Setting the Stage for Success: How to Effectively Set OKRs With New Employees

Onboarding new employees creates a lot of admin. You need to cover those essential policies and procedures! But you also need to ensure you’ve got employees aligned with your company’s big picture. From a business point of view, this is critical for your business - and employees - to achieve success.

Using OKRs, focus your whole team, including new employees, on those shared goals and outcomes. The result? Boost your business productivity by spending valuable time on what matters. Create and implement strategies for success with people who share your business’ vision. 

What is an OKR and Why Do They Matter?

OKRs are Objectives and Key Results, and they’re a great way to work with your employees. Using OKRs, you can be bold in defining the what and how for your teams to reach your company’s objectives.

Performance Management: 

OKRs are a great management tool. You can align new employees’ performance management right from the start. They'll know what the objectives of the company, department and/or their team are. They also know as well as how their individual success is measured. Transparency is there from Day 1.

Strategic Alignment:

OKRs are a practical way of aligning your company’s overarching organisational goals because your teams or departments are focused on achieving the same outcomes. 

Understanding the Difference: KPIs vs. OKRs

The difference between a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) and an OKR (Objectives and Key Results) is quite distinct.

A KPI is a common tool in business development. Using quantitative metrics, KPIs are performance targets, specific to a team, department, or process in your organisation. 

An OKR, by comparison, takes a more qualitative approach. OKRs are: 

• Aspirational in nature
• Have measurable key results. These consider the progress towards agreed objectives. 
• Ensure transparency and accountability in the process 
• Agreed goals mean continuous improvement from employees. 

Imagine having your next employee ready to hit the ground running. With an OKR, you can. 

The Mex Restaurant and Bar did just that. Streamlining their processes with foundU, they ensured their employee experience and expectations were ‘crystal clear’. 

OKR Goal Setting for New Employees

• OKRs are great for helping new employees settle quickly. They know what your company’s big vision is because they know what their role and priorities are.
• OKRs empower new employees by giving them a road map to how they can best contribute their talents.
• Employees' contributions to projects and professional growth start when they do. 

Align OKRs with company objectives.

OKRs cover company-wide objectives, rather than departments or teams, which means that you can integrate the talents and strengths of your employees easily.

Set measurable and time-bound key results

Clear onboarding using an OKR framework means trackable, measurable and time-bound outcomes. 

Involve employees in the OKR creation process

Unlike a KPI, using the OKR framework is beneficial for your business and employees. Everyone is involved, contributing to your company’s success. You'll also foster a sense of ownership in the objectives and results at the same time.  

Focus on achievable yet challenging goals

Goals are great to have, especially when they’re achievable. By using OKRs, you can integrate the challenge of new and exciting goals by doing it in a way that’s achievable. The outcome? Confident employees reach those goals because your success is their success. 

Regularly review and adjust OKRs based on progress

Using OKRs means employees who feel part of the business. They’re involved in the process of reviewing where the business is going. Employees know how they’re contributing to that goal. OKRs are a dynamic, adaptable framework, too. Revisit and reframe your company’s objectives easily.

Overcoming obstacles in OKR Implementation

Thinking about the best way to go about implementing an OKR framework? Here are three hurdles that companies often face:

1. Lack of clarity. When putting an OKR framework in, objectives and key results need to be clear right from the start.
2. Unrealistic Goal Setting. Goals are necessary for businesses to flourish. Overly ambitious? Don’t factor in resource constraints? Unfeasible? Then you risk burnt-out or frustrated employees who underperform. Or worse - they leave your company.
3. Inattentiveness can lead to progression stagnation or heading in the wrong direction.  Accountability fades, you’ll miss targets, and improvements disappear. 

Read more about how you can overcome these hurdles.

Tools That Facilitate Effective OKR Management

• The right software platform is important. Using lots of different programs and processes blunts an effective OKR approach. 
• Set up regular check-ins and reviews to foster accountability and collaboration.
• Performance management using dashboards. Everyone, from managers to employees, have the opportunity to see progress. Also the areas that might need more attention!

Discover all your OKR Management tools on our website.

Enhance Your OKR Strategy with foundU

• Direct your OKR management by using foundU. Integrate new employees from their first day, paperwork sorted.
• Streamline, align and track your employees’ progress. foundU has a user-friendly interface that gives you real-time analytics.

Altus Traffic streamlined their onboarding process to just 48 hours with foundU. 

OKRs can help your business move forward. Why not try a few of the suggestions here?

foundU offers can streamline your business and empower your new employees. 

Contact us today to find out more.