Q&A: Firm Foundations: The Critical Role of Onboarding and Training in Building a High-Performance Workplace

Q&A with Jeremy Oliver, Senior Education Consultant at Empyrean 

What makes a high-performance workplace? Well, as Maria von Trapp (Julie Andrews) would say, “let’s start at the very beginning” – with onboarding and training. 

We sat down with Senior Education Consultant Jeremy Oliver, Empyrean’s resident expert in this area, to talk about how a great onboarding experience makes for a great employee experience and ultimately, for us at Empyrean – a great client experience. Here are some highlights from our conversation: 

Q: Jeremy, can you tell us just a little bit about your role at Empyrean and the things you’re focused on? 

Jeremy: Absolutely. I had the privilege a few years back to co-create Empyrean’s Operations Talent Optimization team, which is now responsible for developing and facilitating onboarding and training for new hires within the Client Operations segment of our organization.  

We provide support to HR for recruiting assessments and interviewing. We're also developing a skills-based framework to guide career development. Our mission is to ensure employees connect, learn and grow. 

Q: It’s fair to say you've had a lot of experience with new hire training and development. Why do you believe onboarding plays such a key role in building a high-performance workplace? 

Jeremy: Onboarding is much more than just showing someone where the breakroom is or how to use the company’s software. It's about creating an environment where new employees feel comfortable learning and engaging with their role and the organization. Whether they’re fresh out of college or joining us from another company, they’re going through a huge transition. And for some, that transition means starting from scratch in an unfamiliar environment. 

The key to onboarding is building confidence quickly. People need to feel supported, that they can ask questions and be vulnerable as they learn. Nobody likes feeling incompetent, especially adults who are used to being good at their jobs. If we can create a space where they feel safe to make mistakes and grow, they’re going to perform at a much higher level in the long run. 

Q: You talk a lot about creating a supportive environment. What does that look like in practice for your team? 

Jeremy: It’s all about connection. A lot of organizations throw their new hires into the mix without much thought about whether they feel supported. One thing we do differently is focus on building relationships from the start. Our new hires aren’t just expected to hit the ground running—they’re encouraged to connect with their peers and mentors to learn, ask questions, and get comfortable in their new roles. 

We also put new employees in real-world scenarios early on. This might seem intense, but it’s one of the best ways to help them learn and grow quickly. They get immediate feedback, and the key here is that they know it’s coming from a place of support. We don’t just evaluate for the sake of evaluation—we’re here to help them improve and integrate into the team. 

Q: It sounds like you’ve developed a very hands-on approach to training. How do you balance that with the need for new hires to become independent? 

Jeremy: It’s definitely a balance. Early on, we provide a lot of support because we know they’re going through a steep learning curve, and we have to ensure quality delivery at all times. But as they get more comfortable, we start to challenge them. We give them more responsibility and more opportunities to show what they’ve learned. And this is where real growth happens—when they can apply what they’ve learned in a real-world context. 

The trick is to keep them feeling connected and supported throughout that process. If you throw someone into a tough situation without the right safety net, it can backfire. They might feel isolated or like they’ve been set up to fail. But if they know there’s someone they can turn to for help or feedback, they’ll take those challenges head-on. 

Q: You mentioned earlier that even experienced hires face challenges when they join a new company. Can you expand on that? 

Jeremy: Absolutely. Even if someone has been in the industry for years, when they join a new organization, there’s a learning curve. The way we operate, our culture, and our expectations might be different from what they’re used to. So, they’re starting over in some ways. Our role is to help them make that transition smoothly and quickly. 

At Empyrean, we have a true service-first culture, where it’s all about meeting our clients’ needs. That requires a lot of agility and adaptability from our people, and it requires being very hands-on at times. Compared to similar roles at other organizations, both in and outside of our industry, it can be a big shift for people. That’s why it’s so important to create an onboarding experience that emphasizes connection, support, and a safe space to learn. 

Q: How do you see onboarding evolving, especially in today’s increasingly virtual workplaces? 

Jeremy: Virtual onboarding has definitely added some challenges, but it’s also opened up new opportunities. Before, onboarding relied on those incidental in-person interactions—running into people in the hallway, casual conversations, etc. But those interactions weren’t necessarily meaningful. Now, we have to be more intentional about how we build relationships virtually. 

We’ve found that meeting new hires in person during their first week helps set the tone. After that, most of our interactions are virtual, and it works because we’ve already built that initial connection. It’s also important that we’ve gotten better at engaging virtually. We keep our cameras on during meetings, create a sense of normalcy, and make sure everyone feels included, no matter where they are. 

Q: You've touched on the importance of creating a “connected culture.” Can you share more about how that impacts performance and retention? 

Jeremy: A connected culture is essential for long-term success. When people feel like they belong and have meaningful relationships at work, they’re more engaged, more willing to take risks, and more likely to stay with the company. In fact, we’ve had new hires who, while still in training, were recommending their friends to join the company because of how connected they felt. 

We even launched a special program for our new Business Systems Analysts (BSAs) to extend that connected experience beyond the initial onboarding period. It gives them a group to stay connected with, share experiences, and continue growing. This sense of camaraderie has been incredibly powerful in boosting engagement and performance. 

Q: Can you give us an example of how that extended onboarding program has made a difference for new hires? 

Jeremy: Sure. One of the things we’ve seen come about from this program is that these BSAs are ramping up to full proficiency a lot quicker than before. And that ultimately means our client teams are better able to support client deliverables and provide outstanding service with consistency and efficiency. 

It’s not just about efficiency, though. We’ve also seen a shift in how people feel about their work. They’re more engaged, they’re building networks, and they’re growing faster because they feel supported. We’re creating an environment where it’s okay to ask for help, okay to make mistakes, and okay to learn from them. That’s what drives long-term performance. 

Q: What advice would you give to organizations looking to improve their onboarding and training processes? 

Jeremy: Focus on connection. It’s easy to overlook how important it is for new hires to feel like they’re part of the team from day one. Make sure they have people to turn to, opportunities to learn, and a safe space to make mistakes. It’s not just about teaching them the technical skills—they also need to feel supported emotionally and socially. 

Also, make sure the support doesn’t end after the first few weeks. Continue to provide opportunities for them to connect with others, learn, and grow. Extended onboarding programs like the one I mentioned earlier are a great example of how you can keep that momentum going. If you can build a strong, connected culture, you’ll see the results in performance, retention, and overall employee satisfaction. 

Conclusion 

A great onboarding and training experience truly is the foundation of a high-performance workplace. As Jeremy shared, building confidence and connection from day one is key to long-term success. Empyrean’s approach ensures new hires feel supported and empowered to grow, so they can continually deliver outstanding service to our clients. 

Watch this video to learn more about how Empyrean’s service-first approach ensures that we meet our clients’ day-to-day needs and help them achieve their long-term goals for benefits and engagement.