A One-of-a-Kind “Blueprint” Streamlines Onboarding Across 19 Locations While Improving Recruitment Process and Employee Training Programs
Cabinetworks Group is the largest independently owned manufacturer and distributor of kitchen and bath cabinetry in the United States.
“With Patterson Consulting Group, we created a multi-phased onboarding program where new employees have commented that this is the best onboarding experience in their career. We appreciated the insight and partnership of PCG in developing this value-added program.”
Sylvia F. Kissick
Director of People Operations, Human Resources
Challenge
Cabinetworks lacked consistency in their onboarding across their newly expanded organization, and they needed a platform that could help new employees get acquainted and comfortable in their roles.
Cabinetworks wanted to create a consistent onboarding experience for salaried new hires. The acquisition had them managing multiple onboarding processes that covered different topics, and they weren’t sure what platform or resources they needed to develop a robust — and positive — onboarding experience. Having worked with PCG previously on their talent acquisition and HR foundational programs, Cabinetworks knew PCG would understand their need for a tailored onboarding program.
Solution
As every kitchen needs a blueprint, so too did Cabinetworks.
PCG helped Cabinetworks develop a phased onboarding program, “Blueprint,” which infused the company’s mission and values throughout several phases. PCG first learned the ins and outs of the organization, as well as the communication channels, management systems, and other internal platforms being used. The PCG team used their training background and HR expertise to understand how each piece worked together to break down silos between Cabinetworks’ headquarters, remote locations, and plants. They then guided Cabinetworks in creating a process that included:
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Get Ready (pre-employment paperwork and personalized automated messaging in the days leading up to the start date)
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Get Started (first-day orientation)
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Get Working (meeting with your people leader and team to understand the role and begin to contribute)
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Get Connected (a well-rounded corporate program for all new employees to learn from an executive in each functional area of the business)
Outcome
PCG leveraged Cabinetworks’ internal systems to create consistent automated messaging and checklists for all involved in the onboarding process.
The newly-designed process has been successful at clearly defining expectations to get everyone on the same page and has also been well-received by new employees and their directors.
Overall, PCG’s streamlining helped reduce the time invested in onboarding activities by about 15%, in addition to improving new hire turnover by 5% in the first 30 days and 14% in the first 90.