Onboarding Program

The situation

A regional local government authority, serving a vast geographic area with a diverse, dispersed workforce, recognised that its onboarding program was not keeping pace with the complexity of the roles it needed to fill.

The challenge was not simply paperwork or process. The council was grappling with employee engagement, retention and workforce readiness, and suspected the onboarding experience was a contributing factor. Taking It Forward was brought in to assess what was working, what was not, and what needed to change.

The approach

Phase 1, document review

A thorough review of existing onboarding materials: policies, procedures, orientation schedules, training content, role specific guides, compliance documentation, and available feedback and retention data.

On site stakeholder interviews

A two day on site visit with HR personnel, leaders, senior executives and recent hires, gathering qualitative insight into both the formal process and the human experience of joining the organisation.

Process evaluation

Onboarding procedures examined against the council's strategic goals and community centred values, with particular attention to the demands of a geographically dispersed, multi function workforce.

Phase 2, improvement roadmap

Translating the assessment findings into a practical onboarding improvement roadmap, targeted onboarding assets, and strategies for streamlined employee integration.

The outcome

The Phase 1 assessment gave the council a clear and honest view of its onboarding experience, what was landing well, where the gaps were, and what mattered most to the people going through it, grounded in both documentary evidence and lived experience.

Phase 2 built on that foundation to improve workforce readiness, retention, and the council's ability to deliver on its community focused mission.

At a glance

• Comprehensive onboarding assessment for a geographically dispersed regional council
• Document review across all onboarding policies, materials and frameworks
• Two day on site stakeholder interviews with HR, leaders, executives and recent hires
• Process evaluation against organisational culture and strategic goals
• Assessment report with Phase 2 improvement roadmap and targeted assets