How an Atlanta Company Used ‘Sherpas’ to Facilitate Onboarding
- Dec 1, 2015
- 1 min read
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Published December 1, 2015 • Entrepreneur.com • Contributor: Beth Miller
Two years ago, an Atlanta-based company, LAN Systems, was in a state of growth that required them to hire new employees more quickly than in the past. Their CEO, Mary Hester, noticed that the new employees coming into LAN Systems seemed to look and act “lost” sometimes during the early months of their employment.
Onboarding new employees is an important and expensive investment, so Hester knew that she had to engage the new hires quickly or risk losing them. Therefore, she created the LAN Systems’ Sherpa Program.
The Sherpa program paired an existing employee with a new employee, and he or she would work to complement, communicate, and help the new hire settle in to their workplace and company culture. The pairings were very deliberate; LAN Systems used a personality assessment tool to help make the most productive and compatible matches possible.
In a nutshell, the program was a smashing success. Not only did the new employees benefit from the program, but the sherpas also reported perks such as the opportunity to learn how to teach, train, and slow down to think about their partner and understand that person in a more holistic way.
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