Accelerating New Hire Performance through Mentoring and Coaching to Transfer Tacit Knowledge

Farvis Indonesia
Jul 25
4 min read

🔍 Background: Why This Matters

In today’s hyper-competitive, fast-paced business environment, organizations can no longer afford the luxury of long ramp-up periods for new hires. Every day a new employee is not operating at full potential is a lost opportunity in terms of productivity, innovation, and return on talent investment.Yet, most onboarding programs fail to transfer the most valuable type of knowledge: tacit knowledge—the informal, experience-based know-how that can't be found in manuals or job descriptions. This includes how to navigate corporate culture, how decisions really get made, and what success “looks like” beyond the formal KPIs.While formal training helps new hires learn the 'what' and 'how,' it's mentoring and coaching that help them internalize the 'why,' 'when,' and 'with whom'—all of which are crucial for rapid integration, confidence building, and performance acceleration.

Accelerating new hire performance through mentoring and coaching, especially to transfer tacit knowledge, is one of the most effective strategies for reducing ramp-up time, increasing engagement, and fostering long-term retention. Tacit knowledge refers to know-how that’s not easily documented: insights, intuitions, contextual awareness, and company-specific culture or politics.

Here is a comprehensive approach:

🧠 Why Focus on Tacit Knowledge Transfer?

Tacit knowledge:- Is learned through experience, not manuals.- Includes problem-solving strategies, stakeholder dynamics, cultural norms.- Drives faster decision-making, stronger relationships, and adaptability.

⚙️ How to Accelerate Performance Through Mentoring & Coaching

1. Design a Structured Mentoring & Coaching Program

📍 Mentoring for Transfer of Experience & Culture

Assign mentors (experienced employees) based on role proximity and personality match.
Mentor’s role: Share insights, contextual stories, 'how we do things here,' decision-making rationale.
Duration: Minimum 3–6 months, with regular touchpoints.

🧭 Coaching for Goal-Setting and Performance Acceleration

Assign coaches (either internal leaders or trained professionals)
Coaching goals: Help new hires set learning goals, solve early challenges, build confidence, and reflect on performance.
Focus on self-discovery and behavioral shifts.

2. Identify & Map Tacit Knowledge Areas

Conduct a knowledge audit: What do high performers do intuitively?
Identify critical roles or processes where tacit knowledge is key (e.g., stakeholder engagement, product nuance, navigating internal systems).
Turn this into a tacit knowledge map.

3. Create Learning Moments to Unlock Tacit Knowledge

💡 Shadowing & Storytelling

Arrange “shadow days” where new hires observe experienced staff.
Encourage mentors to share “war stories” (mistakes, pivots, insider tactics).

🧠 Guided Reflection

Use after-action reviews in coaching sessions to reflect: What worked? What did you sense? What was left unsaid?
Help new hires learn to read the 'invisible' cues in culture and decision-making.

4. Use Peer Coaching Circles

Establish new hire cohorts that meet monthly to discuss learnings, challenges, and observations.
Facilitated by a coach or experienced leader.
Encourage knowledge-sharing and cross-pollination.

5. Leverage Tools for Tacit Knowledge Capture

Record video diaries or lessons from mentors for future new hires.
Use internal social platforms (Yammer, Teams) for informal Q&A, experience sharing.
Build “playbooks with commentary”—not just process, but why the process exists.

6. Measure Progress and Impact

Set KPIs: time-to-productivity, retention at 6/12 months, engagement scores, feedback quality.
Collect qualitative stories from mentors, coaches, and new hires.
Review monthly with HR and business leads.

✅ Example: Implementation Timeline

Month Action

0 Match mentors & coaches, introduce tacit knowledge map

1 Start coaching (goal setting); kickoff mentor sessions

2 - 3 Shadowing, guided reflections, storytelling sessions

4 - 6 Deep-dive learning, peer circles, continuous learning

6 Formal checkpoint; celebrate wins, gather insights

🛠️ Practical Tips

Train mentors & coaches on how to uncover and share tacit knowledge.
Normalize vulnerability: “Let me tell you what I wish I had known...”
Recognize and reward great mentors—it's culture-building.

🌍 Real-World Examples

🧠 Google – The Role of Coaching in Early Success

Google’s Project Oxygen found that great managers double as coaches who guide, challenge, and support employees in making sense of complex environments. Google assigns peer buddies and informal mentors during onboarding who are not only role models but are expected to help new hires understand unspoken norms, values, and success behaviors. This accelerates their ability to contribute meaningfully much faster than relying on self-navigation alone.

🏢 Deloitte – Building Communities of Practice

Deloitte created internal mentorship and coaching circles as part of its onboarding and career development programs. Senior consultants are paired with new hires to provide not just project-specific guidance, but also career navigation advice, client relationship nuances, and contextual business thinking. The result? A marked increase in engagement, retention, and time-to-value for new employees.

🚀 Why It’s Strategic for Organizations

By institutionalizing mentoring and coaching as core parts of onboarding:

Companies protect intellectual capital that would otherwise leave with departing employees.
New hires gain confidence, clarity, and capability faster—reducing mistakes and rework.
HR and line managers can measure ROI through improved retention, performance metrics, and faster cultural assimilation.

In essence, transferring tacit knowledge through mentoring and coaching bridges the gap between new hire potential and actual performance—turning onboarding from a process into a strategic advantage.

Leave your comment if you want me to provide more example or discuss deeper.