A recent HR Magazine article exposed that 54% of office-based employees are dissatisfied with their onboarding experience. At LACE we talk a lot about the importance of looking at the employee life cycle holistically (get in contact with us and ask us about our ‘Welcome me’ approach!) and its importance as part of your overall employee value proposition, as explored in our EX revolution campaign earlier this year here.
In today’s blog Ffion Bennett, one of our HR transformation managers at LACE focuses in on the onboarding experience, as well as the critical role it plays. The HR Magazine article highlights onboarding as a critical area for improvement within many organisations. While the article focuses on office roles, it raises an intriguing question: how does this compare to non-office-based roles? It’s important to consider the varied onboarding requirements across the different segments of your workforce, especially where some are ‘deskless’ workers.
The role of job type in onboarding satisfaction
In industries such as retail or construction, onboarding often involves immersive, on-the-job training. New hires are typically integrated into their teams from day one, fostering a sense of connection and engagement as they work closely with colleagues. By contrast, office-based onboarding tends to rely on self-led learning through intranets, individual training modules and sporadic check-ins. This process often lacks the ongoing human connection essential for fostering belonging and motivation.
Could it be that non-office roles inherently provide a greater sense of purpose and camaraderie because of their hands-on, team-centric nature? Office environments might need to adopt some of these principles – creating spaces for more consistent human interaction during onboarding – to address this gap.
Technology’s role to play
Technology isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about experience. One of the most significant opportunities for improving onboarding lies in leveraging HR technology. By automating routine tasks, HR teams can focus on human-centric activities, like building relationships and addressing individual concerns. The right technology helps create a consistent onboarding experience across geographies, teams, and roles, ensuring every new hire feels valued and supported.
For global organisations, you can send streamlined communications via technology platforms like Workday, SAP, Oracle and Bamboo HR sharing automated updates, personalised messages, and pre-boarding check-ins, keeping new hires informed and engaged. Specialist providers like Enboarder and Phenom People use AI to deliver tailored onboarding plans based on role or team, ensuring relevance for each hire.
Organisations are taking this seriously and investing in technology to drive forward the right people experience that works for them. Cisco have an onboarding portal which uses videos and quizzes to engage employees and communicate key information effectively. PwC have integrated gamification into onboarding to introduce culture and values in an engaging, memorable way.
Job expectations vs reality
Another key issue the article raises is the discrepancy between job descriptions and the actual role. This misalignment is particularly troubling given that most roles involve multi-stage interviews. While it’s understandable that job advertisements aim to attract candidates, organisations must ensure honesty and clarity about daily responsibilities throughout the recruitment process.
Consider a predominantly remote role in a collaborative organisation. If candidates aren’t explicitly told they’ll often work independently, this could lead to disappointment for those craving team-oriented tasks. This disconnect not only risks early resignations but also damages the employer’s reputation. Employers must invest time during interviews to evaluate a candidate’s technical fit and whether their working style and preferences align with the role. Honesty here benefits both parties, reducing the risk of new employees feeling misled and disengaged.
Pre-boarding: A basic expectation, not a luxury
The concept of pre-boarding – engaging new hires between offer acceptance and their start date – is far from revolutionary. Yet, many organisations still overlook this critical step. Why? Often, it’s down to resource constraints, miscommunication between recruiters and hiring managers, or the pressures of high-volume recruitment. But skipping pre-boarding can cost more than it saves.
When pre-boarding isn’t done well, organisations face tangible losses, from the cost of replacing employees who leave early to the strain on existing team members covering for vacant roles. Not to mention the reputational impact when disengaged employees share negative experiences with their networks.
At its core, pre-boarding is about reassurance and connection. It’s about making a new hire feel valued before day one. Regular touchpoints with managers, the assignment of a buddy and clear communication about what to expect are not “nice-to-haves”, but essential steps that can make all the difference.
The cost of getting It wrong
Onboarding isn’t a “nice extra”; it’s a foundational part of the employee lifecycle. A poor experience can tarnish a company’s reputation and disrupt team dynamics. Investing in onboarding pays dividends in employee engagement, productivity, and retention.
Critically, the success of your onboarding experience design will influence your new colleagues’ ‘time to proficiency’– how long it takes them to be productive/effective on the job. The shorter the better of course, but not at the cost of the quality of the experience. Ensuring that the right information is delivered at the right time for each role / colleague will be the key.
At LACE we’re passionate about helping organisations get this right. Onboarding isn’t just about day one – it’s about crafting a journey that fosters connection, clarity, and confidence from the moment an offer is accepted. By aligning processes, resources, and priorities, organisations can ensure a seamless experience that sets both employees and employers up for success.
Let’s rethink onboarding – not as a process, but as a pivotal moment to inspire and engage. How can your organisation improve the first steps of an employee’s journey? We’d love to help you find the answer. If you want to have a chat with me (or any of our team) further about the onboarding experience you create for new colleagues, you can reach out using the form below, or connect with me via LinkedIn.