But how about “ongoing?” A couple of professional colleagues recently asked me to share a document titled “New Employee Start-Up.” A very well-done document, of course I’m the author. Onboarding is important for any number of reasons, but how many of us think about ongoing?

It hit me at Wendy’s in Jeffersonville, Ohio while returning from the Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Gafigan comedy show in Columbus – it was excellent. A young gentleman is working the register. I’d guess he’s in his late teens and fairly new to the job. He appears to be doing well for someone who seems new on the job. In the span of 60 seconds he is verbally assaulted by two more tenured employees. He asks the first “I’m sorry, what did you say?” The barked response, “I’m not talking to you!” Not 30 seconds later he steps toward the employee calling out order numbers as they are ready. I’d guess he was going to view the ordered items to tell who belonged to the order. Before he opens his mouth he hears – “get out of my space, I can’t stand it when people get in my space.” How long will he stay working there?

That’s a harsh and isolated example you say, that would never happen in our “professional world.” If young professionals are leaving your organization as soon as they are trained and qualified for a new role then I’d bet harsh treatment by co-workers is a primary reason. For bosses who say, “I don’t understand what I could have done differently,” the problem may be what others are doing and the fact that you aren’t confronting it!