What great onboarding really looks like

Do you remember what the onboarding process was like at your current role? Was it focused on filling out paperwork? That isn’t surprising – companies tend to focus too much on compliance during onboarding stage. 

But onboarding is so much more than that. In this article, we’ll go over the different facets of onboarding. We’ll look at key stages, some best practices, and how you can use onboarding as an effective retention tool. 

How important is onboarding? 

Onboarding can make or break your new employee’s stay at your organization. According to the 2024 State of Onboarding Report, 33 percent of employees surveyed had regrets about taking the job based on their onboarding experience. Even worse, 25 percent decided to quit their jobs! 

The onboarding process gives your new hires a glimpse into your organization and what their time there will be like. It helps your new joiners see how they fit into the bigger picture. 

How onboarding helps retention 

Employees make decisions about staying or leaving at the onboarding stage. That’s why it’s so important to put some thought and effort into creating a good program for your new hire.  

The 2024 State of Onboarding Report highlighted other factors that onboarding had a direct impact on: job satisfaction, performance, and engagement.  

Creating an effective onboarding process leads to lower turnover rates. Find out the cost of employee turnover in this CHRR+ special report.  

Is onboarding part of recruitment? 

Yes, onboarding is the last stage of the recruitment process. We can see it as the most important stage as well. You and the employee will see if they’re a good fit for the company. 

The new hire learns more about the organization, the role, and the people they’ll be working with.  

Key stages of a successful onboarding process 

1. Pre-boarding  

Onboarding starts long before a new joiner’s first day at work. The process begins at recruitment. At this stage, it’s important to share expectations and give candidates a realistic sense of the company culture. 

Once a job offer is accepted, HR should provide the necessary paperwork and policy documents, such as: 

• employment contract 
• tax and banking forms 
• direct deposit authorization 
• emergency contact details 
• proof of work eligibility 
• confidentiality agreements or NDAs 
• code of conduct and policy acknowledgements 
• workplace safety regulations 

Completing most of the paperwork before Day 1 helps streamline the onboarding experience. Your new hire can really focus on getting to know the job and the people they’ll be working with. 

2. Orientation and first day  

First impressions matter. Make the new hire’s first day as smooth and welcoming as possible by preparing in advance.  

What to prepare for Day 1: 

• Workspace setup: Ensure that all equipment, tech tools, and logins are ready 

• Office tour: Arrange a walk-through of the physical or virtual workspace, and introduce key colleagues 

• Culture briefing: Take time to talk about your organization’s values, mission, and workplace norms 

• Policy overview: Walk through essential HR policies 

• Team introductions: Encourage managers or team leads to personally welcome the new hire, either in-person or remotely 

• Role clarity: Outline job responsibilities, performance expectations, and short-term goals 

• Onboarding materials: Provide access to handbooks, keycards, SOPs, and any remaining documentation 

A team lunch, virtual coffee chat, or welcome meeting can also go a long way in helping new employees feel included from Day 1. 

Day 1 will look very different for those who work from home. Here’s how to onboard remote employees. 

3. Training  

Training equips new hires with the knowledge and tools they will need in their roles. Having a strong training program helps set up your employees to succeed on the job. It also supports long-term employee engagement and retention. 

Consider offering a mix of: 

• role-specific training: duties, workflows and expectations  

• technical skills training: software systems, equipment use and digital tools 

• compliance training: topics such as workplace safety, data privacy, and respect in the workplace 

• mentorship or buddy programs: pairing new hires with experienced colleagues to offer guidance and build relationships 

• blended learning: online modules and peer-led sessions make content engaging and fit for different learning styles 

• job shadowing: short-term exposure to different functions or departments to broaden understanding 

At an animal welfare organization in Alberta, job shadowing has been effective in helping new joiners understand their role. This is especially true for roles that don’t interact with animals.  

“Beyond the usual job-specific training, we also encourage new staff to shadow other departments,” says Melaina Slater, director for human resources at Calgary Humane Society. “It’s a great way to build relationships across the organization and see how all our teams support and collaborate with one another. We’ve found this approach really helps people feel connected and part of something bigger from Day 1.” 

Here’s a video showing Calgary Humane Society staff looking back to their first day on the job (the clip is an oldie but goodie): 

Calgary Humane Society is an excellence awardee for Best Workplace Culture at the 2024 Canadian HR Awards.  

4. Integration 

The final stage of onboarding is all about helping new hires transition from “new” to fully integrated members of the team. This stage focuses on deeper engagement, long-term development, and relationship-building. 

To support successful integration: 

• schedule regular check-ins to monitor progress and offer feedback 
• encourage participation in ongoing learning opportunities 
• reinforce the use of mentorship or buddy systems 
• provide opportunities to apply training in real-world projects 
• recognize and celebrate milestones to boost morale 

Social connection also plays a role in integration. Team-building lunches, after-work events, or virtual peer hangouts don’t end on Day 1. Keep them going! These activities can help new hires feel like they’re truly part of the organization. 

This is what makes employee orientation different from employee onboarding. “Onboarding should be seen as a longer-term process that’s inclusive, collaborative, and provides two-way feedback around expectations and performance,” says Slater. 

Onboarding best practices 

Great onboarding will look different across organizations, but employees seem to agree on what qualities make onboarding great: 

• friendships and work relationships 
• learning experiences 
• the right resources and tools 
• wow! moments 

Let’s go over them in more detail: 

Create opportunities for building relationships  

The 2024 State of Onboarding Report touched on the importance of connections among new joiners. Data showed that new hires who made friends during onboarding: 

• had a higher rate of completing required paperwork  
• felt well-informed about their roles  
• felt more a part of the company culture 
• felt connected to colleagues 

This shows that the onboarding process is more than a series of box-ticking tasks. It’s a way to make friends and build ties among colleagues old and new.  

Here are some ideas to help welcome your new hires to the workforce: 

• Friday drinks, sports events, coffee chats 
• virtual meet ups – work well for remote teams 
• one-on-one chats 
• mentor or buddy system 

New hires who become friends from the start have a special bond. They experience the entire journey together: from onboarding, to settling in, to becoming established members of the company.  

Another advantage to having friends at work: it boosts retention and improves morale. 

Focus on meaningful learning experiences 

Many HR teams tend to frontload training sessions during a starter’s first week or so. This leads to information overload, which is counterproductive to learning. Pacing is important, so it’s helpful to space out these training tasks.  

Information retention is better if there’s a chance to put learned theories into practice. Some breathing room between training sessions is good, too.  

Have the right resources and tools ready  

A great way to welcome your new hire is to have everything ready for them on their first day. That means: 

• having a clean, organized workstation 
• having a working laptop and mobile phone 
• making sure their security badge is ready to use 
• making sure that access to all tools and systems is ready 

It’s a common mistake when managers aren’t ready for their new hire’s first day, says Slater. “Having their workstation ready, greeting them at the door, giving them a clear schedule, and offering a tour and introductions all go a long way in helping new team members feel welcome and valued.” 

Go for wow! moments 

The 2024 State of Onboarding Report defines wow! moments as experiences that make a new joiner feel special. These moments make them feel excited to join the team.  

The report says that these wow! moments spell the difference between an okay onboarding and an amazing experience.  

What contributes to these wow! moments: 

• connection with colleagues and manager (combined 67%) 
• well organized materials and tools (22%) 
• personalized experiences and gifts (29%) 

Results of wow! moments at onboarding 

These gestures are bound to have a lasting impact on your new employee. People who have had wow! moments during onboarding: 

• are twice as likely to say that they feel informed, engaged, confident 
• are 70% more likely to feel successful in their role 
• are twice as likely to say that they feel productive 
• are 74% more likely to say that they feel included 
• are 82% more likely to say that onboarding made them feel happy 

How to create wow! moments for your new employees 

These special experiences don’t need to be big or expensive. They can be small, thoughtful acts that make a lasting impact.  

Some examples of what you can do: 

• Send the new joiner a short questionnaire to get to know them. Ask about their favourite movies, shows, snacks, and coffee preferences. These can be part of an intro email for the rest of the team to know their new colleague more 

• Personalize their workspace. Speaking of favourite snacks...how about having a small basket of goodies on their desk to welcome them? 

• Have some branded swag ready for them! It’s a small investment for employee retention. Gifts with the company logo make your new employee feel welcome, engaged, and proud to be part of your organization 

Here are a few more ideas on how to create a good impression during onboarding. 

A thoughtful and organized onboarding is part of a good retention program. Don’t wait until it’s too late – start your retention efforts at the onboarding stage. 

Attract and keep talent through a solid onboarding program 

Onboarding goes beyond signing agreements and completing paperwork. It’s the final, and arguably most important, stage of the recruitment process. A poor onboarding process could lead to departures, leading to higher turnover rates and expenses.  

Designing an onboarding program requires creativity, thoughtfulness, and organization. Make the experience fun and exciting for your new hire. Focus on learning, building relationships, and showing what the organization is all about. Make your new hire feel that you’re all glad to have them on board. 

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