These Onboarding Gaps Hurt Retention More Than You Think

Hiring new employees is a significant investment. While poor onboarding may be a key reason new hires fail to deliver, a positive onboarding experience inevitably pays off. It may drive employee connection to the company’s culture and values, ignite motivation, and dramatically reduce turnover risk. 

Employees with an exceptionally positive onboarding experience are more likely to feel highly satisfied with their workplace and may be less likely to seek another job.

However, onboarding is often reduced to a paperwork exercise focused on payroll forms, tax documents, security protocols, and information overloading. While these steps are necessary and legally mandated, they don’t capture the intended purpose of an onboarding program.

This article discusses common onboarding mistakes that hurt productivity and retention.

Onboarding Mistakes That Hurt Retention

Onboarding is a series of structured processes to seamlessly integrate a new hire into a company. If carried out carefully and thoughtfully, it may pay off through increased motivation, engagement, and commitment towards company goals. 

HR professionals may actively avoid these common onboarding pitfalls.

    1. Ignoring preboarding procedures

Preboarding starts by providing as much of the required documentation ahead of time so the new hire has sufficient time to review and understand the paperwork without feeling overwhelmed on the day they report to work.

It may also involve a coordinated process where an HR professional initiates work requests, ensuring that IT, facilities, and other departments prepare a fully functional workstation. Before the employee arrives, HR must ensure software access and login credentials, ID cards, email setup, and access to relevant tools and platforms. Preboarding helps create a positive first impression of the organization’s efficiency and collaboration.

    2. Information overload

New hires may be eager to learn, but overloading them with substantial training data too soon can be overwhelming and even stressful. If new hires are made to sit through back-to-back presentations, they may likely stop retaining information at some point. This is known as information overload. Therefore, sharing information in a paced manner is necessary. 

• Breaking training into manageable segments spread out over several days or weeks may be more ideal. 

• Processes, like corporate subscriptions, peer and leadership introductions, etc., may be extended over a week or as needed. 

• HR may create a central repository for key onboarding resources or an FAQ manual so employees can easily locate what they need and find answers to their questions.

• Employers may consider automating the onboarding process or leveraging technology throughout the onboarding process to ensure efficiency and precision.

    3. Unclear goals/expectations

Often, employees arrive enthusiastic, only to have their excitement quickly diminish. One of the most common reasons for this drop in motivation—and subsequently, underperformance—is a lack of clarity around what’s expected. Uncertainty about their purpose and mission can create confusion and disengagement. 

Many misunderstandings can be avoided by clearly outlining expectations from the outset. A few best practices include 

• Clearly stating what the new hire is responsible for delivering and how their success will be measured.

• Ensuring a well-defined job description that briefs the mission statement for the role.

• Information about how teams collaborate, who the employee may report to, etc., may be shared.

• Sharing key performance indicators (KPIs) that outline success at different stages, such as during the first month, the first 90 days, and the first year. These milestones may ensure employees gradually ramp up their efforts to meet the predetermined KPIs for their role. 

    4. Disconnection with company culture

HR professionals might miss out on a key element that shapes employee success: company culture.

New employees will likely want to understand the company’s mission and values. Highlighting culture during onboarding may boost retention and inspire a sense of belonging; according to SHRM, employees who resonate with their company’s culture are 83% less likely to seek a new job. On the other hand, failing to introduce new hires to the organization’s culture, vision, and core values can leave them disengaged and detached from the team.

Remote and hybrid employees may be particularly at risk of feeling disconnected. Helping them build relationships with colleagues (by pairing them with onboarding companions or organizing a welcome lunch) may allow employees to witness the company culture firsthand.

    5. Misleading job descriptions

Onboarding missteps sometimes occur well before the hiring process even begins. Setting unrealistic expectations—inflating the company culture, overstating responsibilities, omitting details, or misrepresenting job responsibilities—can lead to misalignment and disappointment. When employees find that their role doesn’t meet their expectations, they may become disengaged and distrustful, often resulting in turnover.

To attract capable employees who can handle key responsibilities, starting with a clear, detailed job description with relevant details updated is essential. This transparency may set the stage for a smoother onboarding experience. It may help prepare employees to deliver their best at their new position.

    6. Neglecting measurement

Despite a structured, comprehensive onboarding process, companies might still be missing the mark if they don't measure the success of their program. 

Employers can glean insights on whether their onboarding program is delivering its desired outcomes by gathering feedback, tracking people analytics, KPIs, and outcomes. 

• Establishing clear onboarding metrics to spot gaps or issues early can ensure prompt rectification.

• Seeking feedback from new employees (through anonymous surveys) after a few months—as to what may have worked well and what could have been better—can help identify areas of improvement. 

• HR may integrate key insights into their human capital management (HCM) system, which can help enhance the overall workforce performance. 

    7. Not providing support beyond onboarding

Onboarding may be treated as an evolving process that may require refinements over time. Without sustained support, employees who face challenges meeting expectations, engaging with their work, or connecting with their team are more likely to underperform, disengage, and leave. 

Managers may schedule check-ins with the new hire, typically a few weeks after the onboarding, to discuss the employee's experience, how well they are adjusting, and uncover any performance challenges they may be facing.

Beyond that, ongoing mentorship, follow-ups, two-way conversations, and access to growth opportunities can help reinforce learning and keep employees performing at their best. Encouraging managers to adopt a coaching mindset can significantly enhance team cohesion.

Embracing Employee-First Onboarding Practices

The purpose of onboarding is to integrate new employees into the company fold. This means building a connection strong enough to stoke their enthusiasm for the role to contribute innovatively while also making them feel valued, included, and aligned with both team and company objectives. Organizations and HR may ensure their onboarding processes are not limited to handling paperwork or completing formalities. Instead, they may ensure new employees are introduced and immersed in the company culture right from their first day. HR may create a new employee handbook with comprehensive information on company procedures to help them through the transition.

Don't Miss Out: Improving Retention and Reducing Turnover

Falling short in this regard may be a disservice to both the employee and the organization, which is why HR professionals may actively advocate ongoing investment from managers, colleagues, and senior leaders in effective onboarding. A positive onboarding experience may fundamentally set the stage for an employee’s long-term retention and engagement, benefiting the company in the long run.