At some point before becoming an entrepreneur, we have either been employed, or have been the new person in an ongoing project. We all know how those first few days on the new job feel like. They usually feel like landing in a foreign country with no map. Everyone else knows the shortcuts, the in-jokes and the unwritten rules. You’re trying to smile and nod and look like you’ve got it under control, but inside you’re wondering if you’re already getting things wrong. That is what onboarding is meant to prevent.

Too often, it becomes a box-ticking exercise instead of the welcome it was supposed to be. A proper onboarding is not just paperwork and job descriptions. It is an introduction to how things really work. It gives people a sense of how things flow, shows them what matters here and makes sure they are not walking around unsure of where to sit or who to ask. It has to be done thoughtfully. Because nobody can do their best work in an environment where they still feel like a guest.