Onboarding refers to the structured process of integrating new employees into a company. It encompasses the period from contract signing to the end of the probationary period and aims to integrate new team members professionally, socially, and culturally. Effective onboarding increases employee retention by up to 82% and significantly reduces time-to-productivity.

What is Onboarding?

Onboarding (English: "bringing on board") describes the systematic process by which new employees are integrated into a company. This process begins even before the first day of work – in what's known as the pre-boarding phase – and typically extends throughout the entire probationary period of three to six months.

Unlike traditional orientation, which primarily focuses on conveying technical skills, onboarding encompasses three central dimensions: professional integration (tasks, processes, tools), social integration (team, network, company culture), and strategic integration (vision, values, expectations). A comprehensive onboarding process addresses all three levels equally.

Distinguishing Related Terms

Pre-boarding refers to the phase between contract signing and the first day of work. This is when administrative tasks are completed, initial information is shared, and anticipation is built. Pre-boarding prepares, while onboarding actively integrates.

Offboarding is the counterpart to onboarding: the structured exit process for employees leaving the company. Clear processes are also important here to secure knowledge and maintain positive relationships.

Why is Onboarding So Important?

The first weeks and months sustainably shape the entire employee experience. Studies impressively demonstrate the impact of professional onboarding on company success.

Retention and Employee Loyalty

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), effective onboarding increases employee retention by up to 82%. Conversely, 20-30% of newly hired employees leave the company within the first six months when onboarding is poorly structured or non-existent. This early attrition – turnover in the initial phase – costs companies not only recruiting budgets but also time, team stability, and reputation.

Well-structured onboarding conveys from the start that new team members are welcome and that their development is a priority. This appreciation directly translates to loyalty and engagement.

Time-to-Productivity

Another critical factor is time-to-productivity: the time until new employees can work fully productively and independently. According to the Aberdeen Group, structured onboarding shortens this phase by up to 70%. While poorly onboarded employees often need six months or longer to reach full performance capacity, well-supported new hires achieve this after just two to three months.

This means not only faster value creation but also less burden on existing teams, who spend less time on questions and corrections.

Employee Engagement

The Gallup State of the American Workplace Report shows: employees who experience positive onboarding are more engaged, motivated, and identify more strongly with their employer in the long term. They recommend the company more frequently (higher Employee Net Promoter Score) and show significantly lower sick leave rates.

Good onboarding is therefore not just an HR process but a strategic investment in long-term company culture.

The 4 Phases of Onboarding

An effective onboarding process follows a clear structure with four successive phases.

Phase 1: Pre-Boarding (Before Day 1)

Pre-boarding begins immediately after contract signing and ends on the first day of work. Typical duration: one to four weeks. This phase focuses on administrative preparations and building anticipation.

Core Activities:

• Sending a welcome package (digital or physical) with information about the company, team, and first day
• Clarifying organizational details (IT equipment, access credentials, workspace)
• Invitation to initial virtual meet & greets with the team
• Providing information materials (e.g., company wiki, introductory videos)
• Optional: Access to e-learning modules for technical fundamentals

Pre-boarding reduces uncertainty, creates commitment, and shows that the company is well-prepared. New employees can mentally prepare for the start and already feel part of the team.

Phase 2: First Day of Work (Orientation)

The first day of work is the most important moment in the entire onboarding process. This is when the foundations are laid for motivation, trust, and integration.

Core Activities:

• Personal welcome by manager or buddy
• Workspace setup and IT configuration
• Company tour (physical or virtual)
• Team introduction and initial meet & greet
• Clarification of first tasks and goals for the week
• Overview of most important processes, tools, and contact persons

The first day is successful when new employees feel at the end: "I am welcome, I know what to expect, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Phase 3: First Weeks (Training)

In the first two to four weeks, professional training takes center stage. New team members learn their tasks, tools, and processes and work increasingly independently.

Core Activities:

• Structured training plan with clear weekly and monthly goals
• Regular check-ins with manager (e.g., daily or weekly)
• Shadowing: accompanying experienced colleagues at work
• Taking on first small projects or tasks
• Participating in relevant meetings and workshops
• Feedback conversations after 14 and 30 days

During this phase, it's important to neither under-challenge (boredom) nor over-challenge (overwhelm). A good training plan balances learning, application, and reflection.

Phase 4: First Months (Integration)

Integration extends throughout the entire probationary period – typically three to six months. This phase focuses on deepening, independence, and cultural anchoring.

Core Activities:

• Taking responsibility for own projects or areas
• Expanding internal network (meetings with stakeholders, other departments)
• Participating in company events, team buildings, or training sessions
• Feedback conversations after 60 and 90 days
• Final conversation at end of probationary period with goal setting for upcoming months

By the end of this phase, new employees should be fully productive, understand the company culture, and feel like an integral part of the team.

Success Factors for Effective Onboarding

What makes the difference between average and excellent onboarding? These factors are decisive.

Structured Onboarding Plans

A clear onboarding plan provides orientation for both new employees and managers. It should define weekly and monthly goals, establish concrete tasks and milestones, and name contact persons.

Successful plans are flexible: every role, every team, and every person is different. A good onboarding plan is a template that can be individually adapted.

Mentor and Buddy Programs

An onboarding buddy is an experienced colleague who accompanies new employees during their first weeks. Unlike the manager, the buddy is an informal contact person for all questions – from "Where do I find the coffee machine?" to "How does the vacation request process work?"

Buddy programs promote social integration, reduce uncertainty, and create faster connection to the team. At the same time, buddies themselves benefit: they reflect on company culture, improve their communication skills, and feel valued.

Clear Expectations and Goals

New employees want to know: What is expected of me? How will my success be measured? Clear goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days create security and orientation.

Important: Goals should be realistic, measurable, and jointly agreed upon. Not: "Learn everything about our CRM system." Instead: "By end of month 1: Independent entry of customer data in CRM. By end of month 2: First independent customer meeting."

Data-Driven Individualization

Modern onboarding processes use objective data to personalize training. Strength profiles from pre-hire assessments – such as those created by the digital platform Aivy during recruitment – can be available before the first day of work. HR teams and managers thereby know which competencies new employees bring, where development potential lies, and how pronounced the cultural fit is.

This information enables targeted adjustment of onboarding plans: those with strong analytical skills can take on complex tasks earlier. Those showing high social competencies are involved more quickly in customer contact or team coordination. Data-driven individualization shortens time-to-productivity and increases satisfaction.

Regular Feedback

Feedback is the foundation of successful onboarding. Structured feedback conversations after 14, 30, 60, and 90 days give both sides the opportunity to clarify expectations, discuss progress, and make adjustments.

Feedback is successful when it flows in both directions: not only do managers evaluate new employees, but new employees also provide feedback on the onboarding process itself. What went well? What could be improved? This feedback helps continuously optimize the process.

Remote, Hybrid, and Office Onboarding

The world of work has changed. Onboarding today no longer takes place only in the office. Three scenarios require different approaches.

Best Practices for Remote Onboarding

Remote onboarding poses special challenges: social integration is more difficult, informal conversations are missing, technical hurdles are greater.

What works:

• Virtual welcome sessions: Structured video calls on the first day with team, manager, and buddy
• Digital onboarding platforms: Central hubs for documents, training, checklists, and contacts
• Regular 1:1 video calls: At least weekly with manager and buddy during first weeks
• Asynchronous learning materials: Videos, wikis, and e-learning modules that can be worked through flexibly
• Virtual social events: Coffee breaks, team lunches, or onboarding groups for getting acquainted

Critical: Don't overwhelm new employees with endless video calls. Balance between synchronous (live meetings) and asynchronous communication (documents, videos) is crucial.

Hybrid Onboarding (Mix of Office and Remote)

Hybrid onboarding combines the best of both worlds: personal encounters in the office for relationship building and cultural understanding, flexible remote phases for focused training.

Recommended structure:

• First week in office: Personal introductions, workspace setup, intensive team integration
• Weeks 2-4 hybrid: Mix of office days (e.g., 2-3 times per week) and remote work
• From week 5: Flexible model according to team arrangement

Important: Clear communication about when presence is expected and when remote work is possible. New employees shouldn't have to guess.

Office Onboarding

Traditional onboarding in the office remains the standard for many industries and roles. The advantages: informal exchange, quick help with questions, better sense of company culture.

Best Practices:

• Structured first day with fixed appointments (not: "Just drop by")
• Personal workspace setup before arrival (IT running, nameplate present)
• Team lunch on first day or during first week
• Fixed buddy desk nearby (at least during first days)
• Regular coffee breaks or walks with various colleagues

Office onboarding thrives on personal encounters. Use these for relationship building and cultural integration – this is significantly harder to achieve remotely.

Onboarding Metrics: Making Success Measurable

Without measurement, no management. These metrics show whether your onboarding is working.

Time-to-Productivity

Time-to-productivity measures how long new employees need to be fully productive. "Productive" means: independent work without constant questions, achieving the performance goals of the role.

How to measure:

• Manager feedback: "From when could the person work independently?"
• Self-assessment: "When did you feel fully productive?"
• Objective metrics: Tasks completed, projects finished, KPIs achieved

Benchmark: In many industries, time-to-productivity is three to six months. With structured onboarding, this time can be significantly shortened.

90-Day Retention

90-day retention measures how many new employees are still with the company after three months. Low retention indicates problems in onboarding or recruitment (wrong expectations, poor cultural fit).

Formula:
90-Day Retention = (Number of employees after 90 days / Number of new hires) × 100

Benchmark: Over 90% is considered good. Below 80% should be an alarm signal.

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)

The eNPS measures how likely employees are to recommend the company as an employer. Question: "On a scale of 0-10: How likely would you recommend our company as an employer?"

Categorization:

• 9-10: Promoters (loyal ambassadors)
• 7-8: Passives (satisfied but not enthusiastic)
• 0-6: Detractors (dissatisfied, potentially harmful to reputation)

Formula:
eNPS = % Promoters - % Detractors

After onboarding, the eNPS among new employees should be particularly high. If not, there's a problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does onboarding take?

Onboarding typically lasts three to six months – the entire probationary period. The pre-boarding phase begins one to four weeks before the first day of work. The first two weeks form the intensive phase with the highest level of support. The first 90 days are considered the critical training period. Depending on role and complexity, duration can vary: simple roles are often fully trained after three months, highly specialized or leadership positions require six months or longer.

What is the difference between pre-boarding and onboarding?

Pre-boarding is the phase between contract signing and the first day of work. Administrative tasks are completed here, initial information is shared, and anticipation is built. Onboarding begins on the first day of work and typically ends at the conclusion of the probationary period. Pre-boarding prepares, onboarding actively integrates. Pre-boarding builds anticipation and commitment, onboarding creates productivity and cultural anchoring.

What belongs to good onboarding?

Good onboarding includes: a structured onboarding plan with clear weekly and monthly goals, a welcome package and complete IT equipment on the first day, a mentor or buddy program for informal support, regular check-ins with the manager (e.g., weekly), professional training and cultural integration into the team and company values, and structured feedback conversations after 30, 60, and 90 days. Important is the balance between professional training, social integration, and strategic understanding of company goals.

Why is onboarding so important?

Onboarding increases employee retention by up to 82% according to SHRM studies. It reduces early attrition – turnover in the first six months, during which 20-30% of new hires leave the company without good onboarding. Structured onboarding shortens time-to-productivity by up to 70%, enabling new employees to work independently and create value more quickly. It improves employee engagement long-term and ensures employees are more motivated, loyal, and identified with the company. First impressions sustainably shape the entire employee experience.

How does remote onboarding work?

Remote onboarding requires deliberate structuring: Virtual welcome sessions on the first day with video calls to team, manager, and buddy create personal contact. Digital onboarding platforms centralize documents, training, and contacts. Regular video calls with mentor and team (at least weekly) maintain connection. Asynchronous learning materials like videos and wikis enable flexible learning. Virtual social events like coffee breaks or team lunches promote social integration. Important: balance between synchronous and asynchronous communication to avoid overwhelm.

Which metrics measure onboarding success?

The most important metrics are: Time-to-productivity – how quickly are new employees fully productive and independent? 90-day retention – how many new hires are still with the company after three months (benchmark: over 90%)? Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) – how likely would new employees recommend the company? Feedback scores from onboarding surveys after 30, 60, and 90 days provide direct feedback on the process. Engagement level after probationary period shows how motivated and connected new team members are.

What is an onboarding buddy?

An onboarding buddy is an experienced colleague who accompanies new employees during their first weeks. The buddy is an informal contact person for all questions – both professional and cultural or organizational. Important: The buddy is not the manager but a peer level, enabling more open questions and relaxed exchange. Buddies support cultural and social integration, share internal knowledge and company culture, and help build networks more quickly. Buddy programs demonstrably improve onboarding success.

What happens when onboarding goes poorly?

Poor onboarding has measurable consequences: 20-30% of new hires leave the company within the first six months. Productivity is achieved later, causing higher costs and placing greater burden on existing teams. Negative employee experience leads to poor reviews on platforms like Kununu or Glassdoor, damaging employer branding. Higher recruiting effort due to early attrition ties up resources that could be used elsewhere. Team morale can suffer when new colleagues leave quickly or are dissatisfied. Investments in recruiting are wasted when onboarding doesn't meet expectations.

Conclusion

Onboarding is far more than orientation. It is the central process that determines employee retention, productivity, and long-term company success. The numbers speak for themselves: 82% higher retention, 70% shorter time-to-productivity, significantly higher engagement. Companies that invest in structured onboarding secure a measurable competitive advantage.

Successful onboarding combines clear structure with individual flexibility. It begins during pre-boarding, accompanies new employees through all four phases, and uses data-driven insights to personalize training. Whether remote, hybrid, or in-office – what matters is clarity, appreciation, and continuous feedback.

Would you like to use objective talent assessment to seamlessly connect your recruitment and onboarding processes? Learn more about data-driven solutions with the digital platform Aivy: Learn more now

Sources

• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). "SHRM Onboarding Research – Employee Retention & Engagement." 2023. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/onboarding-programs
• Gallup Inc. "Gallup State of the American Workplace Report." 2024. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/employee-engagement
• Michael D. Watkins. "The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter." Harvard Business Review Press, 2023. https://www.amazon.de/First-90-Days-Strategies-Smarter/dp/1422188612
• Aberdeen Group. "Onboarding Benchmark Report." 2022. Access via HR professional portals.
• Personio GmbH. "Personio HR-Lexikon – Onboarding." 2024. https://www.personio.de/hr-lexikon/onboarding/
• Haufe Lexware GmbH. "Haufe Online – Onboarding neuer Mitarbeiter." 2024. https://www.haufe.de/personal/onboarding
• LinkedIn Talent Solutions. "LinkedIn Talent Blog – Onboarding Trends 2024." 2024. https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog