The Lego Group has been around for many years, best known for the manufacture of their interlocking plastic bricks that can create characters, vehicles, objects and entire worlds of wonders. Every year it seems we are treated to a new playset or innovative video game, and, in recent years, even blockbuster movies focused on their product. Combining their product with Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, DC and numerous other licensed characters and worlds has been a massive success.
But I’m not here to brag about Lego’s success, but rather showcase important business lessons that can be taken not from their organization, but from their product. We can learn a lot about onboarding from the Lego Group. And it starts with a simple piece: the Lego brick.
One Lego brick by itself may not seem like much, but add on another piece, and another, and suddenly you start to create something imaginative and worthwhile. Onboarding works in much the same way, because it is NOT just a one and done deal. Onboarding must go beyond new hire’s start date, and in fact well into their multiple years of service with an organization. As a Lego set is built piece by piece, so must Onboarding be expanded and built as one becomes more attuned to their new organization.
As mentioned before, Lego has taken on characters from other universes and incorporated them quite well into their own. Isn’t this what Onboarding is all about? Onboarding creates a flexible framework that brings new hires into the company culture, aligns them to the business, and empowers them in their role. Perhaps George Lucas never thought there would be a Star Wars-themed Lego set, but they are some of the most popular, best-selling items of the company. Lego brought the Star Wars characters and concepts into their organization, aligned them with their own idea of fun and culture, and created something spectacular.
How can you align new individuals in your own organization as effectively as Lego’s brand combination with other materials? Perhaps you just need the same creative ingenuity as the brilliant toy group to bring people onboard. But you need to implement onboarding now. Up to 20% of employee turnover happens in the first 45 days. It’s time to make the first impression a lasting impression.
Want to learn more about the journey all new hires should start with and continue on? Download our infographic: The Journey Begins with Onboarding, HERE.
