Episode 77: Onboarding Yourself

In this episode of the Acima Development Podcast, Mike kicks things off with a humorous comparison between the DMV and employee onboarding, using the DMV’s predictability as a metaphor for what onboarding should feel like: smooth and well-organized. The team, including interns Chloe and Jordan, along with veteran team members like Will, Matt, and Tim, dives into the realities of onboarding experiences. Chloe and Jordan reflect on the value of strong documentation, access to multiple mentors, and feeling emotionally supported. They emphasize how overwhelming onboarding can be when information overload hits or support is unclear, and how even small gestures, like developer lunches or Slack channels, can make a big difference in building comfort and connection. The discussion expands to include insights from more senior voices like Will and Matt, who underline the psychological and emotional complexity of onboarding, particularly for seasoned professionals used to excelling. Will points out that new hires, especially mid-career professionals, often face an identity crisis when they’re suddenly inexperienced again, and that trust between leadership and new employees must be earned, not assumed. He stresses the importance of proactive communication, asking questions, and building relationships over time. Meanwhile, Matt emphasizes that leaders must take responsibility for initiating that trust and creating a culture of safety and availability, even if time and organizational bandwidth are constraints. Finally, the group turns to strategies for remote and global onboarding, with Tim detailing Microsoft’s best-in-class processes that pair automation with strong support systems. The consensus is that technical logistics like IAM provisioning and documentation matter, but they’re not enough on their own. What truly shapes a successful onboarding experience is human connection: pairing new hires with mentors, creating safe spaces for questions, recognizing cultural differences, and setting realistic expectations. The episode closes with a collective realization that while automation can streamline processes, it’s trust, empathy, and communication that ultimately empower new team members to thrive. Transcript: MIKE: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Acima Development Podcast. I'm Mike, and I'm hosting again today. We've got a good crew here today. We've got Tim, Kyle, and we've got a couple of interns who are joining with us today¬¬—Chloe and Jordan, great having you. I’m excited to hear your input. It's very topical for today. We have Justin and Dave, and, finally, Will Archer, the crew here. I think I got everybody. Did I get to you, Kyle? I think I mentioned you. If not...[laughs] Let's start with an ordeal I'm going to have to go through in the next couple of weeks. So, it's been five years or so since I last renewed my driver's license, so I have to go to the DMV next week [laughs]. JUSTIN: I want to see how you're going to tie this together with new hires. This is going to be really entertaining. [laughter] MIKE: People do not look forward to going to the DMV. There's an old song that comes to my mind that says, "I've been to hell. I spell it DMV [laughs]." I think of that every time. I went and looked up the lyrics. There's some other lyrics in that song I'm not going to share [laughs]. I'm going to point out the reference. But it makes a point that I think most of us tend to agree with. However, when I go to the DMV, I know exactly what to expect because they have done this a million times, right? Maybe literally a million times, maybe more than a million, you know, many millions in a large state. They just do this over and over again. So, they have a routine. I know I walk in there. I'm going to get the number, and then they're going to send me down to a seat and wait for who knows how long [laughs]. They might have one of those little counters to let me know when the number is coming. At the one DMV I would go to, there's, like, three different desks, so there's actually three different lines [laughs]. You have to know which one you're getting to. But they have signs. They've got tape on the floor that sends you to the right direction. And then when they call you up, they've done this so many times that the people there they don't even, like, see your face anymore [laughs]. They just walk you through the routine. And it's so standardized because they need to make sure that it always works every single time. And it generally does [chuckles], as long as you didn't forget to bring whatever document you needed to bring, and then they send you to the back of the line or send you home [chuckles], and you have to come back. If you get everything right, it just works because they've totally standardized that process. Now, it's totally impersonal, and [chuckles] you wait forever sometimes, and nobody likes that. I have heard that they've got, like, some...There are offices in Utah, and...