Essay Sample on Onboarding Processes and Strategies in a Company

Introduction

The paper aims to analyze the onboarding processes and strategies in a company of choice and relate it to the onboarding strategies at Starbucks Inc. Onboarding processes are aimed towards helping new employees adjust to their new tasks with relative ease. Many companies have such programs in progress, and they use them in their newly hired staff, to seed up company activities. It is essential to note that adjusting to new job tasks can be time-consuming and therefore may slow the progress of a firm. It is also important to note that at some point in the operation, a company lays off employees for various reasons and hires new ones. No company can avoid such instances. It is, therefore, necessary to develop resource-friendly programs that will help the newbies adapt quickly to their new roles. Amazon is an online retailer company that deals in various products, including the first book stores and electronics as well as the most recent development of groceries. On the other hand, Starbucks deals with coffee drinks. It has a broad range of coffee drinks and has branches around the globe, just like Amazon.

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The Current Onboarding Program at Amazon

A review from, various employees at Amazo.com Inc. says that m most of them liked their onboarding experience. They had the very best Managing Director, who helped them get acclimated. At least 63% approved of the onboarding process used at Amazon. Most employees said that the first impression they found at Amazon build their job confidence. The company was well prepared for the newbies, and this made them have the confidence of working with them on a long-term basis.

Amazon has quite an effective onboarding process that has helped build loyalty from employees since my very first day of employment. The process occurs in four significant steps (Lawson, 2015). First, the new employee gets to meet his manager at Amazon. Having direct managers at Amazon has proved to be very useful in value addition to the company. Managers at Amazon provide feedback frequently on a weekly or monthly basis, and this helps the employees improve on their areas of concern. The convenience that the employees receive from their respective direct managers helps them to provide feedback to their seniors more frequently. In so doing, they can adapt easily and be productive to the company within the very first 90 days. Secondly, the new employee is given a chance to negotiate their salaries. For instance, if a new employee feels that their skills do not match the offer at hand, it is acceptable to negotiate with the employer. 63% of the employees at Amazon negotiated their salaries. Amazon happens to be on the top list of 50 well-paying companies around the globe. Thirdly, the new Amazon employee gets acclimated. The process involves employees getting to know each other and finding out why they have chosen to stay loyal to Amazon (Lawson, 2015). The socialization activity is preserved for lunch breaks. At Amazon, the break usually takes 30 minutes, and loyalty has been a result of the benefits that they receive from the company. Lastly, the company helps shape the career of its employees. Professional development is key and 62% if the Amazon employees agreed that they had nurtured their career life at Amazon.

The Current Onboarding Program at Starbucks

Starbucks is well known for its effective onboarding program. On the first day of work at Starbucks, the baristas get acquainted with the stores they will be operating in and what products they will be selling. They get familiar with the various tastes of coffee drinks and get experienced on the very first day. On their second day, the baristas get to learn about the history of Starbucks and its culture.

A brief background check on Starbucks shows that the company was first established in 1971 in Seattle's Pike Place Market. In 1985, Howard found Giornale that offered brewed coffee and espresso made from Starbucks coffee beans. In 1987, the Giornale =foundation joined hands with Starbucks to form Starbucks's corporation, and they opened their first company in Vancouver, Canada. In 1988 the company offered full health benefits to both their part-time and full-time employees. In 1991, Starbucks became the new privately owned firm in the U.S to offer health benefits that were inclusive of the part-time employees. In 1992, the company completed its initial public offering program by trading its stock on the NASDAQ National Market. In 1995 the company began offering Frappuccino blended beverages. In 2004, the company opened its first Coffee Master Program. In 2008 the company set up a company at Pike Place Roast that became its highest coffee seller. In 2014, the company set up the Starbucks College that supports partners within the U.S. In 2016, the company launched their first food share in the U.S. In 2017, the company opened their first Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, China under their first president Kevin Johnson. Last year the company opened a center in Hacienda Alsacia while Howard Schultz stepped away (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2018).

In the third step, the baristas at Starbucks are given training booklets. Alongside the booklets, they are given trainers who are senior employees of the company to guide them through and answer any questions that they may have (Savitsz & Weber, 2013). The next step involves the employees receiving training tools from the company, which is meant to help them differentiate the various coffee flavors. Such tools include the coffee and tea passport books that fit well in the baristas aprons and act as a reminder as well as the green apron book. In the next step, the newbies are provided with the computer-based modules that offer extra support. They can access such information on their smartphones. In the next step, the baristas receive hands-on training. The training s followed by a certification process where they officially become Starbucks employees. Training continues even in later stages.

Importance of Resource to the Company Progress

Starbucks Company has all sources at hand to help in the progress of the company. The tools and availability of trainers are essential.

Necessary Changes in Starbucks Corporate and Retail Onboarding

As earlier mentioned, Starbucks happens to have the best onboarding program for its employees to ensure that they give the best (Stein & Christiansen, 2010). The only additional step that they should add is to provide the employees with the chance to negotiate their salaries basing on their qualifications. Corporate onboarding involves the process at the headquarters in the U.S, while the retail processes are done in other retailer stores.

The Current Business State at Starbucks and Impact on the Future

Starbucks happens to have comprehensive customer coverage. It has a mission to be the best coffee and beverage provider across nations. It is focused to nurture the human spirit of one person, one cup, and one neighborhood (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2018). In its daily activities, the company embraces a culture of warmth and belonging where everyone is welcome. It also encourages its employees to operate with courage and to challenge the status quo to keep growing beyond borders.

What Would Make Starbucks Onboarding Unique?

The future of the company depends on how they treat the employees. The company must, therefore, keep up with employee welfare, which includes giving room for salary negotiations. Therefore focus on humanity should not only be based on the customers and the company neighborhood but should also consider the employees (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2018). Incorporating this alongside the company's initial onboarding process will be a success for the company. It is significant to note that the company offers health benefits to its employees.

Considerations to Be Made

The onboarding process at Starbucks seems to be extremely resourceful. It is, therefore, essential for the company to evaluate the costs incurred in the onboarding process (Stein & Christiansen, 2010). Such costs include the cost of purchasing tools, the cost of training, the flavors and materials that go to waste during the process.

Roles of HR in Onboarding Processes

The Human Resource at Starbucks is entirely responsible for the Onboarding process. The HR design the procedure of the onboarding process and present it to the manager. They also found out the number of resources that are required to facilitate the program. They are also responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of this program not only to the baristas but also to the company.

Conclusion

Conclusively, the onboarding program is critical for every company geared towards success. The program at amazo.com Inc. is good. However, the process at Starbucks is better and requires polishing. Necessary adjustments ought to be made to make the process a world-class procedure. In doing this, the company must address the issue of involving the newbies in designing their salaries among other benefits about their qualifications. It is also essential for the company to follow up on the progress of these employees and help them nurture their careers effectively.

References

Boudreau, J. W., Jesuthasan, R., Creelman, D., Towers Watson., & Jossey-Bass. (2011). Transformative HR: How great companies use evidence-based change for sustainable advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint.

Lawson, K. (2015). New Employee Orientation Training.

Savitsz, A. W., & Weber, K. (2013). Talent, transformation, and the triple bottom line: How companies can leverage human resources to archive sustainable growth. San Fransisco: John Wiley & Sons.

Starbucks Coffee Company, 2018

Stein, M. A., & Christiansen, L. (2010). Successful Onboarding: A strategy to unlock hidden value within your organization. New York: McGraw-Hill.