Together, We Can EXCEL: Reimagining Onboarding as a Leadership Imperative

Together, We Can EXCEL: Reimagining Onboarding as a Leadership Imperative

By Dr. Michel Pantin, pHCLE, Executive Director of Talent Services, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Savannah, GA

Rather than shy away from the findings, the Office of Talent and Human Resources in the Savannah Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) responded with urgency, designing a clear, practical and equity-focused onboarding framework. Rooted in our Superintendent’s vision: Together, we can...EXCEL, this guidance document became a foundational tool for lifting the employee experience across every school and department.

In SCCPSS, we believe the first year sets the tone for an employee’s long-term engagement. Through our onboarding framework, we emphasize the five pillars of leadership under our Superintendent’s vision:

E – Empower

X – Examine

C – Cultivate

E – Encourage

L – Lead

Together, we can... EXCEL.

As Jim Collins reminds us, “Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” And as our work has demonstrated, great people need great beginnings.

Empower: Start Strong with a Personal Welcome

The first step to creating a strong workforce is ensuring that each new employee feels seen, valued and celebrated. That is why empowerment begins with how we welcome employees.

We empower new employees by beginning their journey with belonging. Leaders announce their arrival, introduce them to colleagues and mentors and tour the workplace. Whether it is a welcome kit, their name badge or ensuring their workspace is ready, these acts show that we have prepared for their arrival and that they matter.

Examine: Set Clear Expectations and Systems Access

Once employees feel welcomed, the next essential step is ensuring they are prepared with the tools and clarity they need to succeed.

We guide leaders to examine and explain the critical foundations of the role: job descriptions, departmental procedures, daily schedules and evaluation tools. We also help new employees gain access to essential systems such as student platforms, applicant tracking systems, time and attendance software or evaluation platforms.

Cultivate: Nurture Learning and Organizational Alignment

With the basics in place, onboarding must evolve from planning to purpose, connecting individuals to the culture and mission of their team and the district.

We encourage leaders to designate “Listen and Learn” time for new employees, fostering alignment with team norms and district priorities. When employees understand how their role contributes to larger goals, they gain clarity, confidence and direction.

Encourage: Foster Ongoing Connection and Feedback

Culture alignment is only the beginning. Ongoing encouragement ensures employees do not just feel welcomed, but they feel supported throughout the journey.

Our onboarding framework includes structured check-ins through the first year, designed to promote dialogue, well-being and continuous growth. These checkpoints are our chance to reflect, intervene early and celebrate wins.

Lead: Create a Culture of Growth and Belonging

The most lasting onboarding impact happens when leaders model care and consistency. It is in this final phase that onboarding transitions from support to transformation.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”. Onboarding is a leader’s opportunity to answer that question with empathy and intention.

Conclusion

Together, we can…EXCEL is more than a slogan. It is a daily challenge to lead with vision and purpose. Through our structured onboarding guidance, SCCPSS is turning that vision into action. Empowering leaders to examine practices, cultivate talent, encourage growth and lead with intention.

Our goal is not only to move from good to great, as Collins so powerfully framed it, but to go one step further: to EXCEL. Through Empowerment, Examination, Cultivation, Encouragement and Leadership, we are building systems where excellence is not aspirational, it is operational.

As I often say in our district: “Retention is the new recruitment, and that begins with onboarding.” When leaders treat onboarding as a strategic investment rather than a compliance task, we not only welcome new talent, but we keep it.