Chapter 14: Franchisee Onboarding and Integration

Creating franchisee handbooks, training materials, ongoing education resources and other documentation of the sort is a necessary step in the franchise development process, but the work is not done until you’re sure you can implement the systems you’ve worked so hard to build.

Structuring the Onboarding Process

The onboarding process is one of the first major things franchisees do after they’ve officially signed the agreement. In order to get the relationship off to a good start, it’s important that onboarding is thorough, informative and enjoyable.

When working to build out what this will look like, the most important step is to take note of all of the necessary components. When the onboarding process is complete, so to say, what do you want your franchisee to have learned? Is there anyone they should have met with? Do they understand the company culture? After gathering these pieces of information, you can begin to work out how they’ll fit together.

Franchisee onboarding should be far more robust than the two-hour training session or one-week supervisory period at your first job. In order to keep franchisees aligned and on track, some franchisors create an onboarding process up to a year long. While the majority of the onboarding work is focused at the start of the process, there are systems in place to support franchisees as they work to scale during their first year of business.

Though following a structure, the onboarding process should have some flexibility. Not everyone learns the same way or at the same pace, and franchisee-franchisor dialogue can be productive. Consider building a bit of “wiggle room” into the plan to ensure the franchisee does not miss any crucial aspects of the onboarding process while still creating space for growth and transformation.

Setting and Maintaining Cultural Expectations

All franchises have a company culture. Evaluating a prospective franchisee’s potential fit within the established culture typically happens over the course of the due diligence process, but a presumed cultural fit can be turned into something much stronger with the right strategy.

Much of company culture is built by how things are run. If a franchisee has the potential and motivation to align, maintaining that common understanding can be as simple as focusing on effective communication.

The franchisee-franchisor relationship should be predictable and consistent. When franchisees knows they can count on the leadership team for direction and motivation, and the team is willing to provide that support, the entire franchise system is able to consistently self-improve while moving in the same direction.

As always, a feeling of belonging goes a long way. Franchisees are the local owners within their individual communities. But at the system-wide level, they are one of many people in a constantly moving growth machine. Taking time to ensure that everyone feels welcome, valued and accepted can strengthen the system’s bonds and maintain a strong culture.

Laying the Foundation for Ongoing Communication

Onboarding is an ongoing process. Once the designated steps are complete, continued engagement with franchisees is necessary. Creating a system in which franchisees feel that they are able to contact and receive guidance from the leadership team is paramount. Encouraging communication and mentorship between franchisees can also serve to create a stronger, healthier franchise system.

There are a few tools or approaches that make communication easier and more productive:

• Agree upon easy-to-use communication methods, such as Slack, email, text or phone/ Encourage everyone to actually communicate on the same platform(s). If getting the message out is an ordeal in and of itself, that challenge will put a damper on communication.
• Schedule and maintain feedback loops to ensure everyone has a chance to speak their mind with confidence. Allow their thoughts to be addressed in a timely manner.
• Leverage data, allowing all parties to clearly understand the challenge, goal or situation.
• Consider common personal hobbies or enjoyable topics that can help all parties bond. Personal connections may not seem pertinent in the business space, but getting to know someone can make communication come more naturally.
• Ego doesn’t help anyone. As a part of the franchise system, everyone is working toward the same goal, regardless of their level within the business or tenure at the company. Encourage participation from people of all backgrounds to lead to creative solutions.
• Prioritize face-to-face time. Washington Post reports that “face-to-face requests are 34 times more effective than those sent by email, and that a physical handshake promotes cooperation and influences negotiation outcomes for the better.” While it’s not feasible to gather an entire franchise system in a single location every week or month, doing it one or two times a year may create an opportunity for everyone to connect. In the meantime, video meetings or local/regional meet-ups can encourage a feeling of connectedness.

Onboarding, in both the shorter initial training sense and longer-term franchisee integration sense, provides an opportunity for the franchisor to lay a strong foundation and continue to strengthen the relationship with the franchisee. With the right tools and proper planning, onboarding is just another way to drive business growth and franchisee satisfaction.