The power of co-creation

Early career onboarding is often approached as a series of tasks. Orient them. Inform them. Get them started. But what if we treated it as a shared moment of design? An opportunity to learn from them and co-create. Not by shaping who they should become, but by holding space for how they choose to grow.

Why Their Voice Matters

Let’s get to the heartbeat of early career onboarding. It is not just about logistics, or the need-to-knows, or the should of behaviour. It is about curiosity, energy, lived experience and the desire to be seen as more than "new".

And this matters because when we centre voice and belonging over instruction and performance, early career participants stop waiting to prove themselves and start showing up. Not just in role, but in identity. Not just to deliver, but to connect, contribute and grow.

In practice, this means:

• Positioning onboarding as a co-owned experience, not a handover

• Normalising not “knowing it all”, and instead scaffolding reflection, choice and contribution

• Centring identity before performance starting with who they are, not just what they will do

When early career professionals feel they have agency from day one, engagement becomes real. They are not just onboarded. They belong.

Design Principles Toolkit: Designing for Co-Creation

Co-creation begins with how you frame the space. It is about invitation. Helping early career participants hear themselves, learn from each other and begin shaping culture. Structure supports growth it does not prescribe it.

Start with how you ask them to show up. Reflection is not an icebreaker. It is a signal that their voice will matter, and that you will listen with intent.

When participants see their words shaping the experience, trust builds. When they are invited not just once, but often, ownership grows. And when reflection becomes rhythm onboarding becomes culture.

From Touchpoint to Partnership

Build reflection, agency and cohort connection into the rhythm of the programme. Not as add-ons. As anchors. Invite participants to revisit earlier reflections. Ask how their thinking has shifted. Create space for shared authorship and let those insights shape what comes next.

Programmes that are co-created are not just more engaging. They are more durable. They create conditions for contribution, belonging and growth that extend far beyond orientation.

Whether you are building a programme from scratch or evolving one already in motion, this is your chance to design a journey that participants co-own. One that honours voice, values and the unpredictable brilliance of unfolding careers.

Let’s Build Exceptional Experiences Together

From large corporates to SMEs, Toni-Marie Consulting designs early career experiences that blend strategic depth with clarity, belonging and measurable impact. We partner with organisations ready to move beyond box-ticking and build onboarding journeys that truly engage.

Ready to rethink yours 📩 Book a consultation: info@tonimarieconsulting.com