Exceptional onboarding: creating an outstanding employee experience from the start Munich, December 2023

Onboarding – cornerstones of a “but different” concept

The onboarding journey is far more than just a day-one matter. It begins long before the new employee walks through the office doors or embarks on an upskilling journey. A strong focus is usually on the first 6–12 weeks, but it extends well up to the end of the first year in a new position. Effective onboarding is a journey, not a destination where the mutual understanding that you are an exceptional employer is established.

To ensure an outstanding onboarding process, our latest project experience indicates that a holistic approach that combines a fluid offering of collective and individual nuggets, action orientation, culture alignment, and networking is key. For organizations dealing with a significant number of new employees, especially in a global environment, the digitization of onboarding is essential in order to meet the efficiency requirement.

So lastly, here are the “but different” key factors that can help secure the ultimate success of your onboarding program:

1. Modular and flexible learning journeys: Firstly, onboarding is based on purpose and outcome. Tailor onboarding content to specific roles and requirements, allowing for individualized learning. Offer a mix of mandatory and optional content and provide additional nuggets for those who want to explore further and deeper. Onboarding should be focused on action, with a “learn, apply, experience” approach. Avoid overwhelming employees with information and ensure that the content aligns closely with daily business needs.

2. Purpose and culture integration: Instill a sense of belonging by aligning onboarding with your organization’s purpose and culture. Create emotionally empowering experiences and moments that foster a shared mindset, e.g. a special brand, product, or cultural experiences. Make new employees or team members feel like essential teammates and celebrate their unique talents, contribution, and perspectives in meetings and all-hands situations. Always provide equal and transparent access to information. Help employees to feel like they can be their true self and make sure you find ways to openly value differences.

3. Fostering networks and relationships: Building relationships within the organization is key. Invest time in fostering cross-functional relationships, whether in digital, blended, or physical formats, to encourage interaction with colleagues from across the organization. Build and grow communities as a forum for commitment, interaction, and communication around onboarding-related topics (e.g. special use cases, processes, methods, tools, etc.), and empower participants by providing peer support. 

4. Put digital learning at the center: When it comes to scalability, flexibility, online and offline availability, effectiveness, and efficiency the advantages of digital learning in onboarding situations outweigh the disadvantages of higher initial costs and longer preparation times before programs can be launched. Live online formats can be a significant part of blended learning and make highly personalized learning journeys possible. This transition is not confined to individual organizations, but is essential on a larger scale in a world that has become smaller thanks to digitization.

5. AI-based learning journeys: The use of AI in onboarding boosts efficiency when it comes to creating relevant nuggets and enables the deep-search and auto-tagging of content across your databases. Truly personalized training and virtual coaches that provide real-time feedback, answer common questions, and offer guidance on company policies and procedures are no longer a utopia. Finally, AI can leverage large amounts of data to identify trends and patterns in the onboarding process. This data can be used to continually refine and improve the onboarding experience, leading to higher employee satisfaction and improved retention rates.