By Erin Harmeyer

When Michael Zima began his internship as a software engineer at Rockwell Collins in Richardson, Texas, he was more than a little anxious about making a good impression.

"I was very nervous about starting my internship – it was my first 'real' technical job," said Zima, who joined our company as an intern nearly two years ago while attending classes at the University of Texas in Dallas. "It was a really big step for me."

A native of Mechanicsburg, Pa., the impression Zima left on his colleagues was obviously a good one. Hired as a full-time employee in June 2008, he is now responsible for developing simulation models and scenarios for Performance and Architectural Collaboration Environment (PACE) Lab support.

"Things were great right from the start, so I decided to embark on a long-term career at Rockwell Collins," said Zima, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Math from the University of Pennsylvania-Bloomsburg. "I had a really good experience right off the bat. Everyone was so helpful in my training that I was immediately making progress and contributing."

On-boarding leads to higher retention

Photo by Brandon Jennings, Dallas, Texas
A positive experience — Michael Zima was impressed with the manner in which he was welcomed to Rockwell Collins when he joined our company as a full-time employee earlier this summer. A software engineer, Zima works in our Performance and Architectural Collaboration Environment (PACE) Lab, in Richardson, Texas.

One of more than 1,600 people who have joined Rockwell Collins in 2008, Zima is excited about his new role and the opportunity to help our company continue its success in the years ahead.

But, attracting and retaining employees like Zima for the long haul has proven somewhat challenging in past years. This is a primary reason why Rockwell Collins began a formal on-boarding program in our U.S. locations a little more than a year ago.

"There's a great deal of cost associated with the turnover rate among employees with less than two years of service," said Michelle Owens, the diversity program manager who was responsible for developing and launching our on-boarding program. "We needed to create a consistent experience among our new employees and more effectively integrate them into our workplace and our communities."

According to Owens, implementing new tools such as the New Hire Roadmap and leader checklists, and streamlining the on-boarding process, helps engage our new employees and reinforces their decision to join our company.

"We need to make sure we do a better job of welcoming new hires to our family," said Owens. "We need to help them feel more comfortable in their new work environment and in their community. After all, happy people are less likely to move from place to place."

According to a June 2006 study conducted by the Corporate Executive Board, about 4 percent of employees leave a new job after a "disastrous" first day. And, Generation Y – also referred to as the Millennials – typically begin looking for their next career move after their third day on the job.

"We have to work much harder in today's world to retain our employees than we did when the Baby Boomers were entering the workforce," said Owens. "Today's workforce is more mobile and flexible, and that means we need to think differently about how we approach our new employee experience.

"There's a significant amount of work that goes into bringing someone on board, training them, and getting them up-to-speed," continued Owens. "Therefore, our hiring managers and sponsors play a key role in creating that first and lasting impression."

Eliminating guesswork

Creating a positive impression of our company, fostering a sense of purpose, and effectively integrating new employees into our workplace – all part of our on-boarding program – begins once the applicant accepts a new position and continues throughout the first year of employment.

From welcome letters and infor-mation packets containing details about our company's benefits, policies, and procedures, to an orientation session on the first day of employment, our on-boarding process helps eliminate guesswork on the part of both the hiring manager and the new employee.

Once our new employees are on board, they might be invited to several informal gatherings throughout the course of the year designed to introduce them to other new hires, and to familiarize them with the communities in which they now call home.

New employees also are encouraged to become part of one of our employee networks, and are asked to complete surveys throughout the course of the year regarding our on-boarding program.

"We wanted to standardize the way we welcome new employees into our company so there is no guesswork involved in the integration process," explained Owens. "This program provides best practices for bringing in new employees and helping them to feel comfortable."

Photo by Laurel Hungerford, Santa Ana, Calif.
Quickly on board — The on-boarding process at Rockwell Collins in Tustin, Calif., helped Marc LeBlanc become a productive member of his new team quicker than he thought possible. A senior software engineer, LeBlanc transferred to California recently from our facility in Ottawa, Canada.

For Marc LeBlanc, a senior software engineer who recently transferred from our facility in Ottawa, Canada, to our location in Tustin, Calif., the on-boarding process helped ensure he became a productive part of the team right away.

"Everything was ready to go when I got here," said LeBlanc. "I was expecting to spend a week getting used to the system, but by day two, I already felt like I was contributing."

Zima agrees, adding that a recent opportunity he had to reflect on his on-boarding experience with Rich Waldschmidt, director of C3 Applications Engineering in Richardson, also made him realize the importance of welcoming new employees to our company.

"It was nice to have a chance to meet with upper management to express what we liked and how we could enhance our On-boarding Program," said Zima. "It was good to see that level of interest in the program and in our people."

Mentoring new employees

According to a 2005 study conducted by Recruiting Roundtable, effectively on-boarding new employees also can improve job performance by up to 11.3 percent.

At Rockwell Collins, the creation of a sponsor program and an increased level of involvement from our leadership are two ways our new on-boarding program is helping to effectively engage and motivate our new employees.

"My sponsor showed me around on my first day and introduced me to a lot of senior engineers – all who have been very strong influences on my development," said Dana Dippery, who joined our company in January 2008 after spending five years at one of our competitors. "Everyone has been very nice and very helpful."

A software engineer for Commercial Systems Display Applications in Cedar Rapids, Dippery appreciates the fact that he's able to be a productive team member who is contributing to our company's bottom line.

"I haven't had that feeling at my other jobs," said Dippery. "My leaders recognize my abilities here and help bring those [abilities] out. And, they've been great about helping me feel comfortable."

Photo by Reid Travis, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Successful transition — Dana Dippery credits his sponsor with making his transition into our company such a success. A software engineer for Commercial Systems Display Applications in Cedar Rapids, Dippery joined our company in January 2008 after spending five years at one of our competitors.

With constant changes being made across our enterprise – from leadership reorganizations to new facilities and increased product and solution capabilities – Rockwell Collins is constantly working to enhance the on-boarding program in an effort to provide our new employees with up-to-date information.

According to Dan Clark, principal engineering manager in Product Applications in Tustin, Calif., integrating new team members is a process he also believes is extremely important and one that he takes to heart.

"When I first started at Rockwell Collins seven years ago, there was no computer or phone waiting for me," recalled Clark. "With a formal on-boarding program in place, we've noticed that our new employees begin feeling comfortable right away.

And, the sooner we can make them feel comfortable, the sooner they will become an integral part of our team."