A first day at work is exciting for everyone. A new employee gets to know the company, meets colleagues, and has to process a mountain of information in a short time. At the same time, it's also an important moment for you as an organization: this is your chance to make someone feel truly welcome and connected.
Yet, things often go wrong. Research by Gallup shows that only 12% of employees believe their employer handled onboarding well. And 43% of hiring managers indicate that time and money are lost due to inefficient onboarding processes. Poor onboarding is therefore not a minor detail, but directly costs organizations money.
In this guide, you'll learn exactly what onboarding is, why it's so important, how to set it up step by step, and how to automate the entire process so that every new employee gets a seamless start.
The literal meaning of onboarding is 'stepping aboard'. In practice, onboarding is the process by which an organization introduces new employees to the company, their role, and their colleagues, so that they develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to become a fully integrated member of the team.
Important: onboarding is about more than just quickly getting someone up to speed practically. The goal is for a new employee to feel like a part of the organization. Only when someone feels engaged with a new team does the intrinsic motivation arise to make something great of it. That's a win-win: both the employee and the organization benefit.
Onboarding is therefore not a short, one-time action, but a longer process that requires time and attention, often spanning several months. The UWV (Dutch Employee Insurance Agency) rightly describes the first year with an employer as crucial: it often makes or breaks the working relationship.
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing. Here are the technical differences:
In short: practical training and induction are components of onboarding; preboarding is the phase that precedes it.
Strong onboarding is one of the most underestimated growth levers within HR. The numbers don't lie:
That employers take this seriously is evident from a UWV study among over 4,000 employers: 19% actively focuses on improving onboarding and guidance programs to prevent attrition. In sectors with high workloads and high turnover, this percentage is even higher, such as education (36%), public administration (31%), and social work, youth care, and childcare (28%). Sectors with many small businesses, such as hospitality (17%), retail (16%), and construction (15%), score lower.
There's no one-size-fits-all approach to onboarding: its implementation depends on the industry, company size, and culture. However, there is a widely recognized framework. Dr. Talya Bauer of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) identified the 4 C's that a successful onboarding program should always include:
The foundation. Here, you teach new employees the organization's rules, procedures, norms, and values: safety instructions, submitting expense reports, absenteeism policy, and so on. Not the most exciting part, but essential. You can make it more appealing by breaking down the information into bite-sized chunks, for example, through microlearning.
Two-way expectation management. Ensure the employee knows exactly what their role, tasks, and responsibilities are, and how to fulfill them effectively. Also, clearly state what the employee can expect from the organization: career prospects, support, and facilities.
Effective onboarding breathes the organization's culture. From the start, immerse the new colleague in the mission, vision, and core values: the company's 'why'. How do colleagues interact? What do lunch breaks or company outings look like? This can certainly be done partly in advance, for example, through a video about the company's history and values.
People make the company. Building relationships with colleagues is arguably the most crucial part of onboarding. Actively help the new employee build a network, for example, by assigning a buddy or mentor to assign. This way, everyone immediately knows who to turn to, and vice versa.
A valuable addition to the classic model: don't let go of your new employee too quickly. Ask how the onboarding was experienced and if there are any remaining needs, for example, through short surveys and regular check-ins. Immediately use the results to further improve your onboarding program.
Much shorter than ideal, in practice. A strong onboarding process already begins about two weeks before the first workday (preboarding) and continues for months afterward.
The rules of thumb:
The most important rule: tailor the duration to the needs of both the company and the employee. One thing is certain: a few days of training is not onboarding.
The short answer: everyone. Onboarding is not HR's exclusive party, nor is it solely the manager's task.
In practice, coordination often lies with HR, handled by one person, a team, or an entire department depending on the organization's size. But the execution is a collaborative effort:
Therefore, make colleagues aware of their role in onboarding. A good first impression is a shared responsibility.
Training is the backbone of good onboarding. Here's how to build a scalable program:
A strong program usually consists of two parts:
Face-to-face onboarding is time-consuming and expensive, especially with turnover. That's why many organizations are shifting (part of) their training to online learning: it's always and everywhere available, reusable, and customizable per role.
With a modern authoring tool, you can create engaging courses yourself, even without an e-learning background. Consider:
For this, you use a Learning Management System (LMS). With it, you assign courses, give employees access anytime, anywhere (including mobile and offline), and keep everything centralized.
Measure the effectiveness of your program with LMS statistics such as completion rates and test pass rates, supplemented with surveys. This way, you build towards continuous improvement.
1. Leaving the role unclear. From the start, give new employees a realistic picture of their responsibilities, the goals to be achieved, and a timeline for achieving them.
2. Not involving the manager. Without an engaged manager, what's learned remains theoretical. Make managers an integral part of the process, with regular feedback sessions in the first few months.
3. A poor cultural fit. New employees sometimes leave due to a lack of cultural connection. Treat onboarding as a first team-building exercise and make it personal, so people feel emotionally connected to the organization.
Remote onboarding can work well, but requires extra attention to connection and communication. Ensure:
Once your process is well-established, the logical next step is automation. By digitizing your onboarding, you relieve HR, consistently deliver high quality, and immediately give new employees a professional first impression.
What you can automate:
With a powerful LMS like Pluvo you can largely put the onboarding process on autopilot. You set up the program once and assign it to all your new hires; the platform automatically enrolls employees, sends reminders, and provides you with progress reports. This ensures every step is accurate and consistent, leaving you with time for what matters most: the human aspect of onboarding.
Want to see what that looks like for your organization? Schedule a demo with Pluvo.
Onboarding literally means 'stepping on board'. It's the process where new employees get acquainted with the organization, their role, and colleagues, and develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become a fully integrated part of the team.
Induction involves practically familiarizing an employee with the workplace (e.g., where things are, how systems work). Onboarding is broader and more long-term: it also focuses on culture, connection, and engagement, continuing where induction leaves off.
At least 90 days, but on average about six months before someone knows all the ins and outs. The ideal duration should be tailored to the organization and the specific role.
HR often coordinates the process, but onboarding is a shared responsibility among HR, the manager, and colleagues.
Yes. Remote onboarding requires extra attention to connection and communication. A digital welcome, an online buddy, and an LMS for training and progress can make all the difference.
Conclusion: Effective onboarding isn't just an administrative task; it's a strategic investment that directly impacts retention, productivity, and employee satisfaction. Set up the process correctly once, following the 4 C's, and automate recurring elements with an LMS. This way, you give every new employee a flying start and, as an employer, immediately make an impressive first impression.
As an educational expert specialising in online learning, I have been writing blogs for Pluvo for 5 years. My focus is on powerful learning solutions for organisations. Universal Design for Learning and inclusive learning are my passion; I believe that education should be accessible and fun for everyone.
I've been combining my 35 years of HR experience with copywriting for over 15 years. And even then, I learn new things over and over again. That's what makes writing blogs for Pluvo so incredibly interesting!
