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How to Build an Onboarding Experience That Actually Works

May 23, 2025

Effective onboarding plays a critical role in employee retention, engagement, and productivity. According to a study for Glassdoor by the Brandon Hal Group, companies with structured onboarding processes experience 82% better new hire retention and over 70% higher productivity. A thoughtful onboarding experience helps new hires feel valued, supported, and equipped to succeed. Here are a few tips for how to improve your onboarding process, starting from the moment an offer is accepted.

1. Pre-Boarding: Laying the Foundation Before Day One

Begin the onboarding process early. Once your company has an offer accepted, go ahead and send an email that includes a personalized welcome to the new employee as well as any important pre-start date onboarding needs. Keep the email specific and concise; you do not want to overwhelm the new hire with 50 pages of paperwork before their first day. However, you do want to ensure that you have them take care of any forms or ID requirements that can be done in advance to help ensure their first day is less chaotic. This is why getting the email out early rather than waiting until close to the start date can make the process less exhausting for all parties.

On the back end, make sure you prepare all tools, equipment, and access credentials in advance of the new hire’s first day. Set up their desk at least a week in advance to allow time for ordering any missing technology or supplies. You should also test all technology so that you can reach out to IT if anything needs to be addressed. Provide a password sheet for all accounts you set up so that the employee has an easy reference as they get oriented.

2. Structured Orientation: Integrating into the Company Culture

Although you will probably cover the company’s mission, values, and organizational structure throughout the interview process, it is important to offer a comprehensive introduction to the company when the new hire starts. If you have weekly team meetings, use one of those as an opportunity for more thorough introductions and a more immersive experience into the company culture.

Clearly define job responsibilities and performance expectations from the start to ensure new hires align with company goals. Create a visual representation of these responsibilities, when possible, whether that is in the form of a checklist, instructional binder, or handbook. A new employee will inevitably be feeling overwhelmed as they try to take in their new situation, so smaller expectations may be forgotten if they do not have a way to refer to what was said during your initial conversations.

3. Personalized Training and Development Plans

There is nothing worse than wanting to excel in a new role but not being given the training or support to be successful. Develop individualized training plans for new hires to address specific role requirements and skills. Even if a new hire has experience in a similar role, each company has unique expectations and specific ways of doing things that need to be taught.

Even after an employee is trained and comfortable in their role, encourage ongoing development opportunities to foster growth and adaptability.  Most employees are not interested in stagnation, so offering development opportunities highlights the company’s commitment to building strong teams. 

4. Mentorship and Peer Support

Pair new employees with experienced team members to provide guidance, answer questions, and facilitate a smoother integration into the social circle. Make sure you choose mentors that are both professionally competent and have interpersonal skills that will make the new hire feel comfortable. Ideally these mentors should be colleagues in a similar role to the new hire, but if it is a small company, it is okay to assign a mentor that will work closely with them.

Schedule consistent check-ins to address any concerns, provide constructive feedback, and reinforce a sense of belonging. It is easy to provide support throughout the first few weeks, but it can take months (even a year or two) before an employee feels completely integrated into the company culture. Scheduling consistent meetings ensures employees feel connected, supported, and important.

5. Leveraging Technology for Efficient Onboarding

Utilize onboarding software and platforms to streamline administrative tasks and training modules. The more organized and structured your systems are, the easier and more efficient the process will be for all parties. There are many platforms available that can automate tasks and deliver training efficiently, such as WorkBright and BambooHR.

Because many companies still have remote or hybrid work environments, it is important to adapt your onboarding process to work efficiently in these situations as well. Have a structured process for providing employees with all work technology and supplies prior to their start date, and establish ways to facilitate engagement and immersion in a virtual environment so new hires feel like part of the team, even without face-to-face interaction.

6. Feedback Mechanisms and Continuous Improvement

Be open to receiving feedback from new hires regarding onboarding experiences. Once they settle in a bit, ask them about their onboarding experience and any areas they feel need to be improved upon prior to the next hire. Make sure you request this information in a way that makes it clear you are seeking to improve and not going to be upset if they offer constructive criticism.

Use this feedback to refine onboarding processes. There is always room for improvement, and processes will need to be adjusted regularly to account for changes in company policies or legal requirements. Refresh your onboarding process periodically to ensure it remains effective and relevant.

Conclusion

A successful onboarding process is well-structured, implemented before the start date, includes personalized training and mentorship, leverages technology, and is regularly refined to stay effective. Whether you already have an effective onboarding process that just needs a few tweaks or you are starting from scratch, following these tips will foster employee satisfaction and organizational success.

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