Latest news with #onboarding
CNA
3 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Somebody that I used to know: On the weird grief of colleague departures
This question has become part of my awkward welcome ritual for new hires: 'So ... are you a coffee person?' Day one usually begins at the cafe downstairs with a quick hello, a commemorative libation (coffee or otherwise), then a climb up the stairs to commence our journey as co-workers. Over the past decade of running my company, I've continued to personally onboard new workers. It's not that I can't trust someone else to do it. I just really enjoy it. I like showing them our 'designated crying area' (our pantry space) and explaining the curious phenomenon of the office bidet geyser. I like going through our culture deck, throwing in a few jokes to break the ice and seeing them decide how heartily they should laugh. It's orientation, yes, but also something more – a quiet hope that if you make them feel welcome and you remember their coffee order, they might stay a little longer. Then they leave. Sometimes after three years, sometimes three months. Sometimes on a good note, sometimes a strained one. And in that abrupt silence that follows, between offboarding checklists and looking at handover documents, I find myself wondering if any of these efforts were worth it. WON'T YOU STAY WITH ME? About a decade ago, the first person that I hired when I started the company decided to make a jump to a much bigger, more prestigious agency. It was a competitor but it paid her better and had a much more conducive structure for her career development. It made sense for her. We parted on good terms, but it was hard to maintain the same friendship once we no longer shared the day-to-day routines. Even seeing her career milestones pop up on social media triggered a small wave of disappointment – not at her, but at myself. It was insecurity and a bit of resentment all wrapped up in a forced double-tap of the 'like' button. We didn't speak for a long time. Only after a good five years had passed could we both approach the situation with some perspective and humour. Thankfully, we're now friendly again. This isn't a story about attrition rates or talent migration. It's about the emotional tax of investing in people who eventually walk away. No one tells you, when you first become a manager, that the job requires a strange kind of short-term memory. You pour time into someone, build a rhythm, start speaking in shared references and inside jokes – and then, poof, they're gone. Off to bigger things and better pay. The relationship seems to end abruptly there, apart from the occasional LinkedIn sightings. I know that's just the way the cookie crumbles. The workplace today is a revolving door of industry pivots, mental health breaks and career realignments. Everyone's chasing something – balance, purpose, remuneration, title and so on – and it's unlikely that staying in one place can offer everything. Still, why do I feel a small sting every time someone leaves? SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW I'll be honest. I still find it difficult not to take departures from the company personally. Not in a dramatic, weeping-in-the-toilet way, but in those smaller moments. When a photo of a past team outing pops up on social media, in a photo album or the memories in your head. Or when you retrieve an old presentation deck and you see the names tagged in the slides. Certainly not because they're wrong to go but maybe it's because, for a brief window of time, I had imagined a future where we'd keep building something together. This emotional dilemma isn't exclusive to managers and supervisors. The departure I've taken the hardest happened when I was still a junior executive, in the infancy of my career. At the time, I was part of a desk cluster with a senior who wasn't my direct boss, but who had become a de facto mentor. Christopher was soft-spoken, serious and a little stoic, but he always humoured my terrible puns. We'd often sneak off for 'planning sessions' at the canteen that had very little to do with planning. We talked about movies, music, family – the kind of conversations that anchor you during chaotic work days. One afternoon, Christopher told me that the following week would be his last with the company. He'd found a better opportunity elsewhere. In the 2002 Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs, there's a pivotal scene where Tony Leung, playing an undercover police officer, watches the only person who knows his true identity get killed. The camera lingers on his expression of shock and horror and this remains one of the strongest gut punches in cinematic history. On that day when Christopher told me the news, my expression would've made Tony's look mild at best. 'Oh. Congrats, Chris!' I managed to say. 'Happy for you.' Two weeks later at his cleaned-out desk, I shook his hand and said all the right things: 'Let's keep in touch. Don't be a stranger.' What I couldn't shake was the strange sense of grief and futility. What would be the point of keeping in touch if we no longer worked together? FRIENDS ARE FRIENDS … FOREVER? What is 'workplace culture'? We like to talk about it in terms of values and vision statements, but most of it comes down to the people. It is who you sit next to, the person who replies with a meme instead of a boring thumbs-up, the one who makes the 5pm slump bearable. So when they leave, it isn't just another email from the human resource department. It's a permanent glitch in your work day. Conventional business wisdom dictates that investing in people is never a waste, even when they might come and go – because people are the most valuable assets of any company. I've echoed those things. I even genuinely believe them. But there's another truth, too: that what isn't a waste can still sometimes feel like one regardless. It's only human of us to feel something, especially after we've poured hours into someone – coaching, giving feedback, having conversations over coffee and bubble tea – only to have them resign right when they finally started getting it. Maybe it is not quite bitterness but certainly, there is a sense of jadedness. The kind that makes you want to pull back with the next person, just a little. Don't get too attached. Don't ask about their weekend or their interests. Don't joke too much. Here's the catch: If you stop investing in your people earnestly and genuinely, you will slowly become the kind of manager you swore you'd never be. Transactional. Coldly efficient. Checked out. And ironically, that's exactly the kind of environment people want to leave. So I will keep trying, even when the farewell Slack message reads like a LinkedIn boilerplate. I will keep hoping that somewhere along the way, the time we spent together meant something. That, in between rushed deadlines and Monday check-ins, we managed to become more than just colleagues ticking boxes on a task list. Maybe that's the point – to make the workplace not just somewhere people pass through, but somewhere they felt seen, where they felt real connection, even if briefly. I love how Andy Bernard movingly puts it in the series finale of American sitcom The Office: "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." The real treasure, as they say, might just be the friends we made along the way.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Industry Leaders to Share Revolutionary Frontline Onboarding Strategies That Cut Training Time and Boost Retention
Live Webinar on May 29 Features Real-World Case Study from Arise's AI-Driven Transformation Boca Raton, FL, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With nearly 90% of organizations prioritizing personalized onboarding as a critical business imperative, frontline workforce training has become a make-or-break factor for operational success. A groundbreaking webinar next week will reveal how one company dramatically transformed its approach to agent readiness, offering actionable insights for organizations across industries. "Onboarding Transformed: How Arise Optimizes Frontline Learning for Performance & Retention" takes place Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET, featuring an in-depth case study of how Arise, a leading virtual customer service provider, revolutionized its onboarding process through AI-driven personalization and competency-based certification. The webinar addresses a critical challenge facing organizations today: how to effectively onboard and train frontline employees who directly impact customer experience and business outcomes. Traditional one-size-fits-all training approaches are failing to meet the demands of today's diverse workforce and rapidly evolving business environment. Attendees will hear directly from Sonia Brant, VP of Learning Design & Delivery at Arise, who will share how her organization partnered with Centrical to implement a structured, dynamic onboarding process that leverages: Competency-based certification that ensures skill mastery before deployment AI-driven personalized learning paths that adapt to individual learning styles and pace Real-time analytics that identify skills gaps and drive continuous improvement Simulation-based training that provides safe practice environments The transformation resulted in dramatically reduced time-to-proficiency and significantly lower attrition rates across Arise's frontline workforce. The webinar features three industry experts: Sonia Brant, VP of Learning Design & Delivery, Arise William Perico Neto, Senior Customer Success Manager, Centrical Claude Werder, Senior VP and Principal Analyst, Brandon Hall Group™ Together, they'll demonstrate how these innovative approaches can be adapted across various industries, including retail, banking, healthcare, and hospitality. Participants will leave with: Proven strategies for reducing training time while improving knowledge retention Framework for implementing AI-driven personalization in frontline training Real-time analytics approaches that drive continuous performance improvement Business case insights for transforming organizational frontline onboarding Industry-agnostic best practices that can be immediately applied The complimentary webinar is open to HR leaders, learning and development professionals, operations managers, and executives responsible for frontline workforce performance. Event Details: Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025 Time: 1:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Format: Live webinar with Q&A session Registration: "Organizations can no longer afford outdated onboarding approaches that leave frontline employees unprepared and likely to leave," said Claude Werder, Senior VP and Principal Analyst at Brandon Hall Group™. "This webinar provides a roadmap for transformation that delivers measurable business impact through proven AI-driven strategies." - About Brandon Hall Group - Brandon Hall Group™ is redefining Human Capital Management. Our innovative blend of research, learning, and advisory services has empowered over 10,000,000 professionals globally. The Brandon Hall Group Institute™ is where cutting-edge insights meet practical application, driving real-world results. From engaging courses to immersive experiences, we're not just about incremental improvements—we're about transformative shifts. Our HCM Excellence Awards® showcase game-changing practices. Join us in shaping the future of work, where talent doesn't just grow—it thrives. CONTACT: David Forry Brandon Hall Group 5613538082 in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Zawya
20-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Emirates NBD partners with Appro to revolutionise retail banking onboarding
Integrating Appro into Emirates NBD's processes will deliver significant gains in efficiency and customer experience Title of your email Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the MENAT region, today announced a partnership with Appro, a fintech platform launched by SC Ventures, to significantly enhance its retail banking onboarding process, significantly reducing application times from hours to just three minutes. Appro digitises the retail banking user journey, allowing customers to complete a single application per product. Emirates NBD can then utilise the data to perform necessary onboarding activities, including Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, customer due diligence, credit assessments, and fraud checks. Integrating Appro into Emirates NBD's processes provides the potential to deliver significant gains in efficiency and customer experience, including accelerating onboarding, demonstrably reducing fraud risk and ensuring robust compliance. Customers benefit from a faster, more transparent application process, leading to increased satisfaction, greater trust, and ultimately, stronger customer relationships. Marwan Hadi, Group Head Retail Banking & Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, said: 'Our partnership with Appro exemplifies Emirates NBD's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge fintech solutions to streamline processes and enhance customer experiences. By transforming our onboarding experience, we are not only improving efficiency but also strengthening our fraud prevention capabilities.' Tarek Osman, Co-Founder & Commercial Director at Appro said: 'Appro is dedicated to revolutionising the customer banking experience and making their onboarding as seamless as possible. We are delighted to partner with Emirates NBD and enhance their customer experience.' About Emirates NBD Emirates NBD (DFM: Emirates NBD) is a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye) region with a presence in 13 countries, serving over 9 million active customers. As of 31st March 2025, total assets were AED 1 trillion, (equivalent to approx. USD 272 billion). The Group has operations in the UAE, Egypt, India, Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Russia and Bahrain and representative offices in China and Indonesia with a total of 839 branches and 4,539 ATMs / SDMs. Emirates NBD is the leading financial services brand in the UAE with a Brand value of USD 4.54 billion. Emirates NBD Group serves its customers (individuals, businesses, governments, and institutions) and helps them realise their financial objectives through a range of banking products and services including retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, Islamic banking, investment banking, private banking, asset management, global markets and treasury, and brokerage operations. The Group is a key participant in the global digital banking industry with 97% of all financial transactions and requests conducted outside of its branches. The Group also operates Liv, the lifestyle digital bank by Emirates NBD, with close to half a million users, it continues to be the fastest-growing bank in the region. Emirates NBD contributes to the construction of a sustainable future as an active participant and supporter of the UAE's main development and sustainability initiatives, including financial wellness and the inclusion of people of determination. Emirates NBD is committed to supporting the UAE's Year of Sustainability as Principal Banking Partner of COP28 and an early supporter to the Dubai Can sustainability initiative, a city-wide initiative aimed to reduce use of single-use plastic bottled water. For further information on Emirates NBD, please contact: Ibrahim Sowaidan Senior Vice President Head - Group Corporate Affairs Emirates NBD e-mail: ibrahims@ Burson Dubai, UAE Email: emiratesnbd@
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Leveraging AI Across The 7 Stages Of Executive Onboarding
AI Opportunity 40% of new leaders get fired, forced out, or quit within their first 18 months because they fail to fit, deliver, or adjust to changes down the road. The main problems through the seven stages of executive onboarding can be solved by thinking marketing, selling, buying, getting a head start, converging, evolving, and adjusting – in that order. Shame on you if you don't leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) at every stage to do those better. Marketing solves the getting noticed problem. Leverage AI to help understand the 10% who should have to have you and their problems; as well as to understand what's top of mind for the people you know, and people they know. Nobody cares about you. They care about what you can do for them. Thus, answer the only three interview questions by focusing on motivations you have in common with the organization, the strengths they need, and your personal preferences that most closely fit with their culture. Leverage AI to help understand the people with whom you are interviewing – their motivations, the strengths they need, and their culture. Everything switches at offer. You go from selling to buying. If you've followed our advice and focused on selling, everything you've done and said – including your questions - has been geared to getting the offer. Don't let your excitement about the offer temper the quality of your due diligence. Better to turn down the wrong offer than take it and fail. Leverage AI to help understand the organization's sustainable competitive advantage (or lack thereof) as part of your due diligence. Those taking advantage of the time between accepting and starting and embracing this Fuzzy Front End do dramatically better in the early days of their new role. The prescription is relatively simple. Get a head start. Plan. Get set up. Jump-start relationships and learning. Leverage AI to help learn about the people you're meeting to give you work-related and personal conversational handles with them. A critical aspect of your personal 100-Day Action Plan is your organizing concept – essentially the strategy behind your best current thinking on a headline message. During your early days, test, learn about, and improve your organizing concept by asking questions generally getting at others' view of: Continue to leverage AI to help learn about the people you're meeting. There's an art to timing your pivot from converging to evolving: too fast and people won't follow you; too slow and they will have already set off in a different direction. The pivot is the moment you switch from asking to answering questions. It works best if you and your leadership team co-create a burning imperative and the plan to deliver it. Having done that, you can reference all your answers back to 'What we agreed together.' Leverage AI to help understand the 6Cs that will feed into your imperative: Customers, Collaborators, Culture, Capability, Competitors, Conditions. Respond appropriately to the changes that come your way. After every adjustment, re-calibrate your influence and impact by making sure you're focused on the mission-critical parts of your role within the culture of your organization – their job, their way. Leverage AI to help you see and understand potential changes coming your way. Click here for a categorized list of my Forbes articles (of which this is #945)
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Leveraging AI Across The Seven Stages Of Executive Onboarding
AI Opportunity 40% of new leaders get fired, forced out, or quit within their first 18 months because they fail to fit, deliver, or adjust to changes down the road. The main problems through the seven stages of executive onboarding can be solved by thinking marketing, selling, buying, getting a head start, converging, evolving, and adjusting – in that order. Shame on you if you don't leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) at every stage to do those better. Marketing solves the getting noticed problem. Leverage AI to help understand the 10% who should have to have you and their problems; as well as to understand what's top of mind for the people you know, and people they know. Nobody cares about you. They care about what you can do for them. Thus, answer the only three interview questions by focusing on motivations you have in common with the organization, the strengths they need, and your personal preferences that most closely fit with their culture. Leverage AI to help understand the people with whom you are interviewing – their motivations, the strengths they need, and their culture. Everything switches at offer. You go from selling to buying. If you've followed our advice and focused on selling, everything you've done and said – including your questions - has been geared to getting the offer. Don't let your excitement about the offer temper the quality of your due diligence. Better to turn down the wrong offer than take it and fail. Leverage AI to help understand the organization's sustainable competitive advantage (or lack thereof) as part of your due diligence. Those taking advantage of the time between accepting and starting and embracing this Fuzzy Front End do dramatically better in the early days of their new role. The prescription is relatively simple. Get a head start. Plan. Get set up. Jump-start relationships and learning. Leverage AI to help learn about the people you're meeting to give you work-related and personal conversational handles with them. A critical aspect of your personal 100-Day Action Plan is your organizing concept – essentially the strategy behind your best current thinking on a headline message. During your early days, test, learn about, and improve your organizing concept by asking questions generally getting at others' view of: Continue to leverage AI to help learn about the people you're meeting. There's an art to timing your pivot from converging to evolving: too fast and people won't follow you; too slow and they will have already set off in a different direction. The pivot is the moment you switch from asking to answering questions. It works best if you and your leadership team co-create a burning imperative and the plan to deliver it. Having done that, you can reference all your answers back to 'What we agreed together.' Leverage AI to help understand the 6Cs that will feed into your imperative: Customers, Collaborators, Culture, Capability, Competitors, Conditions. Respond appropriately to the changes that come your way. After every adjustment, re-calibrate your influence and impact by making sure you're focused on the mission-critical parts of your role within the culture of your organization – their job, their way. Leverage AI to help you see and understand potential changes coming your way. Click here for a categorized list of my Forbes articles (of which this is #945)
