[author: Ryan Dinkler]
Your new hire hasn’t even logged into their email yet, and they’re already second-guessing their role. That’s the danger of a disorganized or impersonal onboarding experience.
A well-structured experience, on the other hand, can lead to higher job satisfaction, better performance, and increased employee retention.Many organizations believe they have a solid onboarding plan in place; the paperwork, the orientation schedule, and the first week’s agenda all mapped out. But are there gaps you’re not seeing? Gaps that are silently undermining your efforts and costing you valuable talent?
We pulled some of the best minds together at Interact and discussed this topic in our session, “From Onboarding to Ongoing Success.” Now, it’s time to revisit those insights, take a hard look at your current onboarding process, and identify the areas that need improvement. Let’s explore some of the most common, and most damaging, gaps in the onboarding experience.
The Pre-Boarding Black Hole: Where First Impressions are Made (or Broken)
The period between a candidate accepting your offer and their official start date is one of the most delicate phases of the employee journey.
This is what we call “pre-boarding,” and it’s where many companies drop the ball. Your new hire has made a significant life decision. They’ve resigned from their previous role and are filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety. This is your golden opportunity to validate their choice and build momentum.
Too often, pre-boarding becomes a black hole of silence — a missed opportunity punctuated only by occasional paperwork.
Gap 1: Cumbersome, Manual Paperwork
Think about the first administrative tasks you send to your new hire. For US-based organizations, this includes the Form I-9.
Is this process a smooth, digital experience? Or, are you sending them a PDF to print, fill out by hand, and bring with them on their first day? This might seem like a small detail, but it speaks volumes about your organization. A manual, paper-based process in a digital world can immediately signal that your company’s systems are outdated and inefficient.
This is more than just an inconvenience, it’s a compliance risk. Manual I-9 processes are prone to errors and omissions, which can lead to significant fines and audit headaches down the road.
Gap 2: The Background Screening Scramble
In an ideal world, the background screening process is completed seamlessly and transparently before the new hire’s first day. In reality, it’s often a disjointed and stressful experience. Delays, poor communication, and a lack of transparency can create unnecessary anxiety for the candidate. When they don’t know where they stand in the process, their confidence can waver.
Additionally, when background checks aren’t completed pre-day one, you run the risk of having someone start who isn’t cleared, creating a significant liability for your organization. This last-minute scramble puts HR, the hiring manager, and the new employee in an awkward and unprofessional position.
Gap 3: The Unprepared Hiring Manager
The hiring manager is arguably the most important person in a new hire’s onboarding journey. Yet, too often, they are unprepared or disengaged from the process. They may not have made a clear plan for the first week, communicated the new hire’s arrival to the team, or gotten the necessary equipment and access ready to go.
When a new hire shows up to an unprepared manager, it sends a clear message: “You are not a priority.” This can be incredibly demotivating and can set a negative tone for the entire employment relationship.
Gap 4: Lack of Leadership Connection
Does your onboarding process include any interaction with company leadership?
For many new hires, the leadership team is a distant, abstract concept. Creating opportunities for new employees to connect with leaders, even for a brief welcome or a casual Q&A session, can have a profound impact. It helps them understand the company’s vision and values from the top down and makes them feel like a part of the bigger picture.
Gap 5: The Post-Onboarding Cliff
Many onboarding programs have a clear beginning but no clear end. After the initial flurry of activity, new hires are often left to fend for themselves. This “post-onboarding cliff” can lead to disengagement and a feeling of being adrift.
Without a structured plan for ongoing development and regular feedback, it’s difficult for new hires to know if they are on the right track. This is a critical period where, according to our research, 33% of new hires start actively looking for a new position due to a poor onboarding experience.
It’s Time to Close the Gaps
Your onboarding process is a direct reflection of your company’s brand and values. Every gap, every inefficiency, and every impersonal interaction sends a message to your new hires. The question is, is it the right one?
By taking a holistic view of the onboarding journey, from pre-boarding to ongoing development, and by leveraging the right technology to automate, streamline, and connect, you can close the gaps and create an experience that not only retains top talent but also empowers them to thrive.
Where to Start? You Don’t Have to Fix Everything at Once
Reading about all these potential gaps can feel overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t need to rework your entire onboarding process overnight to make a meaningful impact.
Meaningful change often starts with a single, targeted improvement. The key is to identify the area that will provide the biggest return for your effort.
But where is the best place to start? Ask yourself and your team these questions to pinpoint the most significant pain points in your current process:
- The Technology Test:
- If a new hire completes their paperwork on a smartphone, is the experience smooth or frustrating?
- How much time does your HR team spend manually tracking I-9s or background check statuses?
- Do you have a clear, real-time view of where every new hire is in the pre-boarding process?
- The Manager Temperature Check:
- How consistently are hiring managers prepared for a new employee’s first day?
- Do managers have a clear, repeatable checklist of tasks to complete before a new hire arrives?
- What feedback do you get from new hires about their manager’s involvement in their first few weeks?
- The Connection and Communication Audit:
- What is the most common feedback you receive from new hires after 30, 60, and 90 days?
- How long does it typically take for a new hire to feel like they are a true part of their team?
- Are there formal or informal opportunities for new employees to connect with people outside of their immediate team, including leadership?
Your answers to these questions will highlight critical gaps in your onboarding journey.
Closing the Gaps in Onboarding, End to End, with Mitratech Solutions
Each gap in the onboarding journey — whether it’s clunky paperwork, poor communication, or a lack of human connection — sends a message to your new hires. The right technology can ensure it’s the right one.
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