10 Employee Onboarding Mistakes That Become Horror Stories
From what we’ve seen, most onboarding mistakes aren’t intentional. Many of them come from a more traditional view of onboarding, where the company and its needs – like paperwork and compliance – are front and center. And maybe that worked five or ten years ago (but it still didn’t make for a very engaging experience).
Today, forward-thinking organizations understand that in order to effectively ramp a new hire to productivity in their first 90 days, onboarding should be a highly personalized experience that connects them with the colleagues and information that matters most to their specific role.
Here are telltale signs you could be making common onboarding mistakes with your new hires:
- Bad Reviews: Your new hires are telling horror stories about their first days, weeks, or months on the job – whether it’s to their friends, through new hire surveys, or Glassdoor reviews
- No Shows: Are more of your new hires just not showing up on day one? According to Indeed, 83% of employers have experienced a candidate ghosting them before day one, and 22% of job seekers have admitted to ditching a new job before they even started.
- 90-Day Turnover: Have you noticed an increase in new hires running out the door before they even hit three months? That’s another sign you’re making onboarding mistakes. According to PWC, the national average for 90-day turnover is about 13%, but it can range from 3.5% to 26%, depending on your industry.
- Rising Recruitment Costs: The other side of the turnover coin is recruitment costs. If you’re constantly backfilling for roles you just filled, your recruitment costs will inevitably go up. Replacing an employee can cost anywhere from 30 to 150% of their annual salary, depending on the role.
Source: G&A Partners
Avoid These Common Employee Onboarding Mistakes
If any of the red flags above seem familiar to your organization, check and see if you’re making these common onboarding mistakes.
Still Using an “Induction Slideshow”
Ever heard the term death by PowerPoint? ☠️ As much as you can, you want new hires to really experience your culture, not be lectured about it.
No Onboarding Strategy for Managers
Left up to their own devices, every manager will handle their new hire onboarding differently – and that could spell disaster for your new hire experience.
Ghosting New Hires After Contract Signing
No one feels good being left in the dark after making a huge decision like joining a new company. If you only send a last-minute email a few days before day one, your candidate will feel ghosted.
Common Day 1 Disasters
You would be shocked how many customers tell us their biggest pain point is new hires showing up on day one and not having their laptop ready, or worse, their manager completely forgetting it’s their first day.
Failing to Empower Managers
Speaking of managers, another common onboarding mistake is letting managers fend for themselves when it comes to ticking off all the boxes on their onboarding checklist.
Not Introducing New Hires to Key Contacts
Another area that often gets neglected in onboarding is connecting hires to key contacts outside of their team – IT, HR, customer success, etc. If a question comes up during their onboarding, they’ll have no idea who to reach out to.
No Introduction to Workplace Culture
Learning about company culture can be like learning a new language. If there’s no introduction to the workplace culture, systems, processes, or behaviors (like casual Friday), your new hires feel like they’re in an alternate realm where the furniture is hanging from the ceiling.
No Formal 1:1 Time with Managers
If there are no formal 1:1s scheduled between the new hire and their manager to discuss responsibilities, expectations, goal-setting, and development, that makes it incredibly challenging to ramp up and be confident in their role.
Thinking Onboarding Is Just Induction or Orientation
Just because you’ve checked the compliance box, that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. An effective onboarding program follows the 4 C model: compliance, clarification, culture, and connection. Neglect the other Cs and your new hire won’t get up to speed quickly, if at all.
Excluding New Hires from Social Activities
Onboarding is a team spot. If no one thinks to invite the newbie to the cake-gathering, coffee-walking-meetings, etc., they’re going to feel like the kid who gets picked last in gym class.
Don’t Let Onboarding Mistakes Become Your Next Horror Story
It can be challenging to get onboarding right these days. Teams are distributed all over the world and there’s the ever-present engagement and loneliness crisis.
But if you look at each step of your onboarding process and ask yourself: “How do I want my employee to feel? What types of connections are they making?” – this can shift your entire approach from being process-driven to connection-driven. And it will make your onboarding incredibly more effective.
In our recent recent research, when employees rated their onboarding experience positively:
- 46% said it increased their productivity
- 40% said it helped them feel like they belong
- 32% would recommend their company as a great place to work
- 34% were motivated to stay longer at the company
Components of an Effective Onboarding Strategy
You’ll want to make sure these pieces are in place to reap the benefits of an effective, connected onboarding program:
Preboarding: Build excitement right after they say “‘yes” by sending teaser emails, preparing their digital workspace, and sharing essential company info. Preboarding sets the stage with clear expectations and a warm welcome.
Orientation: Make the first day and week feel special by introducing your mission and values through engaging stories. Offer virtual or in-person tours, team introductions, and make admin tasks as enjoyable as possible.
Training & Informational Support: Focus on job-specific and professional development to equip new hires with the knowledge and skills they need.
Mentors & Buddies: Pair new hires with experienced colleagues who can provide guidance, support, and encouragement, especially in a multigenerational workforce.
Feedback & Check-ins: Conduct regular, informal check-ins to keep feedback engaging and helpful. Use pulse surveys to maintain continuous dialogue and growth.
Culture Sharing: Help them experience your culture with welcome events, storytelling sessions, and live demonstrations of values. The goal is to make new hires feel connected to your purpose and mission.
Measurement & Data: Track the success of your onboarding with key metrics like time to productivity and employee satisfaction. Use regular surveys and data analysis to continuously refine and improve your strategy.
Build a Personalized, Automated Onboarding Experience with Enboarder
Manually rebuilding your onboarding strategy to avoid these common onboarding mistakes can feel overwhelming – if you don’t use Enboarder’s onboarding software.
We can help you build personalized, engaging journeys and scale the whole process with automation so you save precious time and resources.
Schedule your demo today and get one step closer to a best-in-class, modern onboarding experience.