Elevating the Onboarding Experience
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Elevating the Onboarding Experience A GOVERNANCE PROFESSIONALS’ GUIDE The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is grateful to the following members of the Governance Professionals Peer Learning Network who contributed to the development of this guide. Ruth Agi – Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network Kimberly Bougher – St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Margaret Clark – Peterborough Regional Health Centre Terri-Lynn Cook – St. Joseph’s Health Care, London Sue Davey – Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance Patty Dimopoulos – Brockville General Hospital Danette Dutot – Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare Cassa Easton – Grand River Hospital Corporation Joanne Hartnett – Queensway Carleton Hospital Loralee Heemskerk – Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital Susan La Brie – Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care Sheila Mabee – Lennox and Addington County General Hospital Jennifer Matthews – The Ottawa Hospital Trish Matthews – Scarborough and Rouge Hospital Robin Moore – Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences Julia Oosterman – Bluewater Health Lise Peterson – Erie Shores Healthcare Pam Porter – Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences Wendy Sallows – Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre Katrina Santiago – Central Local Health Integration Network Anne Schnurr – South Bruce Grey Health Centre Kathy Vader – Pathways to Independence Elevating the Onboarding Experience: A Governance Professionals’ Guide The confidence of a new board member and the ability to engage and contribute meaningfully to the practice of good governance can be traced back to onboarding effectiveness combined with previous governance experience, sector knowledge, skills and expertise. A board orientation includes both content and process items which contribute to a new board member’s ability to effectively fulfill their fiduciary duties. Boards have different cultures and face different pressures and challenges so the approach to onboarding varies across organizations. Developing and implementing an Workshop participants shared a great deal of valuable effective onboarding process is, consistently, a key role of insight, experiences, feedback and suggestions for what the governance and nominations committee of the board. best-in-class board member onboarding should be. This Working in conjunction with this committee, the inherent insight, together with the OHA’s Guide to Good Governance, function of the governance professional (the lead person and multiple hospital examples and documentation, supporting the board and its committees, though each led to the design and development of this one-of-a-kind person’s title may vary) is to create a comprehensive and onboarding guide. relevant orientation package and outline a process to successfully onboard and integrate new board members. The guidelines included appear to be common best practice based on the feedback received and the overall The purpose of this guide is to create a set of best-in-class goal is to prompt change or spark ideas for readers. These guidelines to apply to hospital board member onboarding guidelines are designed for boards that are functioning and orientation procedures. It is intended to be a support well within a normative environment (e.g., recruiting tool for governance professionals who work with the members as part of a regular cycle). Some of the action governance and nominations committee, the board items listed in this guide may happen simultaneously and chair and senior leadership to develop the most effective not necessarily sequentially as listed. The OHA is grateful orientation process for new board members. to the governance professionals who contributed to the development of this guide. This guide is unique in that it was designed as an output of the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA)’s Elevating the There are two sections in this guide: Onboarding Experience workshop held in June 2018. This workshop was an exclusive program offered to members 1. Activities and processes for onboarding of the OHA’s Governance Professionals Peer Learning 2. A checklist of key orientation content Network and was the first learning and engagement opportunity for members of the network to come together to co-design and co-create a tangible product. Not all hospitals have the same resources or capacity dedicated to the onboarding process for new board members. You are encouraged to apply relevant ideas from this guide and adapt the suggestions where necessary. 1 ELEVATING THE ONBOARDING EXPERIENCE Annual Onboarding Workplan The following table outlines a workplan template, which is part of a regular cycle of recruitment, selection, orientation and onboarding of new board members; with consideration to key timelines and milestones so to have new board members equipped for the first meeting of the new board in September. Pre-recruitment Recruitment Pre-Onboarding/ AGM Onboarding First Selection Board Meeting October – December – April – July – June September November March May August Activities include Application Pre-Onboarding Annual General Onboarding New board terms assessing the review, shortlisting and Selection Meeting typically activities and board business board skills matrix and interview Processes takes takes place in June. (immediate and begins with first and needs for processes will take place for new board longer-term) board meeting recruitment of place during this members and and hosting a and sometimes the new members time frame – there board committee more thorough board retreat. As to the board and may be a need to members, orientation session. part of the longer- committees of the work closely with a providing them term onboarding board, updating search firm at this with a welcome strategy, this would recruitment time if applicable. package and be a good time to and onboarding Longer-term identifying conduct a one-year templates and onboarding learning needs and touch-base with engaging the activities may coordinating work board members governance and begin to take place for the orientation who began their nominations at this time with session. There board term the committee of the initial check-ins on may be another year prior, to board. the onboarding. opportunity for identify any gaps process. a longer-term or enhancements onboarding review to the onboarding or check-in at this experience. stage. 2 Section 1: Activities and Processes for Onboarding • Where you have determined you will need to recruit Pre-recruitment new committee members, you will need to engage the committee chair(s) to discuss recruitment strategies This phase often occurs in October-November, eight to 10 • Where an external search firm is being utilized as months from the hospital’s Annual General Meeting or the primary recruitment strategy, the governance the start of the next board year. Under the direction of the professional may take the lead role to liaise with the board chair, CEO and the governance and nominations firm, communicating board needs, deadlines and committee, the governance professional should identify required information for the firm to conduct an board members whose current terms are ending and/or effective search who are not seeking re-appointment to the board for the following year. Outlined below are key tasks that should be • The governance professional may also be required to addressed during this phase: place advertisements, publish the vacancies through other local communication outlets and support other • Identify the number of vacancies that will be present recruitment-related or public outreach on the board (ideally with staggered terms) and update the skills matrix to see where the gaps will be for the forthcoming year The skills matrix should be reviewed regularly to • Assess the interest level, competency alignment and ensure the expertise and skills required reflect cultural fit for existing board committee members to best practices and the current needs of the board join as full board members where applicable and the organization. As the goals and priorities of the board change, new skill sets may need to be • Review the committee membership as well to introduced on the board. determine if there should be any movement or recruitment for the committees if applicable • Engage the governance and nominations committee of the board, as well as the CEO and board chair to discuss recruitment strategies Where a hospital board has rotating or staggered terms and directors are elected for three-year terms, the board must have at least 12 elected directors, plus the required ex officio directors to allow four directors’ terms to expire each year as required by the Public Hospitals Act 3 ELEVATING THE ONBOARDING EXPERIENCE • Discuss expectations and duties of board members as Recruitment community representatives, if applicable • Introduce and outline the role of the governance Recruitment is often cited as one of the most challenging professional and supportive function for board assignments for governance professionals. Part of the members challenge is supporting the governance and nominations committee in identifying the right individuals who have • Outline the mentorship structure (if one exists) after the required time, skills and expertise that meet the needs recruitment while waiting for the board year to begin. of the board. To develop a sufficient and strong pool Consider whether there is an opportunity for two of candidates, there are several tasks that governance mentors or perhaps a mentorship structure connecting professionals can facilitate in collaboration