Welcome to today’s explainer, where we dive into a challenge nearly every organization faces: how to build a truly world-class onboarding experience for hybrid teams.
When companies get onboarding right, it’s not just a small improvement—it becomes a powerful competitive advantage.
Consider this staggering statistic from Gallup: only 12% of employees feel their company does a good job with onboarding. That leaves 88% of organizations failing their new hires from day one.
The stakes could not be higher. A strong onboarding program can boost new hire retention by 82%, marking the difference between a revolving door of talent and building a committed, long-term team.
So, why is there such a massive gap between what’s possible and what’s actually happening? Much of the challenge stems from the realities of hybrid work.
The shift to hybrid work has introduced complexities that traditional onboarding methods simply were not designed to handle.
Some of the biggest challenges include:
To overcome these challenges, organizations can focus on three key pillars.
The first step is creating a consistent, high-quality experience for all employees, regardless of location. This requires moving from an in-person-first model to a virtual-first model.
In practice, this includes:
Technology should not replace connection—it should enable it.
While frameworks matter, onboarding is ultimately about people. The most important person in the process? The new hire’s manager.
Research from Microsoft shows that new hires are 3.5 times more likely to be satisfied with their onboarding if their manager is actively involved. This means frequent check-ins—especially during the critical first week.
Another powerful tool is the onboarding buddy system. Pairing new hires with experienced teammates helps answer everyday questions and accelerates integration. The data is remarkable: when new hires met regularly with their buddy, their productivity jumped from 56% to 97%.
The final pillar is about making onboarding sustainable and continuously improving. Think of it as a flywheel that builds momentum over time.
This involves two parts:
Shockingly, more than half of companies don’t formally measure onboarding at all. Building feedback loops ensures the process evolves with each new hire.
The key takeaway is simple: onboarding is not just an administrative checklist for the first week. It is a strategic, ongoing experience that shapes an employee’s entire journey with your company.
By adopting this three-pillar approach—framework, people, and flywheel—organizations can transform onboarding from a logistical headache into a powerful driver of talent retention and success.
So here’s the question to reflect on: Is your onboarding process winning you talent—or losing it?