First impressions count – and the way in which companies welcome their new employees is an important step in ensuring they start their careers on a positive note.
Getting onboarding right is particularly important when it comes to in-house legal teams, since the effectiveness of a legal function is tied closely with the relationships that lawyers build with their business stakeholders. Effective onboarding will give newly hired lawyers a good sense of how the culture of the legal function sits within the wider organisation.
Furthermore, a smooth onboarding process can set the stage for a new legal hire to quickly become a valuable and productive member of the team.
Onboarding really begins before the new joiner has started - during the recruitment process – and continues beyond those first few days, too.
Employer branding and company values
Your employer brand will allow your new hires to get a clear sense of company culture and when you work with a recruitment partner, they will be able to present your employee offering in an honest and compelling way. Any good recruiter will always be mindful of company values and ensuring a fit with those values, ahead of putting anyone forward to an interview stage. If your employer value proposition (EVP) isn’t well defined, it should be a priority if you want to give your recruitment and onboarding programmes the best chance of success.
Pre-boarding
Between recruitment and onboarding comes preboarding. Preboarding involves providing the new hire with all necessary information to make their first day go as smoothly as possible. This will usually include:
- Welcome Pack: Email your new hire a ‘welcome pack’ containing company information, an organisational chart, details about the legal team and a brief introduction to key stakeholders.
- Technology Setup: Ensure that their IT equipment (laptop, phone, software access) is set up and ready to go.
- Legal Resources: Enable access to important legal resources, such as the company’s legal document repository, guidelines and templates.
- First Week Schedule: Outline their first week’s schedule, including meetings, training sessions and introductions to team members.
A Comprehensive Orientation
On your employee’s first day, be sure to cover the following:
- Company Overview: Provide a high-level overview of the company's mission, vision, values and culture. Discuss the company’s history, business model and key products or services.
- Legal Department Structure: Explain the structure of the legal department, including the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This helps the new hire understand how they fit into the bigger picture.
- Key Policies and Procedures: Walk through important company policies, particularly those related to legal matters such as compliance, confidentiality and ethics.
Stakeholder Introductions
For in-house legal employees, building strong relationships with key stakeholders is essential, as they are likely to interface with many other internal departments. Early in the onboarding process, facilitate introductions to the executive team, department heads and external counsel (if applicable). It is sometimes beneficial to include business stakeholders within the interview process itself - depending on the seniority and nature of the role - as this means when it comes to onboarding, the new in-house counsel already has some buy-in from those involved in the decision to bring them on board.
Provide Targeted Training
In-house legal roles often require a deep understanding of specific legal issues relevant to the industry or the company. Offer targeted training that will help the new hire get up to speed quickly. This should include an overview of the legal and regulatory issues specific to your industry. This could include compliance requirements, data privacy laws, intellectual property rights or industry-specific contracts.
Additionally, your new hires will need training on the various software your legal team uses, including contract management systems and document management platforms.
Set Clear Expectations and Goals
To ensure that the new hire can contribute effectively, it's important to set clear expectations and goals from the outset.
- Role Objectives: Clearly define the objectives of their role, including short-term and long-term goals.
- Performance Metrics: Explain how their performance will be measured, including key performance indicators (KPIs) or other metrics.
- Feedback Mechanisms: Establish regular feedback mechanisms to provide constructive feedback and support their professional growth.
Establish a Supportive and Inclusive Culture
Creating a supportive and inclusive culture is essential for the success of any new hire, especially in the legal field where the work can be challenging and high-pressure. It’s a nice touch to offer a team-building activity or social gathering in the first week or so, to help the new hire to integrate in the team.
It’s also important to establish clear and open lines of communication, so that your newest team member feels comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, or voicing concerns.
Regularly Review and Refine the Onboarding Process
Finally, it's important to continually review and refine your onboarding process to ensure it remains effective. Be sure to gather feedback from new hires about their experience and use this feedback to make adjustments so that it meets the evolving needs of the legal team and the wider company.