In case you’re not entirely sure what to do or what’s expected of you when you’re asked to be someone’s onboarding POC, here are 3 things to keep in mind as you help new people settle into life at Aula.
A good onboarding POC remembers what it was like to be new, and insecure and overwhelmed and wants to help alleviate pain points and make sure the new joiner is set up for success in no time.
Be a friendly face, a sounding board. Someone who’s happy to answer any questions without judgement.
At Aula, there’s a lot to take in. So, as an onboarding POC, let new people know that you’re there to support them and that soon they’ll be crunching out work and speaking the lingo like it’s nothing.
An ideal POC proactively check-in with new people regularly and is willing to show them the best ways to approach the unique problems or challenges that come with working at Aula.
Be prepared to do more than ask, "Hey, is everything going okay?" POCs have to be willing to ask probing questions. And be compassionate and relentlessly curious.
Why? **Because most humans don't enjoy admitting they feel lost or overwhelmed or tired unless directly asked, this has to do with our fear of failure. Even during onboarding, some people would rather suffer in silence for days than say, "Hey, I don't get it. Can you please help?"
Nothing is worse than being new and assuming all of your questions are things you should’ve known when you got hired.
Why? **Because learning is not a linear process. It usually takes place as a spiral: As new joiners begin to understand more about Aula and what’s required of them in their role, they will likely revisit content they’ve come across earlier, but at a deeper and more complex level.
POCs need to be willing to have multiple (but deepening) conversations about similar topics.