The Manager Toolkit: Get your managers involved in onboarding

Managers want to support their new hires. They know that first impressions matter. But between their packed schedules and not always knowing exactly what's expected of them, onboarding can easily become that thing they'll "definitely get to tomorrow."

In this blog, we'll walk you through why manager involvement is crucial for successful onboarding, how to involve managers in the process, and how our Manager Toolkit can help support your managers.

The importance of managers in the onboarding process

Picture this: You've spent weeks perfecting your onboarding program. The content is polished, the schedule is tight, and everything is ready to go. Then your new hire's manager, despite having the best intentions, forgets to send a welcome message, gets pulled into back-to-back meetings during planned check-ins, and isn't quite sure what they're supposed to be doing beyond "be supportive."

Sound familiar?

Here's why this matters so much: Research shows that 58% of employees see their direct supervisor as the most important source of information during onboarding (Talentech/Vlerick). Not HR, not the employee handbook -  their manager. Yet for many employees, that guidance and involvement is clearly missing.

The impact? It's bigger than you might think. A recent study found that almost one-third of UK workers left their jobs due to a negative relationship with their manager. (CMI) And according to Gallup, 42% of employees who voluntarily left their organization in the past year say their manager or organization could have done something to prevent them from leaving.

But here's the good news: when managers take an active role in onboarding, employees are 3.4 times as likely to feel like their onboarding process was successful (Gallup). 

Juggling tasks

Yet despite knowing the importance of getting managers involved, getting them to prioritize onboarding remains one of HR's biggest headaches.  Not because managers don't care. They're just juggling ten things at once, onboarding isn't always clearly defined for them, and without proper structure, it's easy for things to slip through the cracks.

The result? New hires feel disconnected, unsupported, and start questioning their decision before they've even hit their 30-day mark.

But it doesn't have to be this way. The solution lies in giving your managers the structure and support to follow through.

Support your managers with the Manager Toolkit

To involve managers in the onboarding process, we built a toolkit right into our onboarding app. The goal? Make it easy for managers to be present and supportive during onboarding. No extra burden, just clear guidance on what needs to happen and when.

The Manager Toolkit removes the friction. It turns vague responsibilities into concrete actions, and it gives managers the visibility they need to actually support their people.

Think of it as giving managers (and buddies!) their own dedicated space where they can welcome, track, and support their new hires without adding to their already overflowing plates.

What managers can actually do with the toolkit

The Manager Toolkit gives managers everything they need to support their new hires, all in one intuitive space. No jumping between platforms, no hunting for information. Just a clear overview of what needs to happen and when.

Here's how it works: When a new hire is assigned to a manager, they're automatically looped in and can see at a glance when they're starting. The dashboard becomes their home base, showing who's joining this week, what tasks need attention, and where new hires are in their onboarding journey.

✅ Never miss a task with clear to-do lists 

Managers get a structured checklist that tracks their own responsibilities for each new hire, keeping them organized and aligned with onboarding milestones. Tasks can be marked as mandatory or optional, making priorities crystal clear. 

📊 Follow each new hire's progress 

No more wondering how someone's doing or what they've completed. Managers can see exactly how new hires are progressing through the onboarding app, review answers from essays or other input fields, and spot who might need extra support. It's like having a dashboard that tells them exactly who needs attention and where.

✉️ Send a personalized welcome message 

First impressions matter. With the Manager Toolkit, managers can send a warm welcome message right as their new hire starts their onboarding journey. They can personalise the message for each new hire or create a reusable standard template.

💡 Get ongoing support with tips & tricks

Managers and buddies aren't left to figure it out alone. They get helpful tips and best practices on how to effectively onboard new hires. This section can be continuously updated, so they're never left wondering "am I doing this right?"

[.callout-small]Here are some tips for your managers to help them onboard new hires.[.callout-small]

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What this means for everyone involved

When managers have the right tools and structure, everyone wins. Here's what changes:

For you as an HR specialist:

• Less chasing managers for updates
• More consistent onboarding experiences across teams
• Better new hire retention (because supported employees stay longer)

For your managers:

• Clear expectations from day one
• Less mental load (automation handles the reminders)
• Stronger relationships with their team from the start
• Knowledge of the progress of their new hires

For your new hires:

• Feeling welcomed, valued, and supported
• Knowing their manager is invested in their success
• A smoother transition into their role

The bottom line

No matter if you're a smaller, local company or a global enterprise, active manager involvement improves the onboarding experience and increases retention in the long run. The challenge has always been making it easy enough for managers to actually do it.

The Manager Toolkit isn't about adding more work to anyone's plate. It's about making the work that matters easier to do. When managers have the right structure and tools, they show up. And when managers show up, new hires thrive.