Thanks for coming to check out the bonus material in "The Vault!"

I hope you're enjoying the book thus far and that this content adds to your overall experience and implementation efforts.

As you'll see below, the various bonuses and supplemental materials are organized by chapter to make it easier for you to navigate. If you click the large red button you can access the specific documents, checklists, videos, recommended resources, etc.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email us at: helpmeJoey@Joeycoleman.com and we'll take great care of you!

Chapter 3: Assess

Background checks are often the final part of the hiring process. Many organizations gloss over this important step in a desire to quickly conclude the search. Submitting candidates to a formal background check process is necessary for many positions (especially those requiring special security clearances) and useful for most positions. 

Outsourcing this task to an organization that specializes in robust investigation and reporting is a great way to avoid bias and make sure the review is thoroughly completed. Crimcheck is a well-known, highly regarded firm in the space (in the interest of full disclosure, it was led by my friend Tom Sheih, but he exited the company in December of 2022 and neither he, nor I, have any financial interest in the ongoing operation of the business). As with any recommendation you get from an author or speaker, exercise your best personal judgment and govern yourself wisely when evaluating any recommended product or service offering.

If you access only one item in the Vault, this is the one to download!

Writing down your ideas when reviewing the questions at the end of each chapter will make your efforts to enhance the employee experience that much easier when it comes to implementation. 

Chapter 4: Accept

The wonderful team at Tribute was kind enough to provide some samples of how videos can be used to celebrate and connect your team members. You can view these by scrolling down to Chapter 9: Adopt (the time in the employee journey when Tribute uses these vidoes).

There are thousands of videos, social media posts, and digital assets created each season to celebrate student-athletes committing to play football at the University of Notre Dame. 

In addition, there are several reporters who focus on football recruiting at Notre Dame. They often repost information shared by both prospective and committed student-athletes. Some of the most prolific accounts to check out on social media include: Irish Illustrated, @NDRecruiting01, Tom Loy, and Matt Freeman

The offer package that the Notre Dame Football Team sent to recruits for the 2022-2023 season was remarkable. Upon receiving the offer in the mail, then-high school senior Preston Zinter was so impressed that he took to social media to share a video of the “pop-up” mailer he received.

Contrast this “offer letter” with the letters that your organization sends to desired employees. Is your offer remarkable enough to compel a candidate to post it to social media? If not, there is clearly an opportunity for enhancement.

Chapter 5: Affirm

The software/tool you use to track employee onboarding touchpoints isn’t nearly as important as the fact that you actually track the interactions you have with new employees. Make sure to assign interactions and then confirm that they are completed. This ensures a consistent experience and allows any member of the team to know where a candidate/new employee is in the onboarding process.

The Trek Culture Book provides newly hired team members with great insight about the company’s history, operating philosophies, products, and people. It also has a great section on “Trekisms”—words and phrases that are commonly used within the organization (see page #103-105).

Many of the people interviewed for case studies in the book had dozens of amazing examples to share. Regrettably, I was only able to fit one example per case study in the book. The “Being Here Matters” program that Heather Arthur implemented at a Canadian telecommunications firm was a story worth sharing in The Vault. 

Chapter 6: Activate

BombBomb uses their video software to build connections between team members early on in the employee journey. To experience BombBomb in your organization, click here and start a free trial.

Chapter 7: Acclimate

This quick quiz/worksheet will help you evaluate an employee’s understanding of their respective requirements, roles, responsibilities, and relationships.

JLM's strategic approach for showing employees how (and why) to follow established procedures and processes is a great model for helping employees Acclimate to their new work environment.

In addition, their high-level recruiting and interviewing checklist is incredibly helpful when building or re-evaluating your own process.

Chapter 9: Adopt

The wonderful team at Tribute was kind enough to provide some samples of how videos can be used to celebrate and connect your team members. You can view their respective videos acknowleding birthdays, work anniversaries, and holiday thanks below:

Combining gratitude with humor and playfulness is a surefire way to evoke tears of joy from the individual celebrating a milestone birthday. As Marty Metro, CEO of Used Cardboard Boxes, Inc. approached his 50th birthday, his wife wanted to create a remarkable gift. Working with the Tribute team, she identified and recruited Marty’s colleagues, co-workers, employees (at all levels within the organization), and friends to submit short, celebratory video messages. The resulting montage showcased how much the CEO was loved by his people and proved the importance of not waiting until someone retires or bids farewell before telling them how much they are valued and appreciated. Any life occasion can serve as a reason to lift up the people you work with and tell them how you truly feel.

As a leading insurance provider for high-net-worth individuals, PURE Insurance places a premium on personal touch over an extended period of time. This philosophical approach to customer interactions is modeled internally with the PURE Service Award Videos. Leading up to a significant anniversary (5, 10, or 15 years of employment) team members receive a link to a Tribute page where they can submit a short video clip congratulating their colleague on achieving this important milestone. Team leaders make sure key team members submit clips and then the Tribute team edits the submissions into a highlight reel. Every month, as part of the company’s all hands meeting, these anniversary videos are shared to highlight and celebrate these significant occasions.

As the crazy year that was 2020 drew to a close, the leadership team at Medix knew they needed to do something special. As a recruitment and workforce solutions company operating in the healthcare, technology, and life sciences industries, Medix (like many organizations navigating the COVID-pandemic) had weathered unprecedented, challenging times and wanted to acknowledge the consistent dedication and unified effort put forth by their leadership team. Working with the Tribute, Medix created a year-end holiday video for fifty of their key leaders. The video began with an inspiring introduction, identifying the recipient by name and then transitioning to an enthusiastic general message from the CEO. The video continued with customized, personalized messages from the Vice President of Sales, the recipient’s manager, and their closest teammates. Interstitial graphics highlighting the company’s core values offered a visual break between the personal messages, reinforcing key organizational focal points in the process. The resulting video was an end-of-year keepsake the recipient could come back to time and time again as a reminder of their value within the organization.

Extra Bonuses

As a "recovering" attorney, I did my best to cite my sources throughout the book. The good news? There are endnotes. The bad news? There are 7,323 of them. Just kidding! But there are a lot (thirteen pages worth). I'm happy to share the references, sources, and other background information I used in writing the book. I hope you find the information helpful!