It is always exciting to hear how long-term clients succeed with the support of Innovisor. Therefore, it has been great to hear about the success story of how a global professional services company used its informal catalysts (aka the 3%) to onboard a new leader.

In a previous case, we have highlighted that people tend to connect with individuals who are just like them. When it comes to onboarding, this does not kickstart the connectivity of new employees. Quite the opposite! It can easily lead to homogeneous groups and broken communication between business functions, tenure, location, hierarchy, etc. Onboarding should therefore not be treated in a hands-off manner. You need to connect your new employees to the right people.

Having worked with Innovisor for years, the professional services company was aware of the importance of collaborative networks. Therefore, they decided to utilize their informal catalysts to ensure the successful onboarding of the newly promoted leader.

The onboarding plan introduced the new leader to the informal catalysts who helped her navigate and understand the entire global organization. This way, she quickly became embedded in the collaborative network of the company.

Informed by the insights of Innovisor, the professional services company ensured that she was connected to the right people and set up for success from the first day in her new role.

Utilizing the power of informal networks resulted in a smooth and fast onboarding journey where the new leader was not only able to connect to her immediate coworkers but also to key people within the organization.

Illustration: The effects of onboarding with and without informal catalysts in the leadership network of a professional services company