Patrick is regional director of a 300-employee distribution network. He's just hired Émilie to run one of his busiest branches: five years of experience, excellent references, a reputation as an effective on-the-ground manager.

On Émilie's first day, Patrick hands her a 42-page manual, gives her a 45-minute tour of the premises, briefly introduces her to a few staff members, then tells her, genuinely confident: "You seem capable, you'll find your footing quickly. My door's always open." No structured onboarding plan, no designated mentor, no weekly check-ins scheduled.

Two weeks later, Émilie applies policies that don't match the network's specific procedures, runs into friction with two longtime employees "testing" their new manager, and starts seriously doubting her career choice. Alerted by customer complaints, Patrick calls her in to say she's "not performing to expectations." Émilie resigns two days later, citing a glaring lack of support from day one. The cost of this failed onboarding exceeds $35,000 CAD.

💬 The Eskalon moment

The question Patrick could have asked Eskalon before Émilie even arrived: "I've just hired an experienced new manager. What are the essential steps to properly onboard her in her first 30 days?" The answer: a structured three-phase plan. The first 30 days: one-on-one meetings with each staff member, hands-on training on specific procedures with a designated mentor, and weekly 45-minute check-ins with Patrick. The next 60 days: gradual autonomy over routine decisions. Day 90: a first formative, non-punitive evaluation, based on criteria communicated from the start.

He would also have gotten a list of questions to ask during the weekly check-ins, designed not to monitor, but to catch early signs of difficulty before they turn into crises.

With this framework, even an experienced hire like Émilie would have had the time and support needed to adapt to the specific procedures of her new context. The friction with employees "testing" a new manager would have been resolved within a supported framework instead of escalating into customer complaints. And Patrick would have kept a capable manager instead of starting over, a few weeks later, on a long and costly recruitment process — never having identified the real cause of the problem.