Employee Exit Velocity: How To Set Your Employees Up For Success

Read Time: 4 minutes.

Companies have gravity.

They have norms. Secret languages. Unspoken rules.

When new hires join, they either achieve escape velocity or enter orbit. Or they come crashing back down.

We invest tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours to find great people. And then we massively underinvest in onboarding them.

We meticulously build the rocket.
And then we fuel it with Jell-O.

Here's how I've seen the best companies do it right.

Before They Start

The foundation for success happens before they start. Send a comprehensive welcome package that eliminates first-day anxiety.

Use it to get the boring administrative stuff done early. And to start building excitement leading to their arrival.

Key elements:

• Digital paperwork completion

• Welcome video from team

• Clear first two-week schedule

• Team history, org chart and bios

• All tech and access ready

Tip: Send a "Culture Crate" with company swag, plus items representing company values. Research shows physical objects create stronger emotional connections. Make sure one of those items is a handwritten note from you.

Week 1: Creating Connection & Context

The first week sets the tone for everything. Focus on human connection and essential context. Resist the urge to overwhelm them with information. You're very much out front, showing them the way.

Day 1:

• Greet them personally

• Team lunch (or virtual meetup)

• Basic workspace setup

• Tag-along to meetings

• End-of-day check-in

Days 2-5:

• Assign a sherpa (not the manager)

• 3-4 structured coffee chats

• Shadow real work sessions

• Team meeting introduction

• Meet a customer (if possible)

Week 1 Success Metrics:

• Reports feeling welcomed

• Can name all team members

• Knows where to get help

• Has completed first small task

• Has lunch/coffee plans for next week

Tip: Hold a "Reverse Expectations" session where the new hire shares what they hope to bring to the team. Creates two-way dialogue early. Pair it with having the team describe "What Excellent Looks Like" for new hires who've stepped into the company successfully.

Month 1: Building Confidence and Competence

Now we shift from connection to capability. Structure is crucial here. Create clear milestones and celebrate small wins. They are increasingly beside you, shadowing you as they show you their work.

Week 2:

• Review 30/60/90-day expectations

• Begin structured training

• First project assignment

• Daily sherpa check-ins

• Manager 1:1 (manager led)

Weeks 3-4:

• Increase responsibility gradually

• Regular feedback loops

• Culture workshops

• Cross-team introductions

• Manager 1:1 (increasingly employee-led)

Month 1 Success Metrics:

• Can articulate role expectations

• Completed first project + feedback

• Built relationships outside immediate team

• Navigates basic systems independently

• Has identified improvement opportunities

Tip: "No-fail zones." Deliberately design early tasks where mistakes are expected to create learning opportunities. Typically, work that's internal to the team. Alternatively, you can have them "double-do" something if it's client-facing. This lets you meet the operational need while providing a hands-on opportunity and practical point of comparison.

Months 2-3: Acceleration

Time to let them start skiing ahead of you. They take the lead, and you provide tight loops of feedback. Don't confuse giving them space with removing their support.

Key focuses:

• Increased project ownership

• Regular feedback sessions

• Cross-functional exposure

• Goal-setting for months 4-6

Quarter 1 Success Metrics:

• Meeting basic productivity metrics

• Built strong internal network

• Contributing in team meetings

• Requires minimal basic support

• Has clear development path

Tip: "Their Network Map" - Help them create a basic spreadsheet of the relationships they need to build to succeed in their role. It can start with their primary network but should extend to the secondary quickly.

Epilogue: Exit Velocity

If you made a good hire and executed this plan well, they should have the necessary momentum to reach orbit in your company. And that transition from onboarding to standard operations should feel frictionless.

Here are some qualitative hints it's working well:

• Proactive problem solving

• Growing peer network

• Knowledge sharing

• Independent decision making

• Future-focused discussions

Here are some early red flags.

• Limited peer interactions

• Recurring basic questions

• Missing deadlines

• Low engagement in meetings

• Feedback avoidance

None of the above guarantees success or failure, but they will likely be worth conversations to diagnose and understand why.

Remember: A strong onboarding program can improve employee retention by 82%. Employees who have good onboarding experience are 18x more committed to their employees. Not 18%. 18x.

You did the hard work to find these people.
Why wouldn't you do everything to keep them?

What You Missed

What did you think of our first Monday MGMT Minute?

What you missed from Dave on LinkedIn:

• 7 Questions To Find A Great Manager

• The New Manager Survival Guide

• The Warning Signs You’re About To Make A Bad Hire

What you missed from Dave on X/Twitter:

• 7 Deadly Sins of New Managers

• Don’t Bring Me Solutions, Bring Me Along

• The Playbook For Underperforming Employees

What you missed from Marsden on LinkedIn:

• The Proven Leadership Secret: Don’t Lie

• How To Stop Unnecessarily Apologizing At Work (cheat sheet!)

• How To Cancel Half Of Your Meetings For Good

Our goal is to build a community of 1 million thoughtful, curious leaders. Your reposts on any or all of the above help others find us.  

Thank you for reading. Appreciate you!

Dave & Mar