Employee Onboarding: A Complete Guide

• Employee onboarding begins before a new starter's first day and continues throughout their first weeks and months in the role.
• Effective onboarding helps employees become productive faster, while supporting engagement and retention.
• HR software such as People First helps automate onboarding and create a more consistent experience for managers and new starters. 

Employee onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into an organisation. It helps new starters understand their role, responsibilities, workplace culture and how the organisation operates, so they can become confident, productive members of the team.

Unlike induction or orientation, which typically focus on first day activities such as paperwork, introductions and health and safety briefings, onboarding is a longer-term process.  

It begins before a new employee’s first day and continues through their early weeks and months in the role, combining practical support, learning, feedback and social integration. 

Employee onboarding plays a crucial role in shaping how new starters experience an organisation. The first weeks and months in a role influence how quickly employees feel settled, how confident they are in their work, and whether they remain engaged after accepting a job offer.

Effective onboarding helps employees become productive sooner by giving them clarity around expectations, access to the right tools and systems, and structured support as they learn how the organisation operates.  

When onboarding is rushed, inconsistent or unclear, new hires are more likely to feel disengaged or overwhelmed during a critical transition period.  

In some cases, this disengagement happens before employment even begins. Over a quarter of UK employers have experienced new starters failing to turn up on their first day. This highlights why clear communication, preparation and early connection are key parts of the onboarding process.

Improving onboarding processes helps HR teams too. It means they can deliver a reliable experience across roles and locations, ensure essential administrative steps are completed accurately, and reinforce expectations set during recruitment. 

Breaking up the onboarding process into four key phases is a helpful framework for hiring teams and managers to use, to ensure they have covered the fundamentals.  

This means new starters will receive the right information, support and guidance at the right time as they settle into their role.

Review these phases against your current onboarding process to see how well you cover the fundamentals:  

Preboarding

Preboarding covers the period between a candidate accepting a job offer and their first day at work. The main aim is to maintain engagement and ensure the new starter feels prepared before they join.

This phase usually involves activities such as:  

• Sharing contracts, policies and key documentation
• Collecting personal, payroll and right-to-work information
• Confirming start dates, working arrangements and equipment needs
• Providing practical details about the first day and who to contact with questions

Clear communication during preboarding helps reduce uncertainty and sets the tone for a positive onboarding experience.

Orientation and the first day

Orientation usually takes place on a new employee’s first day and focuses on helping them feel welcomed and informed.

Typical orientation activities include:

• Introductions to colleagues and key contacts
• A tour of the workplace or guidance on accessing systems for remote roles
• An overview of company policies, benefits and health and safety requirements
• Clarifying role expectations, reporting lines and immediate priorities

A structured first day helps reduce anxiety and ensures new starters know where to go for support from the outset.

Training and development

Training and development support employees as they build the skills and knowledge needed to perform their role effectively. This phase often extends beyond the first week and continues throughout the early months of employment.

Activities may include:

• Role specific training and shadowing
• Systems and process training
• Mandatory compliance or regulatory learning
• Ongoing guidance and development conversations

Even experienced hires need time to learn how things work internally, making structured training an important part of effective onboarding.

Integration and ongoing support

Integration focuses on helping employees feel fully embedded within the organisation and confident in their role over time.

This phase may involve:

• Regular check-ins and feedback from managers
• Ongoing performance and development conversations
• Opportunities to build relationships within the team
• Reinforcement of company values, culture and ways of working

Successful onboarding recognises that support does not end once initial training is complete, but continues as employees grow into their role. 

A good onboarding process is structured, supportive and designed around the needs of both the employee and the organisation.  

Below we explore some of the key features of a good onboarding process.

H3: Clear structure and consistency

Employees and managers need a clear and reliable framework to rely on. There should be defined stages, clear responsibilities and a consistent experience across teams and roles, while still allowing flexibility where needed.

Consistency helps ensure that essential information is not missed, administrative tasks are completed on time and expectations are clearly communicated. It also supports fairness, ensuring every new starter receives the same core level of support regardless of where or how they work.

H3: Shared ownership between HR and managers

Successful onboarding is not owned by HR alone. While HR teams play a key role in designing and coordinating the process, managers are essential to delivering a positive day-to-day experience.

Line managers are often best placed to provide role specific guidance, set expectations and offer regular feedback. When HR and managers work together, onboarding becomes more personal, relevant and effective for the employee.

Focus on engagement, not just administration

Administration and compliance are important parts of onboarding, but a good process is more than just paperwork. It actively supports engagement by helping employees build relationships, understand how their role contributes to wider goals and feel part of the organisation.

This may include regular check-ins, opportunities for discussion rather than one-way information sharing, and time for employees to ask questions and reflect as they settle into their role.

Inclusivity

Onboarding processes should be inclusive by design. This means ensuring information is clear, accessible and easy to understand for all employees, regardless of background, experience or working style.

Inclusive onboarding may involve avoiding unnecessary jargon and internal language, offering information in different formats, and being mindful of different learning preferences.  

For some employees, particularly those who are neurodivergent or new to the sector, unclear expectations or unwritten rules can be a significant barrier. A good onboarding process anticipates this and makes expectations explicit.

By creating an inclusive onboarding experience, organisations help employees feel supported, respected and able to contribute from the start.

Supporting remote and hybrid employees

Remote and hybrid working can create additional challenges during onboarding. Without regular face-to-face interaction, new starters may find it harder to build relationships, learn informal ways of working and feel connected to the organisation.

A good onboarding process takes these challenges into account from the outset. This may involve providing clear digital resources, scheduling regular check-ins, introducing new starters to colleagues through virtual meetings and ensuring employees know where to access support when they need it.

Managers often play a particularly important role in remote onboarding. Frequent communication, clear expectations and opportunities for feedback can help employees build confidence and feel connected, regardless of where they work.

By designing onboarding experiences that work across office-based, remote and hybrid environments, organisations can create a more consistent experience for all employees.

Ongoing review and improvement

Good onboarding processes are not static. They are reviewed and refined over time based on feedback, outcomes and organisational change.

Regularly checking in with new starters and managers helps identify what is working well and where improvements can be made. This ensures the onboarding process continues to meet the needs of the organisation and its people as it grows and evolves.

For example, you could schedule a stay interview with an employee at an appropriate time after their joining.  

While every organisation's onboarding process will be slightly different, there are some common activities that help create a positive experience for new starters.

This simple onboarding checklist can be used as a starting point when reviewing your own approach. You’ll need to tailor it to your workplace requirements and processes: 

Before day one

• Sending contracts and key documentation
• Collecting payroll and personal information
• Arranging equipment and system access
• Sharing practical details about the first day
• Confirming working arrangements

First week

• Introduce colleagues and key contacts
• Provide systems and process training
• Complete compliance and mandatory training
• Explain team structures and responsibilities
• Clarify short-term priorities

First month

• Set objectives and expectations
• Hold regular manager check-ins
• Gather feedback on the onboarding experience
• Review progress and identify development needs
• Support integration into the wider organisation

The growth of remote and hybrid working has changed how many organisations approach employee onboarding. While the goals remain the same, helping employees understand their role, build relationships and become productive, the way onboarding is delivered may need to adapt.

Without regular face-to-face interaction, new starters can find it more difficult to build connections with colleagues, understand organisational culture and access informal support. This makes clear communication and structured onboarding even more important.

Organisations can support remote and hybrid employees by:

• Providing access to onboarding materials and resources before their first day
• Scheduling regular check-ins with managers and colleagues
• Offering virtual introductions and team meetings
• Ensuring employees have access to the systems, equipment and tools they need
• Creating opportunities for collaboration and relationship building

Software plays a key role in remote onboarding by helping organisations deliver a consistent experience regardless of location. Digital workflows, employee self-service tools and online learning resources can help new starters access information and complete onboarding activities more easily.

Whether employees work remotely, in the office or as part of a hybrid workforce, the principles of effective onboarding remain the same. New starters need clear expectations, ongoing support and opportunities to feel connected to the organisation from the outset. 

As organisations grow, managing employee onboarding through emails and spreadsheets becomes messy and inefficient. This can lead to delays, inconsistent experiences and extra admin work for HR teams and managers.

Employee onboarding software makes the process more efficient, consistent and easier to manage. By bringing onboarding activities into a single system, organisations can streamline administration, improve visibility and create better experiences for new starters.

There are a few different onboarding software solutions available, but they usually work best when included as part of an integrated HR platform. This allows organisations to connect onboarding activities with wider HR and payroll processes, reducing duplication and ensuring employee information flows seamlessly between systems.

When onboarding is connected to wider people processes, organisations can create a smoother transition from recruitment through to ongoing development, helping employees feel supported throughout their journey. 

People First is an all-in-one HR, Payroll and Finance platform that helps organisations deliver a more efficient and engaging onboarding experience. It connects recruitment, onboarding and people management within a single system.

Once a candidate accepts an offer, onboarding workflows can begin automatically. New starters can complete onboarding tasks, submit personal information and access important documents digitally before their first day, reducing paperwork and administrative delays.

Managers and HR teams can track onboarding progress through automated workflows and task management, ensuring key activities are completed on time and nothing is overlooked.

Because People First is fully integrated, employee information only needs to be entered once. This information then flows directly into HR and payroll records, improving data accuracy and eliminating duplicate administration.

Organisations can also tailor onboarding journeys to different roles, departments and locations, helping create a consistent experience while ensuring employees receive information relevant to their role.

Read a case study

Essex Wildlife Trust uses People First to support its recruitment and onboarding processes. By moving away from manual processes and disconnected systems, they created a more consistent experience for new starters while reducing admin for HR teams and managers. 

How long should employee onboarding last?

While some onboarding activities take place during an employee's first day or week, onboarding is most effective when it continues for several months. Many organisations structure onboarding across the first 30, 60 or 90 days to support learning, integration and performance.

Who is responsible for employee onboarding?

Successful onboarding is a shared responsibility. HR teams often coordinate the process and manage administrative requirements, while line managers provide role-specific guidance, support and feedback. Colleagues and wider teams also play an important role in helping new employees feel welcome and connected.

What’s the difference between onboarding and induction?

Induction typically focuses on a new employee's first day or first few days and covers essential information such as workplace policies, health and safety requirements and introductions to colleagues.

Onboarding is a broader process that includes induction but continues over a longer period. It helps employees develop role-specific knowledge, build relationships, understand company culture and become fully integrated into the organisation.

Can employee onboarding be done completely remotely?

Yes. With the right software and processes in place, you can effectively onboard and engage new starters remotely. However, remote onboarding should still provide opportunities for employees to build relationships, access support and engage with company culture.  

So depending on your setup, you may also want to provide opportunities for employees to meet with team members face to face early on in their employment.