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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 the best onboarding practices that create a safe, supportive environment for your employees, 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’s why it is essential:
1. Creates a Good First Impression
Onboarding creates the first meaningful connection between new hires and the organization.
A well-designed onboarding program makes employees feel valued and eager to learn more about their role and the company.
Engaging onboarding experiences can increase employee happiness, motivation, and loyalty.
When new hires feel engaged from day one, they are more likely to work hard, collaborate effectively, and bring fresh ideas to the table. This early connection lays the foundation for a long and successful relationship with the organization.
2. Helps Them Settle into their Roles
An effective onboarding process equips new hires with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to succeed.
Clear training and orientation help employees understand their roles and responsibilities, enabling them to become productive at a quicker pace. Confident and well-prepared employees integrate into the team quickly, boosting overall productivity and helping the company achieve its goals sooner.
3. Lowers Employee Turnover
A structured onboarding program significantly improves employee retention. When organizations invest in a thorough onboarding process, it shows employees they are valued. This can foster a sense of loyalty to the company and a solid dedication for their roles. Employees who feel supported and connected are far less likely to leave the company.
Reducing turnover saves on recruitment costs, preserves institutional knowledge, and creates a stable work environment.
Long-term employees can mentor new hires and share their experiences, further strengthening the company’s culture.
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
Ensure new hires meet all legal and administrative requirements. This includes filling out W-4 forms, signing contracts, and reviewing corporate policies. HR or designated team members should go over these documents with new employees to clarify their rights, responsibilities, and the company’s expectations.
Compliance also involves following safety protocols and training new hires on workplace hazards. By taking a comprehensive approach, companies can meet regulatory standards while creating a safe and organized environment for new employees.
2. Clarification
Help new hires clearly understand their roles and how they contribute to the organization. Provide detailed job descriptions that outline responsibilities and their alignment with business goals.
During onboarding, managers should communicate performance goals, KPIs, and other success metrics. It’s equally important to explain the company’s mission, vision, and values. This clarity fosters motivation and helps new employees align with organizational objectives, giving them a strong sense of purpose and direction.
3. Culture
New hires may have learned about the company’s culture during the interview process, but onboarding should reinforce it. Help them fully understand and embrace the organization’s history, mission, vision, and values. For employees stepping into managerial roles, cultural alignment becomes even more critical as their actions are closely observed by their teams.
4. Connection
Starting a new job can be overwhelming. To ease this transition, introduce new employees to mentors, key team members, and relevant groups. Building these early connections helps new hires feel supported and reduces feelings of isolation.
5. Check-Back
Regularly follow up with new employees at key milestones—such as 30, 60, and 90 days. These check-ins help address any concerns, track progress, and ensure that the onboarding process continues to support their success.
Here's a 30-60-90 day survey template that you can get started with.
Get started with ThriveSparrow by booking a free call. Get a complete walkthrough of the product to see if ThriveSparrow is right for your people.
ThriveSparrow is a light and flexible employee success platform that can integrate with several HRIS and HRMS and has competitive pricing plans.
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 tips to get it right:
#1 Comprehensive orientation program
Develop a thorough training strategy to guide new hires during their initial days and weeks. This should include a detailed schedule of training sessions, activities, and necessary tasks. Key elements could be:
- Introduction courses
- Training sessions
- Participation in mentorship programs
Also, clearly define the roles of each team member involved in the onboarding process, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
#2 Personalized onboarding plans
Avoid one-size-fits-all approaches. Tailor the onboarding experience to each individual, as learning styles vary. Smaller, focused gatherings can be more effective than large, overwhelming welcome events. Personalization is key:
- Understand new hires' preferences and backgrounds to craft a unique experience.
- Use tools like pulse surveys to gather insights about them.
#3 Buddy or mentorship programs
Assigning a mentor or buddy to new hires can greatly enhance their initial experience. This person acts as a guide, helping the new employee navigate the company and settle in comfortably. Consider these steps for an effective mentorship program:
- Pair new hires with veterans as teachers or buddies.
- Explain how to obtain help and ask inquiries.
Veteran employees can share insights, answer queries, and introduce the company culture and operations. They can assist new hires, learn the unwritten norms, navigate the firm, and meet important individuals, making them feel more connected to the team.
Both new hires and mentors benefit from coaching or buddying. The opportunity helps veterans feel valued and indicates that the organization values their time with them.
#4 Clear communication channels
Fresh hires need to be able to understand and connect with others through clear conversation. Employers need to talk about their ways of communicating, working, and reporting. For each question, new employees need to know who to ask and how to get tools.
With clear lines of contact, new employees can quickly ask for help and don't feel alone or under pressure. New employees stay up to date on company news, policies, and events by talking to people one-on-one and in groups. This builds trust and safety in business.
#5 Meaningful introduction to company culture
A lively and welcoming workplace makes new hires happier and more engaged. Company culture should be shown through hands-on events, employee assessments, and other engaging activities. This can include team-building, cultural seminars, or company-sponsored charitable programs. Give new personnel a taste of the corporate culture to learn how to cooperate and develop. Participating in business culture makes people proud, which boosts new recruit success.
#6 Regular training and skills development
Structured training helps new recruits develop skills and expertise. Companies should offer more than job training. They should offer development and learning opportunities. Training, online programs, and credentials can be needed. Continuing education improves employees' skills and shows career care. New hires enjoy supervisors who promote and develop them. This motivates and engages employees.
#7 Recognition and feedback
Recognition for little accomplishments improves motivation in new hires. Rewards and advice in regular feedback meetings help people understand their strengths and faults. Reward, appreciation, or company-wide references are all forms of recognition. Finding value and appreciation makes new recruits happier and more loyal. It enhances workspaces.
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.
Accumulated appreciation points can be exchanged for rewards. This boosts employee engagement and morale.
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 and get a customized quote - no strings attached.
#8 Daily workplace values integration
New employees need to understand how corporate values impact their daily work. Businesses should demonstrate how these principles guide decision-making, collaboration, and customer service. Training new hires on these values helps them apply them in real-world situations.
When employees grasp how corporate goals relate to their roles, they are more likely to align with them. This alignment provides employees with purpose and camaraderie, creating a pleasant workplace with common values.
#9 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.
#10 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.
