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Organizations with a strong onboarding process can improve employee retention by 82%.
A warm, well-structured onboarding experience sets the tone for a positive first impression, helping new hires feel welcomed, valued, and ready to contribute.
In this guide, we’ll go beyond the basic dos and don’ts of onboarding. We’ll explore best practices for employee onboarding that create a safe, supportive environment for new hires, ensuring they feel confident and excited to have joined your company.
Organizations that want to turn employees into their greatest asset must focus on setting a good employee onboarding experience.
A strong onboarding process makes new hires feel welcome, prepared, and engaged. Here are 3 reasons why onboarding is essential:
1. Creates a Strong First Impression
Onboarding is the first real bridge between a new hire and your organization.
A well-structured onboarding program helps employees feel welcomed, valued, and eager to dive into their new role. When people feel connected from day one, they’re more likely to engage deeply, share ideas, and contribute meaningfully. That early sense of belonging lays the foundation for a long, productive relationship with your company.
2. New Hires Settle In Faster
A great onboarding process doesn’t just introduce people to their jobs — it sets them up for success. Clear training, defined expectations, and easy access to resources help new hires understand their role and how their work contributes to the bigger picture. When employees feel prepared and confident, they integrate faster, perform better, and start delivering value sooner.
3. Reduces Employee Turnover
Structured onboarding has a lasting payoff — higher retention. When organizations invest time in helping new hires feel supported, it signals that they’re more than just a headcount.
That trust builds loyalty and long-term commitment. Lower turnover also means reduced hiring costs, a stronger knowledge base, and a more stable culture where experienced employees guide and mentor newcomers — creating a virtuous cycle of growth and engagement.
There are 5Cs when it comes to the onboarding process. Consider this as something like a checklist that must be ticked off before you finalize your employee onboarding process.
1. Compliance
Start by making sure every legal and administrative requirement is handled correctly. New hires should complete essential paperwork like tax forms, contracts, and policy acknowledgments.
HR or the assigned team member should walk them through these documents to clarify rights, responsibilities, and workplace standards. Compliance also includes safety training and awareness of any job-specific regulations. Doing this properly keeps your organization compliant and helps new employees feel confident and secure from day one.
2. Clarification
Once the paperwork is done, focus on clarity. Help new hires understand what success looks like in their role. Share clear job descriptions, key responsibilities, and how their work ties into the company’s goals. Managers should outline performance expectations and KPIs early on. When employees know what’s expected of them, they feel more focused, motivated, and aligned with the organization’s mission.
3. Culture
Culture isn’t something people just pick up — it needs to be reinforced. Use onboarding to help new hires understand the company’s story, mission, and values in action. Share real examples of how teams live those values every day. For managers, cultural alignment is especially important because their behavior often sets the tone for their teams.
4. Connection
Starting a new job can feel overwhelming. Create early opportunities for new hires to build relationships. Introduce them to teammates, mentors, and cross-functional partners. Encourage informal coffee chats or quick check-ins to help them feel included. A strong network helps new employees integrate faster and feel part of something bigger than their role.
5. Check-Back
Onboarding doesn’t end after the first week. Follow up at regular intervals — typically 30, 60, and 90 days — to see how new hires are settling in. Use these check-ins to gather feedback, address challenges, and celebrate wins. Consistent follow-through shows employees that their experience matters and that the organization is invested in their success.
Tip: Try using a 30-60-90-day onboarding survey to gather meaningful feedback and refine your process over time.
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Also check out other useful employee survey templates.
A good orientation program solidifies whatever beliefs employees have of your company. In other words, you can plan your employee onboarding in such a way that it creates a solid impression on the new hires. Here are 10 best practices to follow to accomplish that.
#1 Start With a Good Orientation
Start strong by creating a structured, engaging orientation program that helps new hires feel confident and connected from day one. A well-designed orientation should outline what the first few days and weeks look like, covering both the what and the why behind their role.
Include elements such as:
- Introduction sessions that walk new hires through company values, structure, and key policies.
- Training modules that cover job-specific tools, systems, and workflows.
- Mentorship opportunities that pair new employees with experienced team members for guidance and support.
Finally, make sure everyone involved — from HR to managers and mentors — understands their role in the process. When expectations are clear, onboarding becomes seamless and sets the right tone for success.
#2 Assign a Buddy Or a Mentor
Starting a new job can feel overwhelming, and that’s where a good buddy system makes all the difference. Pairing each new hire with an experienced teammate gives them someone to turn to for guidance, quick questions, and insider tips.
Here’s how to make your program work:
- Match thoughtfully. Pair new hires with experienced employees who know the company well and have a positive, approachable attitude.
- Encourage open communication. Make sure new hires know how and when to reach out for help.
- Share the unwritten rules. Buddies can explain company culture, introduce key people, and help new hires navigate the workplace with confidence.
#3 Regular training and skills development
Training shouldn’t stop after the first week. Structured learning programs help new hires grow into confident, capable team members while showing them that the company cares about their long-term success.
Here’s how to make learning part of onboarding:
- Go beyond job basics. Combine role-specific training with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Offer flexible learning options. Mix classroom sessions, online courses, and certifications to suit different learning styles.
- Encourage continuous learning. Managers should actively support development by recommending resources and checking in on progress.
When new hires see that their growth matters, they feel more motivated, engaged, and loyal. Regular training builds stronger teams and ensures everyone stays aligned with evolving business goals.
#4 Appreciation and Recognition
A little recognition goes a long way — especially for new hires. Acknowledging even small wins can boost motivation, build confidence, and help employees feel that their contributions truly matter.
Here’s how to make recognition and feedback part of your onboarding routine:
- Celebrate early wins. Recognize progress during training or early projects to reinforce positive behavior.
- Give consistent feedback. Use regular check-ins to discuss what’s going well and where there’s room to grow.
- Show appreciation in different ways. It could be a simple thank-you, a team shout-out, or a company-wide mention.
When employees feel valued and supported, they engage more deeply with their work and the people around them. Recognition doesn’t just motivate individuals — it helps build a culture of appreciation that lifts the entire team.
ThriveSparrow is an employee success platform that helps you enhance recognition at your organization. The recognition module, Kudos, lets employees acknowledge and celebrate peer achievements, big or small through a unified space.
More importantly, HR can use onboarding survey insights to understand how new hires are settling into their roles. The reports provide detailed insights into employee sentiments using AI-powered sentiment analysis. Based on these findings, HR can create actionable plans to address concerns and improve the onboarding experience.
Got more questions? See if ThriveSparrow is a fit for your organization. > Book a free demo with a product expert and we'll show you how recognition ties to a good employee experience.
#5 Daily workplace values integration
Company values shouldn’t just live on posters or in handbooks — they need to show up in everyday work. Onboarding is the perfect time to help new hires see how those values shape decisions, teamwork, and customer interactions.
Here’s how to bring values to life during onboarding:
- Connect values to real examples. Show how teams use company principles to make decisions or handle challenges.
- Include values in training. Walk new hires through scenarios where they can apply these values in practice.
- Reinforce through culture. Encourage managers to model values daily and recognize employees who embody them.
When employees see how their work contributes to something bigger, they find greater purpose and connection. This shared sense of direction builds stronger teams and a more cohesive workplace culture.
#6 Promote socialization and teamwork
Healthy work connections boost job satisfaction and collaboration. Informal talks or team-building activities can help new recruits get to know their coworkers.
Team-building activities include problem-solving, collaboration, and philanthropy. These encounters foster team trust and communication. The more socially connected new recruits are, the better they would collaborate and enhance the workplace.
#7 Ongoing support and development
New recruits will flourish with mentorship, growth opportunities, and frequent check-ins. Here are 19 questions you can ask for a smooth onboarding process, and help your employees transition into the role.
Leadership training, skill workshops, and educational stipends show the company cares about employees' overall growth. Companies that invest in growth retain good employees and train and motivate them to innovate and increase productivity.
New Hires to Loyal Employees
The journey of an employee from a new hire to a loyalist is a long one. But with a good employee orientation program in place, you can accelerate this conversion process. Drop in an employee feedback survey at the end of the onboarding process, and you are good to go.
ThriveSparrow helps you create customized feedback surveys and also helps you interpret and analyze those results within mere minutes. And that is how, together with proper practices and efficient feedback, you create the perfect employee onboarding experience for your new hires.
