Book excerpt: Revised, expanded, and up-to-the-minute—the leading guide to serving the modern organization's onboarding needs It's a challenge overlooked by many: The need to bring recent hires into the fold, smoothly, effectively, and rapidly. And in this state-of-the-art multi-phased guide to integrating new employees into an organization, Doris Sims, longtime HR and onboarding guru again redefines the expectations of what effective HR training and succession management can do for your business. Fully updated with new case studies of best practices from successful companies, Creative Onboarding is the edge your business needs. The most complete resource for helping employees do their best work from the minute they first walk in the door, this book delivers an arsenal of high-end strategies and skills, including: Activities and checklists to help focus your onboarding efforts Advice on designing and implementing programs for employees at any level that mesh with existing organizational cultures The latest tools, technologies that create programs with impact Ways to measure results-and make positive adjustments on the fly In today's hyper-competitive business environment, seamless onboarding is an absolute necessity. And Creative Onboarding puts within easy reach the benefits of improved retention and performance, along with drastically reduced HR-related overhead. Topics covered include: Designing New Employee Onboarding: Companies Who Do it Right • New Tools and Technologies to Make Your Program Fun and Memorable • Onboarding New Managers • Onboarding FAQs • and more