57% 25.71% 20.95% 13.33% 11.43%

Paralegal 16.19% 21.90% 20.00% 13.33% 28.57%

Legal Assistant 11.43% 12.38% 21.90% 14.29% 40.00%

Admin Staff 21.15% 22.12% 25.00% 15.38% 16.35%

Survey CommentsWhat is the approximate length of the entire new hire training process?

3 hours over 2 days.One‐on‐one trainingPartners = 2 hours;  

Associates = 2 ½  days  Lateral Partner = 

6 hours over two weeks 

Associate 2.5 hours of technology training. Second day training at 

their desk

2 hours with the attorney is a luxury!

Assistants:One week with a 

mentor

IT Training“Getting Started” 

(30 minutes to 1 hour)

Partners – 0‐1 hoursAssociates – 2‐3 hoursParalegals – 2‐4 hoursManagers – 1‐2 hoursSecretaries – 5‐8 hours

Attorneys have 2 hour sessions

Paralegals, Assistants and Admin have 3 hour session.

3 days, 1 day is technology 

training

Additional training offered via LMS.

Attorney Assistants

Summary Additional Comments

Day and Half

Survey Comments – Length of TrainingAttorney Training:• 3 hours over 2 days• One‐on‐one training sessions• Partners = 2 hours and Associates = 2 ½ days• Lateral Partner = 6 hours over two weeks• Associates 2.5 hours of technology training.

Second days training at their desk.• 2 hours with an attorney is a luxury! Assistant Training:• One week with a mentorSummary:• IT Training “ Getting Started”  (30 minutes to 1 hours)• 3 days, 1 day is technology training• Attorneys = 2 hr session 

Paralegals, Assistants and Admin = 3 hr session• 3 days, 1 day is technology trainingAdditional Comments:• Additional training offered via LMS

Do you schedule a follow‐up after the initial 

new hire process?• Always• Sometimes• Never

Sometimes ‐ 53%

Always ‐ 41%

Never  ‐ 7%

CommentsWhat is the percentage of training received on the first day?Administration ‐ 30 %, Technology Training = 40%, HR = 20%, Other = 10%

• Schedule 1 hour follow-up topics include

• Email Management• InterAction follow‐up

(assist adding team members)

• TimeBuilder• You and Your Time

(Lunch sessions twice a year focus on Time Entry, Accounting Dashboard and TimeBuilder)

• Email Management• Records Management• Word Automation

(Styles and Numbering)

• Schedule the following follow-up topics:

• iTimeKeep• Worldox Tips and Tricks• Westlaw• Excel (if needed)• ContactEase• MonitorSuite• Westlaw

• Worldox Tips and Tricks• Word Formatting• Aderant (Time Entry)/Forms• PDF Converter Professional

WallerRebecca Dunaway

Jackson KellyDenise Ash

Who creates the schedule for new hires?

• IS Department• Human Resource Dept.• General Administration• Other

HR 76%

IS Dept 21%

Other  10%

Gen Admin 8%

Survey CommentsWho creates the schedule for new hires?

Collaborative Effort• Human Resources• Information System or IT• Learning and Development• Professional Development• Mentor• Recruiting

• Schedule is created by HR, but Learning/Training determines the content and specifies the time required, which can then be customized for each situation.

How do you put your best foot forward?

Comfortable Face of Firm – Patient and Friendly

FirmCulture

Benefits

Customized

Documentation

Relate to Previous Experience

MentorTeach Them to Fish

Test login(Correct Access Rights

and Applications)

Focus on Important & Vital Info

Follow-up

Schedule Lunch

Friendly

Relevant

Commandments

New Hire Commandments

to Live By

New Hire Commandments to live byJackson Kelly’s Commandments

• Be friendly

• Follow up with training

• Check on them

• Show them how to find documentation

• Market your training 

• Be available  

Commandments – Survey Feedback

Careful what you say. Divulge the important information and stay on track! Be attentive. Learn to read body language, if you don't feel they are "getting it" take a breathchange course a bit, let them try it a time or two or maybe time for a break.

Discuss what they do in the previous firm, how they work personally, then compare to our firm and highlight standard key areas of difference.

Feel at ease BEFORE the training... letting them know they can sit back, relax, and absorb as much information as they can.

NOT expected to remember EVERYTHING we show them. It's just an orientation, and we have an in-house help desk that can assist them with any technology question, no matter what it is.

…onboarding page for summer associates and incoming attorneys that contains things like tasks for the first few days, weeks and months, org charts with faces, FAQs, links to all of the training quick reference cards, etc.

We have a firm Core Values that is presented during new hire training and followed up with through out training.

Focus on covering what they really need to know during their first week and then provide additional resources on the firm intranet for additional learning as they need it. We still have a lot of work to do in this area.

Commandments – Survey Feedback

Firm increased

How would the new hire process change if your firm increased their size by 20%?

How would the new hire process change if your firm increased their size by 20%?Survey Comments

• Hire More Trainers

• Input from Other Departments(i.e., Accounting and Help Desk)

• In‐depth Group Training(combine follow‐up into Group Training)

• Implement a LMS

• Additional Video Training

• Limit Start Dates to Mondays

• Revise New Hire Schedule (less HRPolicies and MS Office)

• Not Change(We are made for growth!)

How would the new hire process change if your firm increased their size by 20%?Jackson Kelly’s Merger Experience

• Focus on Comparison and expand on what they KNOW

• Reassuring and Friendly

• Individually Visit with Users

• Support Staff available (HR, Accounting, etc)

Beside new hire training, what are the top 8 

job duties that are also assigned 

to trainers?

Ongoing Training

NewCourses

Help Desk

Testing

Coaching

Apps Support

ProjectMgnt

LMS Admin

Beside new hire training what additional job duties are assigned to your trainer?Jackson Kelly

• Regular training classes• Documentation• Attorney (and staff) coaching• Serve on the Technology Committee• Answer advanced Help Desk questions regarding 

software• Create tips and articles for IT Newsletter• Business analyst work 

(identify solutions to issues)

Additional Job DutiesWaller Lansden Dortch & Davis

• Training Classes and Individual Training• Documentation• Videos• Application Support• Develop and Test Applications• Develop Best Practices for New Applications

Outline New Hire ProcessJackson Kelly

Outline NewHire Process

Waller LansdenDortch & Davis

Outline new Hire Process

Lloyd Gosselink

Thank You