Onboarding

What Is Onboarding?

Onboarding is a human resources industry term referring to the process of introducing a newly hired employee into an organization. Also known as organizational socialization, onboarding is an important part of helping employees understand their new position and job requirements. It’s the process that helps them integrate seamlessly with the rest of the company.

There are many activities that go into the onboarding process, from the job offer to team training.

In 2022 alone, BambooHR helped companies onboard more than 735,000 new hires. Our easy to use HR software provides research-backed templates that will help you welcome new employees with e-signature tools, onboarding checklists, and more. Learn more with a free demo today!

How Long Does Onboarding Take?

Onboarding may last anywhere from a few weeks to a year, but the most effective onboarding usually lasts at least a few months. Ideally, employees will feel confident and competent when the onboarding process is complete.

While there's no strict rule about how long onboarding a new employee should take, it’s important to be thorough in this process. Many companies have an onboarding process that lasts only a month or a few weeks, which risks new employees feeling overwhelmed with their new responsibilities and not connecting with the rest of the company.

Many HR professionals recommend that an onboarding process should last about 90 days, while some professionals recommend extending the process for as long as a year. This ensures employees have the resources they need to get to know the company, internalize their training, and feel comfortable doing their job as expected.

» Read More: How Long Does Onboarding Take? 10 Ways to Improve Employee Experience

What Are Onboarding Activities?

Onboarding consists of multiple individual processes; however, it has no official definition and opinions still vary as to which processes fall under the umbrella of onboarding.

To name a few common onboarding activities, onboarding can include:

Download the Definitive Guide to Onboarding

Our in-depth onboarding guide covers actionable tips for improving new hire paperwork, assigning onboarding tasks, facilitating personal connections, and more.

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What Is the Onboarding Process for a New Employee?

One thing HR professionals generally agree on is that onboarding begins the moment a candidate accepts a job offer and ends when a new employee is fully integrated and performing as expected. Whether or not an organization provides all of the onboarding elements in the list, it’s a wise investment to provide all new employees with a thorough, efficient, and consistent introduction to their new organization.

In a survey of U.S. employees, we found that the quality of onboarding experienced by new employees dramatically impacts engagement, performance, and longevity, among other factors. The best onboarding processes will include relational onboarding, which includes:

Starting a new job can be overwhelming, and onboarding is most effective when it is spread out over time. This allows employees to better retain information by giving them time to process everything and ask questions as needed.

Create Better First Days.

BambooHR® helps you build an effective onboarding process with expert-approved, customizable onboarding checklists, welcome emails, and new hire packets—so every new hire feels welcome on day one.

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Retention from Day One: Onboarding Tips to Engage New Hires

In this panel discussion, experts from PayScale, BambooHR, BizLibrary, and OfficeVibe will cover how to focus onboarding activities for new employees on the long-term goal of retention, rather than just checking the compliance boxes and leaving managers to figure out the rest.

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We asked over 1,000 employees what is most important in starting a new job and compiled the results into a comprehensive guide that helps you onboard new employees and more importantly, keep them.

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