Employee onboarding aims to integrate new joiners smoothly into a company and its culture. Effective onboarding accelerates adapting company processes and procedures so new joiners can quickly become productive team members.  

This article explores employee onboarding, its purpose, phases, best practices, and how to create an effective employee onboarding process. 

What is employee onboarding? 

Onboarding refers to incorporating a new team member into a company and familiarizing them with its culture and policies. 

A good onboarding process mirrors boarding a plane. At the beginning of the adventure, you’re greeted by someone happy to have you. They help you find your seat and get acclimated so the flight will be comfortable and you’ll get to your destination safely.

Onboarding programs should help new hires:

  • Understand their roles and responsibilities
  • Get comfortable in their new setting
  • Meet their teammates
  • Learn company policies and protocols

At the same time, successful onboarding improves workforce management by ensuring new hires can become productive in their new roles quickly.

What is the purpose of onboarding?

Onboarding helps new hires become familiar with their roles and feel welcomed, valued, and supported by the company. This can reduce a team member’s time to productivity—the time it takes to become familiar enough with their role to work effectively.

<<Use this free checklist to create an effective onboarding process.>>

Why is employee onboarding important?

A great onboarding program helps with: 

The smoother the onboarding process for new team members, the greater the chances they’ll become effective, long-term contributors to the company. Keeping a team member is more cost-effective than hiring a new one, so it’s worth investing in quality people from the beginning.

How long does onboarding last?

New employee onboarding can take anywhere from 90 days to a full year. The company’s size and role complexity can affect how much time and ongoing support a new hire requires.

Four phases of employee onboarding

Whether a new hire goes through remote onboarding or goes through the process in the office, the phases will generally remain the same. 

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Preboarding 

Preboarding is the period between accepting the job offer and the first day of work. 

Preboarding can include: 

  • Helping new team members complete all necessary paperwork 
  • Helping them relocate 
  • Sharing company traditions, achievements, and even inside jokes to make sure your new member feels included
  • Sending documents, videos, and other materials that show how your organization works and what they can expect 

Orientation 

Orientation typically starts on the team member’s first day and involves introducing them to the company’s policies, procedures, and benefits. For in-person onboarding, it also includes a tour of the office and in-person introductions with colleagues and managers.

Well-structured new employee orientation allows people to be productive as early as possible, collaborate effectively with their team, and quickly learn relevant systems, tools, and processes.

Training 

Training takes place in the first three months. It gives the new hire the skills, knowledge, and resources they require to carry out their work effectively.

Training programs can be role-specific and follow a well-structured process that guides new people through everything needed to succeed in their roles. To help them learn comfortably, explore different training methods, such as one-on-one coaching, blended learning, job shadowing, microlearning, and self-paced learning.

Integration 

Integration refers to the final phase of onboarding. It helps the new person become a productive and engaged member of the team by providing ongoing support, feedback, and opportunities.

During integration, encourage managers to set up regular check-ins, provide continuous feedback, and create ample opportunities for social interactions with the team. This phase ensures the new hire feels supported, builds relationships with co-workers, and gains confidence in their role. 

Employee onboarding best practices

Use these best practices for a smooth onboarding experience. 

  • Welcome your new team members prior to their first day with an onboarding email template that includes:
    • What time to arrive
    • Expected dress code
    • Where to park
    • Who to meet with upon arrival
  • Send a personalized welcome letter and a small gift to initiate a positive relationship between the company and the new team member.
  • Run an orientation to introduce them to the company’s values, mission, and culture. 
  • Support new team members by matching them up with a “buddy” to walk them through company expectations and policies.
  • Provide the new hire with the necessary passwords, links, and relevant information needed to begin their new role.
  • HR managers can meet with the new hire one-on-one once a week, throughout the first three months, to ensure they’re integrating well and understand their responsibilities.
  • Engage team members from the moment they accept their offer, continuing this effort from their first day onward. Schedule regular check-ins, invite new team members to team lunches or virtual coffee breaks, provide access to mentorship programs, and offer tailored learning and development sessions to boost engagement.

<<Download a free employee onboarding templates and onboarding process checklist so you don’t miss a thing.>>

How to create an employee onboarding program

To streamline onboarding of new team members, businesses can use a structured program that provides clear expectations, fosters engagement, and accelerates the integration of new joiners into their roles.

1. Define your onboarding goals

Set specific goals to track and manage the onboarding process. Ensure each goal remains clearly defined, realistic, and measurable. 

For example, you may create time-bound goals, like finishing pre-boarding documentation in one day and completing training sessions within the first month.

When onboarding different roles, such as a salesperson or an IT specialist, HR teams can adjust the goals to account for variations in onboarding processes and timelines.

2. Set up a pre-onboarding process

Initiate the pre-onboarding process by leveraging the time between signing the contract and the official start date. 

Provide the new team member with essential information about company culture, first-day expectations, dress codes, and paperwork assistance. 

For instance, when onboarding a new joiner, complete essential documentation like tax forms, set up their tech and tools, and then schedule a call between the new team member and their future colleagues.

3. Give a warm welcome

Starting a new job can be nerve-wracking and a warm welcome makes all the difference. Guide the new team members around the office, introduce them to their workspace, organize introductions with their team, and ensure they feel comfortable throughout the day.

4. Introduce the company culture

Harvard Business Review shows that adjusting to a new company culture can take up to 90 days—or even longer for more complex roles.

Managers can guide new team members to embrace the company culture as quickly as possible, starting from preboarding. Try sharing stories of company traditions, values, and successes, organizing informal meet-and-greets or virtual coffee chats for remote joiners, and encouraging participation in team-building activities or social events.

Existing team members play a crucial role during this period. When their actions reflect the company culture, new team members align more quickly, strengthening trust and transparency.

5. Regularly check-in on new hires

Regular check-ins help to ensure new team members adjust well and get the support they need to succeed.

You can begin by asking questions like, “Is my new team member making enough progress in their training? What roadblocks might be preventing full assimilation into their role?”

Track their progress using the 30, 60, and 90-day rule. Establish clear metrics to measure their performance and schedule one-on-one meetings to discuss their progress and address any concerns they may have.

6. Provide regular feedback

Feedback can be an invaluable tool. It helps people identify what they’re doing well and what they need to do better. In fact, research shows that 69 percent of people work harder when their contributions receive recognition through regular feedback. 

Providing new team members with continuous support and feedback can boost job satisfaction and retention. New team members are more likely to stay and contribute when they feel the company cares about them.

7. Automate your employee onboarding process

Automating employee onboarding can make the process easier and more efficient. It also gives new hires a consistent, positive onboarding experience.

Here are some tips for onboarding automation:

  • Offer online tools and resources, such as videos, webinars, and e-learning modules for training and orientation
  • Use digital forms and workflows to automate paperwork
  • Create an onboarding portal or platform that new hires can access to find information about the company, their roles, and the onboarding process
  • Implement technology that makes communication and collaboration between new hires, managers, and HR easier
  • Use automation tools to send reminders and follow-up messages to new team members and their managers throughout the onboarding process

What is onboarding software?

Employee onboarding software is an HR tech tool businesses use to integrate new team members into their organization. It automates the onboarding process from the pre-hire phase to the first six months on the job, making it easier for HR teams to manage and track new hires’ progress. 

The software helps to streamline paperwork, background checks, pre-boarding, training, data management, task assignment, and communication with new people. 

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How to choose employee onboarding software

When choosing new employee onboarding software, consider:

  • Features: Look for software that offers the features you need to manage your onboarding process effectively, such as digital forms, automated workflows, and training resources. You can get customizable software to fit your organization’s policies, procedures, and brand.
  • User experience: User experience determines how well and fast your people will adopt the software. Choose software that prioritizes intuitiveness and accessibility and is easy to use and navigate for new hires and HR teams.
  • Integration: Think about how well the software integrates with other HR tools and systems, such as your HRIS and payroll software. Integration helps to centralize data and processes to avoid information silos and also streamline your work.
  • Support and training: Ongoing support and training can help with successful implementation and drive adoption. Look for software providers that offer support and training resources to help you get the most out of the software.

Improve company culture with a supportive onboarding program

Onboarding lays the groundwork for a smooth transition for new hires as they settle into a new job and work environment. Just as an uneasy child may need a warm welcome on the first day of kindergarten, so too will a new team member appreciate a well-planned onboarding process.

The onboarding process serves as the first step in building a relationship with a new team member. A company that invests in wellbeing through a thoughtful onboarding process will be well on its way to increasing long-term employee engagement, retention, and overall job satisfaction. Ultimately, caring for team members’ needs from the very beginning leads to a healthy and thriving company culture.