It is even more critical that newly hired senior leaders have a smooth transition into your organization.
The Big Book of HR by Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem can guide you on how best to onboard a senior executive to how to handle critical conversations within your organization. This reference book has 30 chapters and is organized into five sections.
Consider how long you searched for just the right person, and the time and money you expended to land just the right person at this particular time. Further consider that four out of ten newly promoted managers and executives fail within 18 months of starting new jobs, according to research by Manchester, Inc, a leadership development firm in Bala Cynwyd, PA.
"Failing" includes being terminated for performance, performing significantly below expectations or voluntarily resigning from the new position. When newly recruited, the following types of executives experienced the highest failure rates within the first 18 months: senior-level executives (39%), sales executives (30%), marketing executives (25%), and operations executives (23%). Here are the major reasons for failure in the new job:
They fail to establish a cultural fit……………......................75%
They fail to build teamwork with staff and peers…...........…52%
They are unclear about what their bosses expect….............33%
They don't have the required internal political savvy…..........25%
There's no process to assimilate executives into the firm…...22%
Also, two out of every five new CEOs fail in the first 18 months (HBR, January 2005).
Now he/she is finally arriving to start work. And it is a common assumption that senior leaders don't need any special help to assimilate. After all, they are, in fact senior leaders. They've worked in other organizations and they know their job; that is why they were hired. It is critical to put together a well-crafted process for onboading a new executive that will provide him/her with the information needed to be successful as quickly as possible.
Think how you will:
Introduce the new executive to your existing staff (like sending an email announcement to the staff).
Announce the new executive to the business community.
Make him/her feel welcome.
Integrate the new executive into your existing management/leadership team.
Introduce the new executive to his/her direct reports.
Orient him/her to organizational policies and procedures.
Get the new executive signed up for benefits.
An executive welcome packet could consist of: a letter from the CEO, a book or DVD that is particularly meaningful to the organization, parking information, bios of leadership team, schedule for first week and gift with company logo for home (to be a reminder to the new executive and his or her family).
Source: Barbara Mitchell: The Big Book of HR (An HR reference guide)
John Agno: Can't Get Enough Leadership (A leadership reference guide)