The Boutique Lawyer Show: Onboarding – an overlooked necessity for small firms?

In the competitive landscape of talent acquisition and retention, Australian businesses are increasingly recognising the importance of an effective onboarding process. Here, in this special episode brought to you by Lawyers Weekly’s sister brand, HR Leader, host Jack Campbell sits down with Lauren Karan, director at Karan & Co, to discuss just how crucial it is to get this step right. Karan emphasises that onboarding should commence the moment a candidate signs their contract. This period is delicate, as new hires are often counter-offered by their current employers and have yet to establish a relationship with their new manager. With the rise of remote and hybrid work models due to the pandemic, onboarding has faced new challenges. Maintaining communication is key. Whether through team chats or scheduled video calls, it’s vital to ensure new hires feel integrated and supported, even when working from a distance. However, the responsibility of onboarding should not be shouldered by HR alone. Managers play a pivotal role in the process. Karan argues that managers should take the initiative to connect with new hires, scheduling regular check-ins and being readily available to answer questions. This not only helps the new employee settle in but also demonstrates the manager’s commitment to their success. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!