Reef Read: Onboarded — Set People Up to Succeed from Day One

Everyone focuses on hiring the right people for the right seat, unfortunately we spend little setting them up for success within our organization.

 

In Onboarded, by leadership guru Brad Giles argues that onboarding is one of the most underused performance levers inside organizations.

Most companies treat onboarding as paperwork and orientation.

 

High-performing companies treat onboarding as a strategic leadership process.

 

Key Takeaways

• Onboarding starts before day one
  Clarity about expectations, success metrics, and culture should begin during the hiring process.

 

• The first 90 days shape long-term performance
  Early experiences strongly influence confidence, relationships, and engagement.

 

• Leaders own onboarding — not HR
  The direct manager plays the biggest role in helping a new hire succeed.

 

• Success should be designed, not hoped for
  Clear goals, structured conversations, and early wins help new hires contribute faster.

 

Why It Matters

Many leaders assume if they hire well, performance will follow.

 

Brad’s work reminds us that great hires fail surprisingly often because organizations never intentionally onboard them.

 

Done well, onboarding shortens the learning curve, builds trust faster, and turns promising hires into high performers.

 

Hiring talent is important.
Designing their success is leadership.