Onboarding at most companies I’ve seen is simply dreadful. Even worse, they don’t do much to get people working and productive quickly. Facebook is different, at least for engineers. Here are five things I like about what they do.
Facebook starts before the first day. Tom Campos, Facebook’s CIO, says that “you need to get all systems and devices — from an employee’s PC to their phone — calibrated before new hires even report for their first day.”
Facebook starts fast. Campos has what he calls the “45 Minute Rule,” meaning that a new hire should be working on something productive within 45 minutes of walking in the door.
Facebook onboarding takes long enough. “Long enough for what?” you ask. Long enough so that by the end of the six weeks of “bootcamp” both Facebook and the new hire know if there’s a real fit.
Facebook sees cultural orientation as a key goal of onboarding. Like training, onboarding should be a carrier of culture. Mike Swift of the Mercury News describes Facebook’s six week bootcamp for people who will touch code as: “one part employee orientation, one part software training program and one part fraternity/sorority rush.”
Facebook allows for choice. When bootcamp is over, the new hire chooses his or her job assignment and product team.
Facebook has some things going for it that you may not. So instead of copying what they do point for point, set some simple objectives for your onboarding. Start before the first day so people can get productive fast. Then take enough time with the new person so they absorb the culture of your place.
For more on Facebook’s talent management, read Dr. John Sullivan’s four part series
Facebook’s Talent Management Practices? They’re Simply Amazing
Facebook’s Focus: Smart Talent Practices (the Smarter, the Better)
Facebook’s Difference: A Unique Approach For Managing Employees
Facebook’s Way: Transparency, Openness, and a Knack For Solving Problems
