The First 90 Days: Fixing a Broken Onboarding Process

Hiring the right candidate is only half the battle. Even when the recruitment process successfully identifies and secures top talent, a broken onboarding process can severely undermine that effort. This creates a critical gap: poor onboarding leads to early attrition, disengaged employees, and a significant loss on your hiring investment. The initial experience new hires have sets the tone for their entire tenure and heavily influences their decision to stay and thrive.

The Core of the Problem

A broken onboarding process typically involves:

• Lack of Pre-Joining Engagement: New hires feel forgotten between offer acceptance and their start date.
• Paperwork Overload on Day One: Spending the first days buried in administrative tasks instead of engaging with the team or role.
• No Clear Roadmap: New hires lack understanding of their initial priorities, goals, or who to go to for help.
• Insufficient Support: Absence of a buddy system, mentor, or clear points of contact for questions.
• Culture Shock: Not adequately preparing new hires for the company culture or norms.
• Disconnected from Team: Feeling isolated or not properly introduced to colleagues and their roles.

Impact on Your Organization

The consequences of poor onboarding are costly and disruptive:

• Early Attrition: New hires are significantly more likely to leave within the first few months if onboarding is poor, leading to costly re-hiring.
• Reduced Productivity: New employees take longer to become fully productive, impacting team output and project timelines.
• Damaged Employer Brand: A negative onboarding experience can lead to poor reviews and deter future applicants.
• Loss of Investment: The time and money spent on recruiting are wasted if a new hire quickly leaves.
• Lower Employee Morale: Frustrated new hires can negatively impact the morale of existing team members.
• Legal & Compliance Risks: Failure to properly onboard can lead to compliance issues if essential training or policies are missed.

Traditional (Often Ineffective) Solutions

Companies often attempt to address this by:

• Handing new hires a stack of manuals on their first day.
• Relying solely on the hiring manager to onboard, often without formal training or resources.
• Focusing only on technical training, neglecting cultural or administrative integration.

These reactive and uncoordinated efforts fail to create a truly welcoming and productive experience.

How Our Software Transforms This Challenge

Our recruitment software extends its value beyond the hire, offering comprehensive tools to ensure a smooth, engaging, and effective onboarding experience. We help you transform new hires into productive, loyal employees from day one by:

• Automating Pre-Joining Engagement: Send personalized welcome kits, pre-boarding checklists, and introductory messages to keep new hires engaged before their start date.
• Buddy Assignment & Introduction: Facilitate the assignment and introduction of a 'buddy' or mentor to guide new hires through their initial weeks.
• 30-60-90 Day Plan Integration: Provide templates and tracking for clear 30, 60, and 90-day plans, setting expectations and measuring integration progress.
• Automated Task Management: Streamline administrative tasks (IT setup, access, paperwork) for HR, managers, and new hires, making day one productive.
• Culture Training & Team Immersion: Offer modules or resources for early culture training, team introductions, and understanding company values.
• Feedback Loops for Continuous Improvement: Implement surveys and check-ins to gather feedback from new hires and managers, continuously refining the onboarding process.

Discover How Our Software Ensures Seamless Onboarding & More