New research from APQC shows where onboarding programs are falling short.
Bottom line upfront: Despite much talk about the benefits of on-the-job learning, when it comes to onboarding, effectiveness hinges on taking a formal, comprehensive, and upfront approach.
Why it matters: A number of trends have employers questioning whether the onboarding they currently offer meets business and employee needs today.
- Demand for onboarding is on the rise. Shorter employee tenures and stiff competition for critical talent have employers putting an increasing number of workers through the onboarding process each year.
- Onboarding participants have changed. Increasingly, employers are onboarding younger generations and workers with fully remote or hybrid arrangements.
- The timeline for onboarding is shortening. Lean workforces and cumbersome recruiting processes are giving urgency to speeding time to productivity.
What we know: To help employers understand what it takes to successfully onboard workers today, APQC surveyed employees who had been working in their current role for two years or less, asking about their onboarding. We found:
- Employees who received structured onboarding (had a documented learning path for mastering their role and responsibilities) received onboarding training on a wider range of topics and needed less time to reach full productivity compared to those who had unstructured onboarding (learned their role and responsibilities more spontaneously, over the course of weeks and months, as the role required).
- Employees who had structured onboarding were more likely to say they enjoyed their onboarding experience and that it exceeded their expectations. They were also more likely to say that their onboarding effectively prepared them for their new role and that they feel productive in that role.
- Employees whose onboarding was unstructured were more likely to report that it did not cover all core aspects of their job, that they had to figure out some core responsibilities on their own, and that they did not know who to go to with questions.
In their own words: We asked new hires what they liked best about their onboarding experience. Here are some examples of what they had to say:
- Knowledge of the trainers
- Comprehensive, covers all important topics
- Preset rules for the training program helped me adjust my priorities
- Having a mentor appointed during the onboarding process offered insightful advice
- Having an executive sponsor who offered direction, advocacy, and mentorship during the onboarding process was something I genuinely appreciated
- It benefited (me) to concentrate on practical problems (and) case studies throughout training
- Frequent meetings with stakeholders made it easier to monitor development and clear any uncertainties
- A well-structured onboarding plan guarantees that the necessary information is delivered in digestible portions
- The best thing about it is it’s very well structured
- The overall structure made me feel confident and prepared to start my job
My thoughts: The idea of structured onboarding can bring to mind new hires sitting in a classroom day in and day out or at their desks taking self-paced online courses all day every day. But structured learning does not have to be isolating, boring, or unapplied, nor does it have to be one-size fits all. It can include on-the-job training, and it can involve peers.
In a structured onboarding program, on-the-job training is planned and scheduled, and it comes with pre-determined learning objectives. Learning from peers is formally arranged and intentionally designed. For example, learning from peers might take the form of a buddy or mentor program with a specified schedule and prescribed agenda for check-in meetings.
Pre-planned and guided learning from peers doesn’t mean that informal learning from peers does not occur. It means that if impromptu learning exchanges with peers do not arise (which can happen with hybrid/remote work and heavy employee workloads) the new hire will still learn what they need to learn and develop the relationships they need to thrive.
How you can learn more: Check out our survey report: The Onboarding Experience of Today's Workforce
APQC members can access all of the resources in our collection: The Onboarding Experience of Today's Workforce. Included are insights into:
- The challenges of onboarding remote workers
- Where onboarding practices differ for internal versus external hires
- How the onboarding experience of leaders stands out
Want more? Look into what our research says about: