Tag: leadership development

Onboarding Has Become a Tick-Box Exercise. Let’s Fix That.

Once upon a time, onboarding was about helping someone feel welcome. Now? It often looks more like: 

“Here’s your laptop.” 
“Here’s 17 forms.” 
“Here’s the Health & Safety manual.” 
“Sign here.” 
“Sign here too.” 
“Have you done your compliance modules?” 

Tick. Tick. Tick. 

Somewhere along the way, onboarding quietly shifted from culture to compliance.  And while compliance matters (we’re HR people, we’re not about to suggest otherwise!), many businesses have accidentally turned the first few weeks of employment into a giant tick box exercise. 

The result?  People are technically onboarded, but they’re not actually connected. And that’s becoming an expensive problem. 

The Early Exit Problem 

The first few months of employment are some of the highest-risk periods in the employee lifecycle. Research consistently shows: 

  • 69% of employees are more likely to stay for at least three years when they experience great onboarding. (flair.hr) 

That’s a lot of recruitment fees, training time, management effort, and team disruption walking straight back out the door. And contrary to popular belief, most people don’t leave because they couldn’t figure out how to complete their induction paperwork. 

They leave because they don’t feel connected. They don’t understand how they fit. They don’t know what’s expected. Or they spend their first few weeks wondering if they made the wrong decision. 

People Don’t Join Companies. They Join Experiences. 

Think back to your own first day somewhere new. You probably don’t remember every policy you signed. But you’ll remember: 

  • Whether someone was expecting you. 
  • Whether your laptop worked. 
  • Whether anyone took you to lunch. 
  • Whether your manager had time for you. 
  • Whether you felt awkward or included. 

Those moments matter. 

Before a new employee has even delivered meaningful output, they’re already deciding whether this feels like somewhere they belong. In fact, some studies suggest most employees decide how long they’ll stay within their first six months. (Enboarder) 

That’s not a lot of time to get it right. 

The Businesses That Nail Onboarding Do One Thing Differently 

They stop thinking about onboarding as a day. And start thinking about it as a journey. Too many organisations treat onboarding as complete once the paperwork is filed and the mandatory training is done. 

The reality? The real onboarding starts after that. When the new person begins navigating: 

  • New relationships 
  • New systems 
  • New expectations 
  • New personalities 
  • New ways of working 

That’s where confidence is built. Or lost. 

The Power of 30-60-90 Day Check-Ins 

One of the simplest things businesses can do is create intentional check-in points. Not performance reviews. Conversations. 

30 Days 

Focus on clarity. 

  • What has surprised them? 
  • What still feels unclear? 
  • What support do they need? 
  • Are expectations making sense? 

60 Days 

Focus on connection. 

  • Who have they built relationships with? 
  • Are they feeling part of the team? 
  • What’s working well? 
  • Where are they getting stuck? 

90 Days 

Focus on confidence and future success. 

  • What are they proud of so far? 
  • What development support would help? 
  • What should their next 90 days look like? 

These conversations often uncover concerns long before they become resignations. They’re also particularly valuable when you’re operating under a 90-day trial period. Because if performance concerns do exist, you want visibility early, not a surprise in week twelve. 

Small Things That Make a Big Difference 

You don’t need a Silicon Valley budget to create a great onboarding experience. Some of the most effective things are surprisingly simple: 

Be Ready 

Have their equipment, access, workspace, and systems prepared. Nothing says “we’re excited you joined us” like spending three days waiting for a login password. 

Assign a Buddy 

Managers are important. But buddies are gold. New starters often ask buddies the questions they don’t want to ask their boss. A good buddy helps people understand the unwritten rules, social dynamics, and day-to-day practicalities. 

Introduce the Bigger Picture 

Don’t just tell people what they do. Help them understand what everyone else does too. Give them time with key stakeholders across the business. When people understand how departments connect, they make better decisions and build stronger relationships faster. 

Create Early Wins 

People want to contribute. Find opportunities for meaningful success early. Confidence grows when people feel useful. 

One Size Doesn’t Fit All 

This is where onboarding often gets overlooked. Not everyone learns the same way. Not everyone processes information the same way. Not everyone responds to feedback the same way. Some people want detailed instructions. Others want the outcome and freedom to figure it out. Some want regular check-ins. Others want space. 

This is where tools like Extended DISC® can be incredibly valuable. 

When managers understand a new employee’s behavioural style, they gain insights into: 

  • How they prefer to learn 
  • How they communicate 
  • What motivates them 
  • What may cause stress or frustration 
  • What signs to look for when they’re struggling 
  • How to adapt coaching and support during those critical first few months 

It’s not about putting people in boxes. It’s about helping managers lead people more effectively, sooner. 

Make Onboarding Human Again 

Compliance matters. Employment agreements matter. Policies matter. Health & Safety matters. But none of those things create belonging. 

The businesses seeing the strongest retention aren’t necessarily the ones with the fanciest onboarding systems. They’re the ones that make people feel expected, prepared for, connected, and valued. Because at the end of the day, onboarding isn’t just about protecting the business. It’s about giving people a reason to stay. 

How Spice Can Help 

At Spice, we help businesses create onboarding experiences that go beyond paperwork and process. 

From practical onboarding frameworks and manager guidance, through to Extended DISC® insights that help leaders understand how each new team member learns, communicates and develops best, we help businesses build onboarding journeys that actually stick. 

Because when people feel connected, clear, and supported from the start, everybody wins. 

And that’s how you truly Add Spice! 

Feedback That Fuels Growth: How to Build a Feedback-Positive Culture

At Spice, we often work with business owners and leaders across New Zealand who initially have reservations about feedback. They know it matters. They know avoiding it causes problems. And yet, many still feel uncomfortable giving it.

What we see most often is feedback being delayed, diluted, or saved for moments that feel heavier than they need to be. This is rarely about a lack of care. It is usually about uncertainty. Leaders are unsure how to give feedback clearly, fairly, and without damaging trust.

Thriving workplaces treat feedback differently. They treat feedback as a normal part of leadership, not a corrective event. They move from avoidance to coaching, use clear frameworks, and create consistency so feedback feels expected rather than threatening.

Shift from judgement to coaching

One of the biggest blockers to effective feedback is the belief that feedback equals criticism. When leaders approach feedback as judgement, it feels risky and emotionally charged. That is when avoidance creeps in.

We encourage leaders to reframe feedback as coaching. Coaching-focused feedback is forward looking, specific, and grounded in development. It focuses on what will help someone succeed next, rather than what they did wrong last time.

This mindset shift sits at the centre of Spice’s Leadership Capability Workshops. Leaders learn how to treat feedback as part of developing people, not something reserved for difficult conversations. When coaching becomes the default, feedback becomes easier, more regular, and far more effective.

Build feedback into everyday rhythms

Feedback works best when it is small, regular and predictable. Waiting for annual reviews or serious issues creates unnecessary pressure and defensiveness.

Structured catch ups and one to ones are the backbone of a feedback positive culture. They create a safe, consistent space to talk about progress, challenges and expectations before issues escalate.

Spice’s Feedback Processes, 1:1 and Coaching Conversation frameworks give leaders a clear structure for these discussions. When feedback is built into normal rhythms, it feels supportive, not confrontational.

Use DISC to help feedback land

One size never fits all when it comes to feedback. What motivates one person may overwhelm another. What feels clear to one team member may feel blunt or confusing to someone else.

This is where Extended DISC® personal insights become incredibly powerful. DISC helps leaders understand how different people prefer to receive information, process feedback and respond under pressure.

When leaders flex their approach based on DISC awareness, feedback lands better. It reduces defensiveness, builds trust and increases the chance that feedback actually leads to change rather than resentment.

Make improvement clear and fair

Avoidance often creeps in when leaders worry about being unfair or inconsistent. They hesitate because they are unsure where the line is between informal feedback and formal performance management.

Clear improvement processes remove this fear. A well designed PIP Process is not about punishment – it’s about clarity, support and accountability. It sets expectations clearly, documents agreed actions and gives people a fair opportunity to improve.

At Spice, we support organisations to have informal and formal conversations as part of a fair, well-managed performance improvement system. When leaders trust the process, they are far more willing to address issues early.

Build confidence to speak up early

Avoidance often comes from a desire to protect relationships. In practice, delaying feedback usually damages trust more than addressing issues early.

Our Leadership Capability Workshops focus on building confidence in communication. Leaders practise having clear, respectful conversations, learn how to manage emotional responses and gain tools for navigating discomfort without avoidance.

The result is leaders who are willing to speak up early, calmly and constructively. That alone can transform team dynamics.

Create psychological safety around feedback

Feedback thrives in environments where people feel safe to ask questions, make mistakes, and learn. Psychological safety does not mean lowering standards. It means people trust that feedback is coming from a place of development, not blame.

Regular check ins, clear expectations and consistent follow through all contribute to this. When leaders model openness to feedback themselves, teams quickly follow.

Research consistently links psychologically safe workplaces with stronger engagement, retention, and performance. Feedback is a key driver of that safety.

Keep it human

Perfect feedback does not exist. And waiting until you have the perfect words often means saying nothing at all.

A feedback positive culture is not built through scripts. It is built through consistency, fairness and genuine interest in people’s growth.

Consistency matters far more than polish.

The payoff

When feedback becomes normal, teams move faster. Expectations are clearer. Issues are addressed earlier. Leaders spend less time managing fallout and more time developing capability.

Feedback done well fuels growth for individuals, teams and the business as a whole.

Time to Add Spice

At Spice, we help leaders move from avoidance to coaching through structured feedback processes, leadership capability workshops, DISC insight, and fair, well-managed improvement frameworks. If you want to build a feedback-positive culture that genuinely supports growth, we would love to help you Add Spice.