Why is on-boarding important at Salesforce.com?

It's critical that IT partner with human resources to create best practices that ensure an employee is up to speed as quickly as possible. To be truly effective, on-boarding must start the minute a new employee signs the offer letter.

Salesforce.com has three streams that can continue for six months and beyond. The first is getting the new employee the technology they need to do their job. IT gets a new-hire ticket and, depending on the hire's role, provisions them with the appropriate equipment. At Salesforce.com, employees have a choice. They can have a Mac or a PC; a Blackberry or an iPhone. We want them productive as soon as possible, and that means letting them use the technology they are most familiar with.

Second, managers are mentor matchmakers. We have a buddy system based on chemistry and personality. Every new hire has a mentor who greets them on their first day, shows them around, and is their go-to person during their initial weeks.

The third piece falls into the "people and culture" category and is the most important aspect of Salesforce.com's on-boarding practice. We have a formal training program that includes a one-day orientation class. This lays the groundwork for a new employee understanding the vision, values and metrics the company uses to strategically and tactically manage our work.