Chapter 5 The Case of Mike Seymour, A Failed Onboarding Process

Mike Seymour is an accountant.  He was hired by DWP Corporation six weeks ago.  He is miserable.  He has found a new position and is quitting DWP. 

     Mike’s first day at DWP was rough.  DWP headquarters are located in downtown Cleveland.  Employees must park in a lot shared by other businesses.  Because of zoning issues and lot maintenance, employees must buy a parking pass if they chose to park in the lot or they will be ticketed.  DWP offers no formal orientation to its employees, just tells new employees their report day and time.  Mike parked in the lot on his first day.  He did not know he needed a pass.  He was ticketed and fined $50.  DWP administrators knew this could be an issue for new hires and will reimburse employees the cost of the ticket.  No one told Mike that, he was too embarrassed to ask for help, and paid the fine.

     Mike checked in with the receptionist when he first arrived.  The receptionist did not expect him.  DWP employees one hundred people and contains six different departments.  The number of employees and complexity of the organization can create gaps in communication.  The receptionist had no idea a new employee was starting that day.  Fortunately, Mike knew that his new manager’s name was Sherri Brown.  Sherri is the corporation’s chief financial officer (CFO).  Unfortunately, Sherri stayed home that day with a sick child and did not cue anyone else that Mike would be heading in that day.  Mike had to wait an hour before the receptionist was able to get answers from other managers as to where to send Mike.

     The first week continued to be rough for Mike.  It was four days before he was given an access pass to his office suite.  Until he received it, Mike was forced to go to security and be accompanied back to the suite to be given access.  DWP rents its printers with one being located in each department in the mailroom.  The mailroom has a passcode entry lock on the door.   No one gave Mike the passcode until day five of that first week.  Mike was eager to please, wanted to do a good job, this really crippled him.

     DWP has a monthly executive leadership meeting at which the monthly financials are discussed.  It was Mike’s job to prepare the figures.  Mike knew this.  What Mike wasn’t told was the day on which the figures were due to Lisa Heinzman, the chief executive officer’s (CEO) assistant, in order that she may prepare the presentation.  Mike missed the deadline and was given a written warning.  The CEO wanted to see DWP the general financials, but he also needed to see the specific expenditures of the marketing department.  The CEO was concerned with some suspicious activity within that department (too many expensive lunches, unnecessary travel on the corporation’s dime –that sort of thing).  While the CEO could not disclose why he wanted those extra figures, he had made Sherri aware.  She did not inform Mike.  The CEO had to reach out to Mike directly for the information.  While the CEO was nice about it, Mike was really embarrassed as he felt he misstepped once again.

     Quarterly, DWP conducts fire drills.  The latest fire drill happened to coincide with week four of Mike’s employment.  As people exited the building, they were supposed to go to the designated meeting area for their particular department.  Mike happened to be in the breakroom on the second floor when the fire drill occurred.  He exited with the graphics department staff as their offices are nearest the break room.  The graphics department gathers at the back of the building in fire drills while the accounting department gathers at the front.  Mike just stayed with them not knowing any better.  Sherri is accountable for all of her staff and couldn’t find Mike.  She was furious with him.  When she did find Mike, she gave him another written warning.

     That was the last straw for Mike.  He actively sought out other employment and gave two weeks notice.