Onboarding Engagement: Uncompany
CLIENT: Uncompany (https://www.weareuncompany.com/)
BACK STORY: Uncompany makes unconventional work more workable by connecting freelance talent to clients who need agency-level creative…without the agency. The Uncompany team realized that they could improve their onboarding process for both freelancers and clients in order to become more efficient. The goal of the onboarding program was to create the most seamless experience for both clients and freelancers—both on the first project with Uncompany and well into the future.
WHAT WE DID: Stabilimenta designed an onboarding program to acquaint freelancers with the clients they are working with for the first time while also educating first-time clients on how to effectively work with freelancers. In order to execute the engagement, Stabilimenta proposed a three-phase approach.
Phase I: Research
Stabilimenta facilitated a two-hour onsite meeting to kick off the engagement so Stabilimenta could learn about the current processes, desires for the onboarding program, and the Uncompany brand and tone. After this meeting, Stabilimenta created and sent surveys to Uncompany’s clients and freelancers. Survey results were shared with Uncompany and informed the onboarding program.
Phase II: Template Creation
Building on the research phase, Stabilimenta created a number of documents and templates to be used throughout the onboarding process, including:
Updated internal process documentation that outlines how the new program and templates fit into Uncompany’s existing processes.
Introduction one-pagers for clients and freelancers that includes information about the importance of onboarding and its benefits plus an outline of the onboarding process.
Client onboarding worksheet that refined Uncompany’s existing form to provide dropdown selections, additional questions, and an example for clients to reference.
Client workshop guide that included all talking points and a branded keynote presentation for a 1-hour client workshop with the two-fold purpose: 1) gaining more information from the client about their brand and project needs and 2) educating the client on best practices for working with freelancers and Uncompany.
Client company playbook template that includes overview and need to know information about the company’s brand, culture, logistics, communication preferences, and client personalities. This playbook is shared with all freelancers working on the client’s projects and also can be used by the client for their own internal purpose (e.g., employee onboarding).
Refined project brief that includes a reorganization of the questions with examples so that the client can more easily fill out the brief, and freelancers have all of the information they need to successfully execute the project.
Set of retrospective surveys to be sent to freelancers and clients asking about their overall experience with Uncompany as well as the onboarding program.
Stabilimenta reviewed all templates and program components with Uncompany and adjusted based on feedback as well as worked with the team to incorporate these templates into their existing workflows for ease of execution.
Phase III: Pilot
Stabilimenta initially proposed piloting the templates on behalf of Uncompany with a brand-new client. Instead, Uncompany dove right in and started using all of the templates almost immediately with clients who were in various stages of onboarding.
KEY OUTCOMES:
Internally documented processes so all Uncompany employees are on the same page
Optimized processes for both freelancers and clients that allows work to begin as efficiently and effectively as possible
Positive feedback from both clients and freelancers, especially about how Uncompany’s onboarding process is a major differentiator for the organization
“A lot of times as a business, organizing your thoughts can be a monumental feat and probably one you don’t spend proper time on. Jamie does an AMAZING job of organizing, prepping, and slowing things down a bit in a way that solid strategic thinking emerges. Her attention to detail and structure really helped us move things along in a productive and effective way. I can’t say enough good things about the work she’s done and her professional approach to guiding us through the project.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR UNCOMPANY?
Uncompany is working diligently with clients to help them create adaptive staffing plans led by top-notch freelance talent. The team has also been running virtual webinars and meet-ups during COVID-19. Plus, Uncompany continues to roll out several updates to their platform in 2020 to better serve freelancers and clients.