Q2’s approach to new-hire onboarding has long reflected the company’s mission to strengthen communities. With a focus on the importance of culture, industry knowledge, and corporate values, the company’s new-hire orientation (NHO) is a keystone in building a healthy and committed workforce. Before the COVID-19 pandemic affected the way companies everywhere approached onboarding and other HR matters, Q2’s “people organization” presented an immersive, two-day orientation program at the company’s Austin headquarters for all U.S. employees.
A new format for new circumstances
In March, the fallout of COVID-19 demanded a swift shift to remote work, and on March 23, the Q2 NHO program followed suit. With very little runway, content creators, designers, and participants across the organization worked to relaunch the program in a new and completely digital format, now presented twice monthly. Now, instead of receiving a work laptop and other necessary items upon arrival, new employees receive an early shipment of the things they need for their first day on the job—as well as a call from Q2’s senior talent development partner to make sure they had everything they needed to join NHO on day one. The Q2 IT team is also on hand to help make setup as smooth as possible, but logistics and working technology were only part of the equation. Before the program’s launch, an important question loomed; would the reimagined program provide the same high standard of onboarding experiences for the new group of team members, many of whom had been recruited, interviewed, and hired without ever setting foot in a Q2 office?
Measuring success by engagement
Fortunately, the experiment reinforced Q2’s core notion that the digital channel can provide essential opportunities for change and relationship-building. Through remote meetings, digital messaging tools, informative live presentations from Q2’s leadership team and more, NHO remained personal, relevant, and created new ways to forge bonds with team members, even from far-flung workspaces.
The new format ensured interaction amongst new hires and presenters, fostering new connections with peers in a time when integrating into a company’s culture can be a challenge. Instead of one-way communication, the new NHO incorporates multidirectional communication by employing breakout rooms, group discussions, and other team-based activities. What’s more, groups have used digital tools to maintain the personal connections made during NHO, creating an additional layer of support outside their immediate work teams. In doing so, they’re able to keep leaning on each other for input in meeting new challenges or finding resources they need.
What’s next for NHO?
The pandemic's fluid nature makes it difficult to predict when (or if) teams will return to the office permanently. For Q2’s People organization, moving NHO to the digital realm has confirmed that the mission to strengthen communities by using the digital channel isn’t limited to Q2’s customers. By employing the power of the digital channel, Q2 is strengthening its culture and workforce as well.
To learn more about Q2’s mission-driven culture and supportive teams, visit the Careers at Q2 page.
