Sink or Swim Is Not an Onboarding Strategy

This week, I brought home a new team member.

Her name is Lucy.

She has four legs, the most adorable face, and she’s scared of her own shadow. Because of her fear, she sat in a shelter longer than most. No one wanted to put in the effort it would take to help her adjust.

Working with Lucy this week made me think about onboarding:

We would never treat a new dog the way many companies treat new employees.

You wouldn’t bring home a brand-new dog and say, “Good luck. Figure it out.”

You wouldn’t expect them to magically:

• Know where to go to the bathroom

• Understand the house rules

• Walk perfectly on a leash

• Respond to commands

• Blend seamlessly into the family

And yet…

We hire employees and do exactly that.

We sit them at a desk and hope they figure it out.

That’s not onboarding.

That’s hoping.

The Four Parts of Effective Onboarding

If you want productive, confident, accountable employees, onboarding must include four things:

1. Acclimation

Before performance comes orientation.

New hires need time to:

• Learn who’s who

• Understand decision-making

• Observe culture

• Feel safe asking questions

Anxiety blocks performance. Acclimation builds confidence.

2. Clear Expectations

You can’t get mad at a dog for breaking a rule you never explained.

The same applies at work.

Clear onboarding includes:

• 30, 60, 90-day milestones

• Defined communication standards

• Behavioral expectations

• What success actually looks like

If you don’t define “good,” they will.

3. Training & Patience

Training is not a one-time explanation.

It’s repetition.
Correction.
Encouragement.
Feedback.

If you explain it once while multitasking and then get irritated when it’s not perfect, that’s not a performance issue.

That’s a training issue.

4. Support & Tools

Dogs need leashes, collars, beds, food.

Employees need:

• Equipment

• System access

• Documentation

• Introductions

• Check-ins

“Here’s your desk” is not onboarding.

“Here’s your structure” is.

The Real Cost of Sink or Swim

Sink-or-swim feels efficient.

But it leads to:

• Turnover

• Frustration

• Gossip

• Underperformance

• Leaders constantly putting out fires

And then we blame the employee.

When often, the real problem was the system.

The Hard Question

When someone struggles in your organization, ask:

Is this truly a performance problem?

Or is it an onboarding failure?

Onboarding isn’t paperwork.

It’s leadership.

And Lucy?
You’ll be hearing more about her progress soon.