The remainder of the employee’s first year should be spent completing training, developing skills, building relationships with stakeholders, and transitioning to a 100% focus on job assignments. The manager should continue to check in with the employee on a regular basis and check progress on goals. Typically, an informal review (like the one we completed at the end of Month One) takes place at the end of Month Six.

A formal review of the onboarding program should take place in conjunction with the employee’s first performance review at the end of the first year. You will want evaluations from the employee on:

• The effectiveness of the onboarding program
• How they feel about their decision to join the organization
• How the organization is meeting their expectations, wants, and needs
• Percentage of onboarding plan achieved, with specific questions on goals and training completed
• Lessons learned about the program (what they would change)
• What they would tell a new employee
• Specific job objectives (Example: I am comfortable using the DotCom system to book appointments.)
• Their next steps to transition out of the program
• Whether or not they would like to be a buddy in the future

The employee’s coach or buddy and manager should evaluate:

• The effectiveness of the onboarding program
• How the employee is meeting the organization’s expectations
• Percentage of onboarding plan achieved, with specific questions on goals and training completed
• Lessons learned about the program (what they would change)
• How the employee is meeting specific job objectives
• Their next steps to transition out of the program
• Whether or not the employee would be a suitable buddy in the future