The lack of established habits means that first-time managers have a unique opportunity to learn and develop leadership best practices, but reality falls short of this ideal. Data shows that 51% of new managers feel unprepared for their first role and, unsurprisingly, 60% of them underperform or fail within two years. It is clear that better training early in their tenure is necessary, but what that onboarding program should look like is less clear.

This publication presents case studies examining how each organization’s responses to the four questions below impacted new manager onboarding program design.

Four questions to guide the design of your new manager onboarding program

Start by determining the focus for onboarding

All new manager onboarding programs fall somewhere along the spectrum below, but the most successful programs are so clear in their focus that it allows them to make difficult tradeoffs and build out complementary programs to supplement formal onboarding.

On the left are programs focused primarily on providing new managers with the operational knowledge they need to fulfil their business duties. On the right are programs focused on motivating managers and instilling organizational values. In the middle are programs that take a hybrid approach and blend operational knowledge, soft skills, and teaching the organization’s culture. The lines between these types of programs are not strict. Organizations on either end of the spectrum can, and do, include elements of the other two models to address specific feedback from new managers. However, the majority of focus and investment aligns with the primary focus.

Download the New Manager Onboarding Program Focus Decision Guide

Case profiles: How four organizations answered these questions

Atrium Health

Atrium Health is a 45-hospital health system, located in North Carolina in the United States. It onboards roughly 700-1000 new managers annually through its 90-day operational-focused onboarding program.

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Shire Hospital

Shire Hospital, a pseudonym, is a 2-hospital health system located in the Midwest of the United States. It onboards roughly 300 new managers annually through its 90-day leadership development-focused onboarding program.

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UPMC

UPMC is a 40-hospital system located in Pennsylvania in the United States. It onboards roughly 300 new managers annually through its quarterly leadership development-focused onboarding program.

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Rohan Health

Rohan Health, a pseudonym, is a 20-hospital health system located on the West Coast of the United States. It onboards roughly 1,000 new managers annually through its one-day culture-focused onboarding program.

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