Is Jargon and Insider Shortspeak Hindering Your Employee Onboarding Process?

When onboarding new employees, using too much internal language can delay a full understanding of roles and responsibilities and hamper productivity. 

It seems almost too obvious to say this, but unfortunately, it happens all the time. Every industry and company has shorthanded terminology that has developed over time. This vernacular allows for nuanced conversations for everyone who is in the know. Inside references, nicknames, and acronyms can even help bond teams together. 

The practice doesn’t need to stop, but when leaders design onboarding programs for new employees, the impact of jargon and shorthand should be a factor. Here’s how you can make sure your onboarding process isn’t tripped up by too much insider jargon.

Intentionally Build Your Onboarding Programs from the Newbie’s Point of View

Onboarding must be more than an employee handbook and a one-day office tour. It should take place over a period of time tailored to the new employee’s specific level of knowledge, seniority, and role. Data dumping on new hires is overwhelming. No one is going to remember a laundry list of tasks, processes, titles, and names in one sitting. 

Apply your mentoring program from the beginning of a new hire’s career with your organization. This will naturally result in more consistent check-ins over time, not just during the first day. Mentoring programs that are run effectively not only promote collaboration, communication, and creativity, but also engender a useful feedback loop for leaders. 

Incorporate assessments into your onboarding program. By understanding the fundamentals of who a person is, leading them becomes easier, and providing feedback becomes more effective. In addition, generating opportunities for people to grow a career successfully within your company enables leaders to keep top talent engaged.

Explain insider language in context during your onboarding processes to set employees up for success. This is true for any level of seniority. If the shorthand is unavoidable, consciously define meaning and encourage questions. This includes explaining who new colleagues are in more detail than name and department. Especially in the beginning, err on the side of caution and overexplain. 

Your organization is unique. You have designed your company culture to cultivate employees with skills that result in the best value for your customers. Bringing new people into the mix, especially for companies that have had long-standing employee dynamics (like many family businesses), can be awkward. If you are in a position to bring in someone new, spend time ahead of their start date to create ways for them to meld into the team instead of derail it. 

Liddell Consulting Group works with teams and leaders to create successful onboarding programs and leadership development strategies. Contact us to learn more about how trust, communication, listening, delegation, and accountability start from the moment new hires walk in the front door. We can talk about specific ways to maximize your leadership development efforts for the future of your company.