When you’re hiring a new employee, you don’t want them to feel like they’re walking on eggshells. But too often, new hires feel uncertain and underprepared.
Your traditional approach to onboarding probably covers the basics but fails to build trust, provide job clarity, or address issues before they escalate.
At The Metiss Group, we know onboarding done right is the difference between short-term retention and long-term impact. That’s why our service, The Accountability System™, goes beyond the basics, offering a proven, year-long program that strengthens relationships, ensures clarity, and resolves challenges proactively.
In this article, you’ll learn:
The difference between The Accountability System™ and in-house onboarding
How onboarding should build trust between manager and employee
How onboarding can give employees job clarity
How good onboarding helps employees work out problems
The Accountability System™ vs. In-House Onboarding: What’s the difference?
You may not think you need an entire company to come in and help you with your onboarding, but there’s a big difference between simply introducing employees to the company and setting them up for long-term success. The Accountability System™ helps you bridge that gap.
In-house onboarding
In-house onboarding generally focuses on covering company basics. Think forms, policies, and introductions.
It’s often managed by HR and the hiring manager, and it typically spans a short period (maybe a few days to a couple of months).
In-house onboarding also includes exposing the new hire to the company’s culture. With any luck, that’ll start during the interviewing process. But it should continue once somebody's on board so they understand what fits in the company’s culture and what doesn't.
For example, say a company operates on Lombardi time (which means early is on time, and on time is late), but no one tells the new hire. So even though the new hire shows up for the 2:00 meeting right at 2:00, everyone in the room feels frustrated that they’re late.
Some policies are obvious during onboarding. Some aren't so obvious, because they're company-specific. These types of things can only be addressed with good in-house onboarding.
The Accountability System™
The Metiss Group's program, The Accountability System™, on the other hand, is a year-long process. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
It’s designed to build a strong relationship between the employees and their managers from day one. There’s an emphasis on communication — how to talk to each other without stepping on toes — and on making sure both sides are crystal clear about what defines success.
It’s not just about getting people comfortable in their new roles; it’s about getting them confident.
As we mentioned before, some policies and procedures are so specific to a company, they can only be covered through in-house onboarding. So rather than replacing in-house onboarding, The Accountability System™ enhances it.
How Onboarding Should Build Trust Between Manager and Employee
Building trust between a manager and a new employee is key to a successful working relationship, but it doesn’t always happen naturally during onboarding.
While in-house onboarding might leave this to chance, The Accountability System™ takes a structured, intentional approach to foster trust and understanding from the beginning.
In-House Onboarding
Trust-building isn’t often a formalized part of in-house onboarding. While good managers may naturally work to establish rapport, the process can be inconsistent and heavily reliant on individual personalities.
When companies rely on in-house onboarding alone, the new hire can spend the next 3-6 months still feeling like they’re walking on eggshells.
The Accountability System™
Trust building is the first step of The The Accountability System™ with The Metiss Group. It starts with self-discovery: the employee and their new manager each take a leadership strengths assessment, which outlines each person’s behaviors and motivators.
From there, they both receive a comparison report. This allows them to look at their assessment results side by side to understand the following:
Ways to communicate with each other
Potential conflicts to avoid
The value each person brings to the table
Ideal environments for each person
This leads to stronger, more productive relationships. The new hire or recently promoted employee won’t have to feel like they’re walking on eggshells with their new manager; instead, they understand the unique perspective of their manager and how to meet them where they are.
How Great Onboarding Can Give Employees Job Clarity
Great onboarding ensures employees understand exactly what success looks like in their role, setting them up for clarity and confidence from day one.
In-House Onboarding
In-house onboarding programs often rely on job descriptions that are vague or overly broad. New hires might struggle to understand what success looks like in their role, which leads to confusion and missed expectations.
The Accountability System™
The Accountability System™ creates a detailed Job Scorecard that breaks down the role’s success factors, priorities, and measurable goals. Regular reviews ensure clarity remains intact, and managers have actionable insights to guide performance.
How Good Onboarding Helps Employees Work Out Problems
Good onboarding gives employees a safe, structured way to address challenges before they escalate into bigger issues.
While in-house onboarding may leave employees uncertain about how to bring up problems, The Accountability System™ ensures concerns are heard and resolved proactively.
In-House Onboarding
When challenges arise, employees typically are left to turn to HR or their manager, which can feel intimidating or biased. New employees might feel like bringing up problems makes them look bad.
For example, say the new hire is feeling frustrated that the manager keeps canceling one-on-ones. If the new hire has only been on the team for a few months, then approaching HR with this problem can feel overwhelming.
The employee may think to themselves, Will it seem like I’m tattling on my manager? Will it seem like I’m making a big deal over nothing? Maybe I should try to solve it myself before asking for help.
This means minor issues can fester until they become major problems, and you as the business owner are left wondering what went wrong.
The Accountability System™
The Accountability System™ includes regular one-on-one coaching sessions with a behavior expert at The Metiss Group. This expert will not only meet with the new hire but also with the manager.
Throughout the yearlong The Accountability System™, the behavior expert will ask, “What’s working? What isn’t working?”
Usually within the first month, each responds with “Everything’s great!”
So the behavior expert digs deeper. “Sure, but if you could wave a magic wand, what would you change?”
Then they’ll respond with, “Well, it's not a big deal, but…”
This helps the behavior expert take care of problems before they’re a big deal.
So while relying solely on in-house onboarding often lets problems fester until they explode, The Accountability System™ is like a preventative medicine that nips problems in the bud before they get bigger.
Your Next Steps For Choosing Between The Accountability System™ or In-House Onboarding
Your in-house onboarding will probably take you pretty far. In fact, there are certain company-specific policies that can only be covered with in-house onboarding.
But there’s a big difference between onboarding an employee and setting them up for success. Without an experienced, unbiased guide, your employees often feel unsure, unprepared, and disconnected from your organization.
At The Metiss Group, we understand how expensive and exhausting a failed onboarding can be. The Accountability System™ helps your employees feel confident, which in turn makes you feel more confident in your team.
Now that you understand the difference between in-house onboarding and The Accountability System™, the next step is to contact The Metiss Group to see how The Accountability System™ can make a difference in your organization.