Effective Induction Programs

We interviewed 30+ people about their new employee onboarding; here’s what we found When we were first exploring the idea of starting Allboarder, Kylie and I launched a research effort which included interviewing as many people as possible who had been onboarded into a new job in the last 6 months. We quickly learned what went well, and what didn't go so well. We ended up talking to more than 30 people, and here’s what we found: Starting a new job is a vulnerable feeling Whether you just left a job to start a new role, or you have been hunting for a job for a while, starting a new job can feel pretty vulnerable. This can leave new employees feeling pretty anxious. People generally have a deep desire to do well in a new role, so show them that path and make the most of the momentum that the new-job energy can create.  Bad onboarding puts early-career folks most at risk The earlier in their career, the more a poor onboarding experience puts a new employee’s success at the company at risk. This goes double for remote settings. Newer folks have a harder time because they don’t know what they don’t know, so they can’t seek out answers to fill gaps left by poor onboarding. The earlier the onboarding plan is shared, the better Many newly hired employees shared the anxiety of not knowing what to expect on their first day and how they questioned their role because of the lack of communication.The time between accepting a new role and starting is the right time to actively share your new employee’s onboarding plan, including all the details about their first day and week. It will let them know that you have already planned for their success, and assure them that their decision to join the company is a good one. Be clear about what success looks like in the first 30 days After starting, the employee receives a barrage of information, sometimes in a strange sequence, making it difficult to gather enough context to feel confident and get off to a good start quickly in their new role. This places stress on the whole team who struggle to fill in the information gaps and needs this person to start participating in the work. A well thought through onboarding plan eliminates this mess, and can provide a successful path to get up to speed and successfully contribute in half the time. At the end of the day, your new employee wants to be successful in their role as quickly as possible, and be assured that they made a good decision for this next step in their career. If you don’t do the work to set your new employee up for success, you can’t be surprised when they don’t succeed. P.S. We know that building great new employee onboarding experience takes a lot of work. Learn how to use Allboarder to build it once and automate it, instead of repeating all your manual tasks every time you welcome someone new. Your future self (and employees) will thank you! 👉 Reach out though links in comments.

In 2017, I was working as an HR consultant for a client company. It was a mid-sized company. We were going through a period of rapid growth, and our team was constantly hiring new employees to keep up with the demand. Amidst this, I noticed that despite our efforts to integrate new hires, many of them were struggling to feel connected and engaged. One afternoon, I received an email from a recently hired software engineer who felt isolated and unsure about his role in the company. This email was a wake-up call for me. I realized that our onboarding process, while efficient, lacked a personal touch. Determined to address this, I initiated a new program called "Buddy System." Each new hire was paired with a more experienced employee who would act as their mentor and friend. The buddies were encouraged to have regular check-ins, share lunch, and participate in team-building activities together. The results were incredible. New employees started feeling more welcomed and supported, and their integration into the team became smoother. Employee engagement scores improved, and our retention rates increased significantly. From this experience, I learned several key lessons: 1. Personal Connection Matters: Beyond the formal onboarding process, fostering personal connections can make a huge difference in how new employees feel about their workplace. 2. Mentorship is Valuable: A buddy or mentor can provide guidance, support, and a sense of belonging, helping new hires navigate their new environment more confidently. 3. Continuous Improvement: Always be open to feedback and willing to make changes. What worked yesterday might not work today, and there’s always room for improvement. 4. Employee Engagement is Key: Engaged employees are more productive, happier, and less likely to leave. Investing in programs that enhance engagement pays off in the long run. In the fast-paced corporate world, it's easy to overlook the human aspect of HR. But remember, the success of any company lies in the well-being and engagement of its people. #EmployeeEngagement #Onboarding #HRManagement #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeRetention

In the 20+ recruiting audits I have completed of companies, I have found that more than 25% of recruits who sign offer letters never join. All that energy with nothing more than a finish-line disappointment. Yet if you ask a recruiting leader what their game plan is, once someone says yes, most have nothing. Recruiting doesn't stop when someone agrees to join your team—it’s just the beginning of solidifying their commitment. A formalized game plan ensures recruits feel welcomed, valued, and confident in their decision, reducing the risk of last-minute changes of heart. Here’s a step-by-step approach to create a game plan: 1) Immediate Engagement: Celebrate their decision with personalized outreach (e.g., a call or handwritten note). Have senior leadership send congratulatory messages to validate their choice. 2) Bridge the Gap with Continued Conversations: Schedule weekly check-ins to discuss their onboarding, answer questions, and keep excitement high. Involve current team members to introduce them to the culture and key connections inside the company. 3) Create a Sense of Belonging: Arrange a dinner or event involving their spouse or family to build deeper connections. Ship a personalized welcome kit with branded items and a personal note to their home. 4) Showcase the Culture: Invite them to attend a team meeting or shadow virtually so they can experience the culture firsthand. Provide access to training resources or tools to give them a head start. 5) Eliminate Doubt: Reiterate the unique value your organization offers that their current company cannot match. Role-play possible counter-offer scenarios and coach them on how to respond confidently. 6) Formalize the Onboarding Journey: Provide a clear timeline for their first 90 days, with milestones and support touchpoints. Assign a mentor or buddy to guide them through the transition. A structured plan ensures recruits transition smoothly, feel connected, and remain committed to your team. It transforms the "yes" into a day one success.

What's the difference between a job you tolerate and one you actually can't wait to get to? I once joined a company straight out of a role where I'd been heavily micromanaged. I didn't realise how much that had worn me down until I walked into my new office on day one. Everyone was smiling. Actually smiling. The HR lead had already been in touch the week before. Not with paperwork, just to say they were excited I was joining. When I sat down, my manager had already prepped everything I needed. They made a handful of introductions before I'd even asked. Within a week I was getting stuck into real work.  And getting recognized for it. I remember thinking…this place feels different. And without even noticing it happening, I started showing up earlier. Because I genuinely wanted to be around these people. That experience never left me. Because I know what the alternative feels like too. And the difference wasn't about perks or pay.  It was about how they made me feel from the very first interaction. That's what good onboarding actually does. It doesn't just welcome someone in. It makes them want to stay. Here are 7 ways to make new hires feel truly welcome from day one: 1\ Space Out the Introductions ↳ Let relationships form naturally over two weeks. 2\ Give Them Real Work Early ↳ A meaningful task in week one says "we trust you" 3\ Share the Unwritten Rules ↳ Walk them through how things really work 4\ Reach Out Before Day One ↳ A voice note the week before eases first-day nerves 5\ Pair Them With a Go-To Person ↳ Someone approachable for the "silly" questions 6\ Check In With Curiosity ↳ Ask what's clicking and what's still unclear 7\ Celebrate Their Small Wins ↳ On the first say recognise a helpful question asked The way someone feels in their first few weeks often  shapes how long they stay. And how much of themselves they feel safe to bring to work. ♻️ If this resonates, repost for your network. 📌 Follow Amy Gibson for more leadership insights.

I sent laptops to 7 remote hires. 5 quit within 90 days. Costly mistake.  Brutal lesson. I thought I was onboarding them. They felt abandoned. And the data proves I wasn’t alone: 🚫 63% of remote employees say onboarding was inadequate. 🚫 60% feel lost and disoriented after their first week. 🚫 Remote hires take 3-6 months longer to reach full productivity. A laptop in a box isn’t onboarding.  It’s a fast track to disengagement. So I rebuilt our process—and retention jumped 82%. Here’s exactly what worked: 🔥 The Buddy System ✔ Assign a mentor (daily check-ins for the first 2 weeks) ✔ Encourage “silly” questions—zero judgment ✔ Make support feel human, not bureaucratic 🔥 Connection Before Content ✔ Virtual coffee chats before training starts ✔ Executive welcome video on Day 1 ✔ Remote-friendly team social event in Week 1 🔥 Digestible Learning ✔ 90-minute training modules (no info overload!) ✔ Spread onboarding across 3 weeks, not 3 days ✔ Live discussions > passive video watching 🔥 Tech Readiness ✔ IT setup completed before Day 1 ✔ Test systems with the hire the day before ✔ Provide a digital “emergency contact” for tech issues 🔥 Culture Immersion ✔ Virtual office tour with real team stories ✔ Inside-joke dictionary (every company has one!) ✔ Daily connections between work tasks & company mission 🔥 Strategic Check-ins ✔ Week 1: "What surprised you?" ✔ Month 1: "Where do you need more clarity?" ✔ Quarter 1: "How can we better support your growth?” 🔥 Early Wins = Early Buy-In ✔ Assign a small, meaningful project in Week 1 ✔ Recognize their success publicly ✔ Show them how their work makes an impact Remote onboarding isn’t about dumping information. It’s about building confidence, connection, and commitment. Do this right, and your new hires won’t just stay. They’ll thrive. P.S. What’s one thing you wish you had in your first remote onboarding? ♻️ Repost this to help HR teams fix onboarding before it costs them top talent.

When I arrived at USPTO in 2018, I was greeted with something unforgettable: a welcome package, a personalized basket, a tour to meet every stakeholder, and even a team-wide pause for a warm “welcome party.” I had never felt so valued on day one. We took onboarding seriously. Every new hire had a “buddy” responsible for making sure these steps were covered before and during the first week: 1️⃣ Build a welcome basket using contributions from the team, our library, and donations. Bonus points for finding out the new employee’s interests and adding something personal. 2️⃣ Take the new employee on a tour to meet stakeholders, visit offices, and share lunch in the cafeteria to encourage quick socialization. 3️⃣ Coordinate a short, in-person welcoming party on the first day where everyone stopped to greet the newcomer. 4️⃣ Schedule longer introductory meetings during the first week with key stakeholders to build context and relationships. The impact went well beyond making people feel good. Research shows that personalized gestures such as welcome baskets increase trust and commitment. Structured socialization practices like tours and team welcomes reduce anxiety, build belonging, and accelerate role clarity. On top of that, buddy programs and early stakeholder meetings provide psychological safety and social capital. Furthermore, studies from Microsoft and Gartner found that employees with a buddy were more productive and more likely to stay, and other research has shown that early supportive interactions predict higher performance and long-term commitment. The results in our office spoke for themselves. We saw virtually zero turnover, had a waiting list of internal employees eager to join, and filled nearly every open position internally through promotions or cross-moves. The culture was so strong that even when I eventually accepted another opportunity, it took a significant offer and a month of persuasion to make me leave. To this day (and no disrespect to my other employers) it's one of those decisions I revisit often and say "what if." Making people feel truly welcomed is not fluff. It is a strategy that builds retention, engagement, and culture. So how is your organization welcoming its new employees? Let's here some great practices that we all can adapt. #EmployeeExperience #OnboardingMatters #CultureByDesign #RetentionStrategy #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeEngagement

Stop “welcoming” new hires. Give them a win in 30 days instead. When I first hired 8 years back, I thought the best onboarding was all about making new hires feel at home. I was wrong. New hires actually struggle with: → Understanding the business and their role. → Aligning with company culture and expectations. → Getting that first “win” to build momentum. → Building relationships with colleagues. I’ve now completely changed our onboarding process. The only goal is to get new hires to their “first win” fast. Instead of generic training, we work backward from their first big achievement. Here’s the framework: Step 1: Define the “first win” (within 30 days) Every new hire gets a specific, meaningful milestone. 1. It should be important enough that not doing it has a business impact. 2. Something that pushes them but is achievable with team collaboration. 3. It should give them real insight into how we operate. Our new Demand Gen Marketer’s first win was securing Market Development Funds (MDF) from a partner. To do this, they had to: - Work with our internal team. - Engage with a partner manager. - Propose a campaign relevant to both companies. This wasn’t just a task (it was a meaningful contribution). Step 2: Provide context (without overloading them) Most onboarding programs drown new hires in endless presentations. We limit training to what they need for their first win. 1. A 45-minute deep dive on the company’s journey, priorities, and challenges. 2. Targeted learning on only what’s relevant for their milestone. 3. Hands-on guidance instead of passive training. For the Demand Gen hire, we focused on: - Who the partner manager was and their priorities. - How the partnership worked. - What MDF campaigns typically get approved. Step 3: Align them with our work culture Culture isn't learned in a handbook. It’s experienced. Every new hire is paired with a mentor to guide them through: → Quality Standards → What "good" looks like in our company. → Processes & Tools → How we work and collaborate. → Feedback Loops → How we review, iterate, and improve. The result? New hires achieve something meaningful within their first month. They feel pride, momentum, and confidence (not just onboarding fatigue). Great onboarding isn’t about information. It’s about impact. 💡 How do you set up new hires for success?

If a new hire still feels like an outsider after 90 days, you’ve already lost momentum and probably your investment. That’s why I call these the 10 Onboarding Non-Negotiables. They turn new hires into high performers fast because performance begins with clarity, not charisma. ✅ Pre-Day One Prep: Equipment, access, welcome note, and a mentor in place. → First impressions are your brand in action. ✅ Structured First Week: Hour-by-hour clarity, no winging it. → Confidence thrives on certainty. ✅ Cultural Immersion: Share stories, rituals, and “how we do things here.” → Culture is caught, not taught. ✅ Role Clarity: Define success in writing. 30-60-90 goals. → No ambiguity = no anxiety. ✅ Manager Check-ins: Weekly in Month 1, bi-weekly after. → Most people quit managers, not companies. ✅ Early Wins: Give them one project they can finish in Week 1. → Science proves early success boosts long-term retention. ✅ Learning Resources: Make knowledge easy to find, not hidden in silos. → Self-sufficient employees > dependent ones. ✅ Relationship Building: Cross-team coffees, lunches, and introductions. → Skills get you hired; relationships keep you there. ✅ Feedback Loops: Two-way street — you ask, they ask. → What you measure, you improve. ✅ Celebration Milestone: Mark the end of onboarding officially. → Transition from “new hire” to “team member.” This is performance architecture. When onboarding is designed intentionally, you build clarity, confidence, and commitment before day 1 even begins. Leaders don’t delegate culture. They install it. Save this for your next hire. And if your team is scaling fast but struggling to build cohesion, that’s a leadership system problem, not a talent one. Follow George Dupont for frameworks that turn teams into dynasties. #culture #hiring #employeeengagement #onboarding #leadership #executivecoaching

🧭 You Hired Someone, Now What? A New Manager’s Guide to Not Screwing It Up Hiring someone is just the start. What you do next determines whether they succeed, struggle, or quietly disengage. Here are 10 ways to get onboarding right from day one: 1️⃣ Start Before Their First Day Send a welcome message. Confirm logistics. Set expectations. 💬 Silence = anxiety. A simple “We’re excited to have you” builds early trust. 2️⃣ Have a Real Onboarding Plan HR does the paperwork. You handle integration. 🗺️ Create a 30-60-90 day roadmap with key projects and success markers. 3️⃣ Make Introductions with Intention Don’t rely on chance meetings. Schedule 1:1s with key players. 🤝 Explain why each intro matters, relationships are early currency. 4️⃣ Clarify Expectations Immediately Define what “great” looks like. Be explicit about goals and norms. 🔍 Most people don’t fail from lack of skill, they fail from unclear expectations. 5️⃣ Stay Present Without Micromanaging New hires don’t need a shadow or a ghost, they need you. 📆 Check in often. Offer context, listen to questions, and share what’s working. 6️⃣ Give Feedback in Week One Yes, week one. Start early with praise and coaching. 🗣️ Early feedback builds confidence and prevents bad habits. 7️⃣ Ensure They Have the Right Tools No access? No progress. 🔐 Get systems, passwords, project files, and tools ready before day one. 8️⃣ Protect Them from Chaos (Temporarily) Every company has mess. Don’t throw them into it right away. 🛡️ Let them build confidence first, then guide them through the noise. 9️⃣ Ask for Feedback About You “How can I support you better?” builds trust faster than any pep talk. 🧠 It also sets the tone for open communication from day one. 🔟 Be the Reason They Stay People don’t quit jobs, they quit managers. ❤️ Show up. Be human. Onboarding is leadership. ✅ Bottom Line: Hiring is only half the job. Great managers don’t just add people to the team, they build trust, clarity, and momentum from day one. 💬 What’s one thing a past manager did during your first week that made a big impact? 👉 Follow Ricardo Cuellar for more people-first leadership advice. 📬 Want more like this? Subscribe to my newsletter, link in bio!

As the new school year begins, we pour energy into welcoming students and families. But what about new employees? Too often, we assume that as professionals, they’ll “just get it.” Yet research shows the number one reason people choose a school isn’t salary, it’s community. You sold the story of this school during the recruitment phase. Now, how will you carry that forward into intentional onboarding? A few ideas: Pre‑arrival touchpoint: Send a welcome packet (handbook, schedules, technology access info) and a short video introducing leadership or team members. Studies show early connection fosters engagement and confidence. Structured orientation with culture and clarity: Outline school vision, values, routines, safety protocols, and performance expectations in a paced, clear format. Avoid info overload—make time to reflect & connect. Ongoing check‑ins: Schedule weekly check‑ins for the first 90 days, then monthly through the year. Provide time to ask questions, reflect on successes & challenges, and revisit vision and values. Mentorship and peer observation: Match new hires with supportive colleagues, and build in classroom observations or job‑shadowing. Relationship‑driven onboarding supports belonging and builds confidence fast. Community building opportunities: Host social gatherings, team rituals, book clubs, or reflection circles. Belonging grows when people show up as themselves and have the chance to stay connected across the school year. Onboarding isn’t just a checklist—it’s an invitation to belong. And when people feel seen, supported, and connected, they stay and thrive. Looking for a great piece on the teacher experience, check out two recent National Association of Independent Schools articles. "Listening Lessons" by Jessica F. of The Pingry School https://lnkd.in/gv_By3wr and "The First Last Step" by Kathryn Outlaw of Girls Preparatory School https://lnkd.in/gVF3NwMJ #teachers #education #professionalsupport #independentschools #onboarding