Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1505694
66 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023 Create a New Environment e electronics industry is losing its work- force le and right to retirement, and com- panies are seeking out a new workforce to fill that space. ey are contending with issues that include a generation gap, retention, filling the talent pool, and onboarding strategies that keep new hires fulfilled and interested in stay- ing for more than a short-term stint. It's daunt- ing, at best. One thing that companies can do for new hires—especially ones like me who are new college graduates moving away for the first time—is to create an environment that feels like home. During my first day of work, I was imme- diately greeted by my new co-workers. ey quickly welcomed me onto the team and helped me see how some niche skills I had learned in college would aid me in my proj- ects. I felt welcomed, needed, and even a lit- tle closer to home. at feeling of hopelessness soon turned into excitement. My employer's onboarding methods created a positive expe- rience for me. But it's not always this way, and I have the experience to prove it. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Onboarding Experiences I had a negative situation at a previous internship. On the first day, I received a laptop and instructions to review the online onboard- ing materials. As I worked through the materi- als at my new desk, I could hear the conversa- tions of my co-workers around me; they were all talking—to each other, and not to me. As I reflected on this at the end of the first day, I was distressed. I was in a new living situation with no family nearby, and I didn't know anyone, so I was already feeling uncomfortable. On the job, I was introduced to no one on my team, and even felt purposely excluded from the con- versations at work. I truly felt like a "new hire" and even more isolated.