I talk to hiring managers every day, and as happy as they (and we) are to be able to hire arts administrators during this time when so many are unemployed, I know of exactly zero who have enjoyed the virtual hiring process. But you know who is really not having fun right now? Job seekers and new hires. Of course, anyone who can land a new job right now is relieved to do so, but it’s a challenging time to find your footing when…literally no one has their footing.

Knowing this, let’s talk about a few ideas for how you can support new additions to your team in this time, and how we can increase the chances that they will have longevity, impact, higher quality of work life, and a chance to find their voice within your company.

[Naturally I know there are many of you for whom the idea of hiring right now doesn’t apply, or who are actively looking for work—my heart is with you. Maybe this article will instead help you tap into something you need for yourself.]

Taking the Time to Intentionally Onboard

Many people believe that extensive onboarding is a luxury they can’t afford. They’re wrong, but I still love them for their other redeeming qualities. If you believe in “throwing people in” without much in the way of onboarding, that is certainly your prerogative, but doing so right now when a new hire is potentially panicking in isolation is simply an act of cruelty. When you don’t know your co-workers and you don’t know your role in the company yet, there is just no learning by overhearing and osmosis—which is a huge part of how we absorb new information. The answer, when unplanned interaction is hard to come by, is intentional design.

What is the equivalent of “walking someone around the office” in a time of Zoom? Think about asking members of your team to be part of a rotating welcome group that helps new hires meet people in the company by hosting Zoom coffee hours. Maybe the answer is setting up a series of virtual meet and greets on the new hire’s behalf so that the onus is not entirely on them to figure out who is most critical to their success and also approach them without context to set up a meeting. Yes, it’s critical for a new hire to take initiative (particularly at a leadership level), but this is not our typical world. New hires need your guidance more than usual, and this doesn’t make them ineffective.

Of equal importance, though, is taking the time to articulate goals, and provide a space for a new hire to ask questions and for anything they need to do their job well. It is a reasonable expectation that someone will be able to ask for what they need—it is not a reasonable expectation that they will be able to magically know what you need from them. Especially during this time when you are still a digital head in a box, remember to use your words and invite them to use theirs. You may need to spend more time with them than you typically would. Consider this an investment in their longevity, since putting down roots during this time is a huge challenge, and this time spent will be critical in building trust and loyalty.

Reasserting the Culture

Step back and ask yourself, “how would I define my company culture?” Write that down. Then ask yourself another question, “how much is my definition dependent on what I know from the in-person office experience?” If the answer is “entirely,” then you have a small sense of what it must be like for a new hire right now. Whether you think this time is representative of your organization or not, for new members of the team, their experience right now is your company culture.

Think about your core values, your guiding principles, and anything else that you feel is at the center of how you do your work. Are those ideas alive in your remote setting? How can you assert them anew? America’s new President Joe Biden is fond of the saying, “Don’t tell me your values. Show me your budget and I’ll tell you your values.” In the era of Zoom purgatory, I would replace “budget” with “meeting schedule.” The ways we behave amongst each other when it’s not planned—in the hallway, in the lunch room, in the lobbies, backstage—are so often a major aspect of real relationship and culture-building. We don’t have them right now. In this moment, the time we spend intentionally and the way that we spend it is all we have.

Supporting New Voices

Organizations are adding a lot of new and exciting voices right now for a variety of very good reasons—to address historical inequities and exclusions of people of color, to add new skills and roles around digital programming, or to introduce a new approach to marketing and fundraising in this wildly unpredictable time. When these individuals join your teams, and particularly when they are coming from another industry entirely, what supports are in place to increase the odds of their success, longevity, and a true sense of belonging?

Anyone having to learn a new job, a new organization, a new market, and a whole new industry has my most sincere empathy. But that empathy isn’t enough: how can your organizations provide them with the necessary context so that they can quickly develop a working knowledge of the mechanics of the arts and culture industry? This is the only way that their ideas and new perspectives can really take flight. In order to make change, you first need a shared language. (Shameless plug: this is a common reason we are hired to coach Marketing and Development leaders.)

Without support and a commitment to meaningfully embrace and integrate new viewpoints, hiring individuals of diverse backgrounds is merely tokenism. It is neither fair nor wise to expect these individuals to both sprint and clear the road for themselves all at once. To expect success under such circumstances is not to be truly seeking a rich diversity of ideas and equitable representation—it is a performative invitation to assimilate and center the organization instead of the person, or in many cases, the community. We can do better.

It is my great hope that some of the ideas I’ve shared will resonate with your experience and can provide you with a new way of thinking about and approaching new hires. Further to that, I hope we will be seeing many more in the months ahead. Our people are our power, and we’ve got an entire industry to rebuild this year. Let’s get to work.

Tom O’Connor is the President of Tom O’Connor Consulting Group. TOCG is a New York City-based arts consultancy offering strategy, assessment, executive search, and leadership coaching services to organizations across the US—all with a focus on audiences and revenue outcomes. Tom has spent over 15 years working in the cultural sector, is on the faculty of the graduate Theater Management program at the Yale School of Drama, and received his MSW in Clinical Social Work from Fordham University.