On International Garlic Day, it strikes me that new hires and garlic have a lot in common. Stick with me. Let me explain.

We simply reach across the counter, grab a clove and quickly chop it into a stir fry or marinade. But, remember it took a long time for that clove to go from the ground to your kitchen...to go from something not visibly doing much of anything, to becoming the single ingredient that makes all the difference.

New employees are like garlic cloves, aren’t they?

1. They both take about 6 months to be where you need them to be

2. When they are first planted in your group, you glance over and sense not too much is going on. Then with the right attention and patience, that one new person will be the ingredient on your team that makes everything better.

3. And, like garlic, a new hire shouldn’t be experienced alone.  Everyone in your group needs to participate in the onboarding and nurturing to help that new hire both fit in and stand out.  You never want to be the only one in the group who ordered garlic, right?

Patience and nurturing precede impact.  This is true for both garlic and people.

Here’s a snapshot of my garlic this season. From clove to harvest? 6 months.