11 common onboarding mistakes to avoid (and how to fix them)

The high cost of poor onboarding

Did you know that only 12% of employees strongly agree their organization does a great job of onboarding new employees (Gallup)? According to Hibob, 64% of employees are inclined to leave a new job within their first year if their onboarding experience is negative. With the average cost of replacing an employee at $4000 and the process taking about 24 days (Glassdoor), the impact on your bottom line is significant. Pretty alarming, right? 

But here’s the good news – it doesn’t have to be that way. By avoiding these 11 critical onboarding mistakes, you can transform the new hire experience and save your company time and money.

The 11 most common onboarding mistakes

To help you steer clear of these pitfalls, we’ve put together a list of the 11 most common onboarding mistakes and how to avoid them:

• Delaying onboarding: waiting until day one to start
• Being unprepared for a new hire's first day
• Unclear goals and expectations
• Information overload
• Overlooking cultural adaptation
• Lack of strong manager support and involvement
• An unstructured onboarding process
• Confusing orientation with onboarding
• Turning a blind eye to connections with colleagues
• One-size-fits-all approach (not personalizing onboarding)
• No opportunities for employees to offer feedback

Let's delve deeper into each issue and help you solve them.

1. Delaying onboarding: waiting until day one to start

❌ Mistake: Let’s face it—starting a new job can be stressful enough without feeling like you’re left in the dark. Unfortunately, many companies miss the mark by skipping preboarding entirely. A whopping 64% of employees reported they didn’t get any preboarding experience, according to a study by Vlerick Talmundo. No wonder so many new hires feel disengaged and unprepared before they even step through the door!

✅ How to do it right: Kick off the journey with preboarding! 

Preboarding isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a game-changer. Turning this often-overlooked phase into an engaging and informative experience can make a huge difference. Your new hires will feel more prepared, welcomed, and excited to join the team. 

So, why not give preboarding the attention it deserves and start your new hires off on the right foot?

A couple of tips:

• Send paperwork early: Give new hires a head start by sending necessary forms beforehand. It lets them tackle paperwork without the first-day rush.
• Friendly welcome email: Send a friendly email from the manager that includes a warm welcome and key details about the first week
• Team introductions: Set up a quick video call so they can meet their new teammates and feel connected right away.
• Virtual office tour: Share a virtual tour so they can get familiar with the office layout before they arrive.
• Share information beforehand: Provide access to an online platform where they can learn about your company’s culture, values, and policies at their own pace. Include helpful details—dress code, parking info, and what to bring on the first day. Instant stress relief!

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2. Being unprepared for a new hire's first day

❌ Mistake:  Imagine this—your new employee shows up bright and early at the office, only to find out the team is working from home today. Oops! And their laptop and login details? Not ready. Now you’ve got a confused employee at 9 AM who can’t access important systems for the coming days. Not the best first impression, right?

✅ How to do it right: Preparation is key! 

Starting the onboarding process with thorough preparation and a warm welcome shows your new hire that you’re excited to have them on board and sets a positive tone for their journey with your company

Here’s how to nail it:

• First-day plan: Have a solid plan for their first day and share it with everyone involved. Make sure their new team is there to welcome them, even if it’s a work-from-home day.
• Ready workspace (online and offline): Ensure their laptop is ready, systems are installed, accounts are created, and login details are shared on the first day.
• Warm welcome: Make them feel special! Decorate their workspace, provide a welcome kit with some company swag, and include a personalized note.

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3. Unclear goals and expectations

❌ Mistake: Only 50 percent of employees worldwide know what is expected of them at work (Gallup). Wow! There is a lot to gain there. Without clear goals and expectations, new employees may struggle to understand their roles and how to succeed. 

✅ How to do it right: Clearly outline goals & expectations

Clear expectations are crucial for new hires to thrive. When employees know what’s expected, they can focus their efforts and meet their goals more effectively. Here's how to set them up for success in different phases:

1️⃣ Prehire phase: Start by establishing clear expectations from the very beginning.  Ensure job descriptions are detailed and honest and set expectations about the role in introductory meetings.

2️⃣ In the preboarding phase, communicate team roles, share company information, and describe typical workdays. This is also a good moment to share practical details.

3️⃣ First week: provide new hires with a written schedule for their first weeks, including dates for scheduled training, meetings, check-ins, and events. 

4️⃣ As new employees settle in, show how their skills contribute to the company goals. Regularly check if they understand their roles and adjust as needed. This ongoing conversation addresses any confusion quickly.

[.callout-small]Find out more tips about clarification in your onboarding process.[.callout-small]

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4. Information overload

❌ Mistake: It might be tempting to flood your newest team member with all the information they need to get started quickly. But this often backfires—your new hire ends up overwhelmed, unsure where to start, and forgets most of it. Bombarding new hires with too much information too quickly can lead to confusion and frustration.

✅ How to do it right: Share the information gradually

Spread out the onboarding process over weeks or months, allowing new hires to absorb information gradually and more effectively. 

For example: It’s helpful for new hires to know who their team members are in advance, but learning about colleagues from other departments can wait until the first week. 

Continuous training

Training isn't a one-time event. Employees need ongoing practice and support to internalize their learning. Offer mentorship, reference guides, and a digital knowledge base or handbook, where new hires can revisit information as needed. Regular check-ins are also crucial to monitor progress and offer assistance where needed throughout the onboarding process.

Tip: Use a digital onboarding platform to release information gradually, letting new hires learn at their own pace and review it whenever they need to. Include a list of company terms and a photo directory to help them get to know their team and the company.

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5. Overlooking cultural adaptation

❌ Mistake: Imagine starting a new job and feeling like an outsider in a foreign land. You don’t know the unspoken rules, the shared jokes, or the values that everyone else seems to live by. This is what it’s like for new hires when the company culture isn’t clearly communicated.

One of the biggest mistakes in onboarding is ignoring the importance of cultural adaptation. When new employees are left in the dark about what makes the company tick, they often feel disconnected and uncertain about their place within the team

✅ How to do it right: Make the unspoken rules transparent 

Pinning down company culture can be tricky because it’s often an unspoken force shaping behavior. One way to address this is by weaving the company culture into every step of the onboarding process.

• Start early: During the job interview, dive deeper into what candidates value in a workplace to ensure cultural alignment from the start.
• During preboarding: Share insights about your company’s culture—explain norms, values, stories and examples that define your workplace. This gives new hires a sense of what to expect.
• Onboarding: Appoint a buddy for the new hire. This provides ongoing support and creates a comfortable space for them to ask day-to-day questions. A buddy can help bridge the gap between official policies and the unwritten rules that define your workplace.

Remember, integrating company culture goes beyond sharing the official handbook. Convey what makes your organization unique and help new hires understand the unspoken rules.

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6.  Lack of strong manager support and involvement

❌ Mistake: You've probably heard the saying, “People don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” There’s truth to it—in a recent study 40% of respondents indicated that they left a job due to a poor relationship with their manager (Corndel). 

Sadly, many managers drop the ball when it comes to providing support and input during onboarding. Onboarding is often seen as just "an HR thing," but it really needs input from multiple parties, especially managers. Managers need to play an active role in onboarding to build positive relationships and give new hires the support they need to thrive.

Gallup research shows that when managers are involved, employees are 3.4 times more likely to rate their onboarding as exceptional.

✅ How to do it right: Involve your managers from the beginning

The best investment a manager can make is their time, especially in those crucial first few weeks. Start by reaching out to your new hire before their first day. A simple welcome message can make them feel valued and excited about joining the team.

Next, plan regular check-ins to celebrate successes and tackle any challenges. These meetings give new hires a chance to ask questions and managers an opportunity to provide guidance and regular feedback. With this ongoing dialogue, you can ensure new hires feel supported and engaged, reducing the chances of them leaving due to management issues.

[.callout-small] Read the manager’s guide to onboarding for more tips. [.callout-small]

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7. An unstructured onboarding process

❌ Some new hires have a great time, while others... not so much. At many companies, onboarding processes are as varied as the number of managers overseeing them. This lack of consistency creates significant challenges and different onboarding experiences. 

Without standard guidelines, managers or stakeholders often create their own processes or skip onboarding altogether. This can lead to new hires missing important information about the company’s structure and culture. As a result, new employees can feel lost and disconnected, giving them a rough start and damaging your employer brand.

✅ How to do it right: Standardize your onboarding process

Craft a standardized onboarding journey that sets every new hire up for success with a consistent introduction to your company and its culture. It also saves you time by automating routine tasks.

A couple of ways to create a uniform onboarding:

1. Create an onboarding checklist: Develop a checklist that outlines all tasks your new hire needs to complete.
2. Set automatic reminders and messages: Use automation to send reminders for critical tasks and welcome messages, keeping everyone on track.
3. Develop standard training modules: Use e-learning platforms or in-person sessions to cover essential topics.
4. Automate routine tasks: Use digital software to handle administrative tasks, such as paperwork and IT setup.
5. Digitally share company-wide information: Use an onboarding platform to deliver essential company information to every new hire. 

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8. Confusing orientation with onboarding

❌ Mistake: Think onboarding is just about filling out forms and setting up payroll? Think again! Some companies mistakenly use onboarding and orientation interchangeably, but they couldn’t be more different. Orientation is the administrative side of things—HR paperwork, payroll setup, IT configurations, and workplace safety training. Important? Yes. But it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Onboarding, however, is a deep dive into the company culture, goals, and key stakeholders, and it can take up to 12 months. Confusing the two means missing out on the chance to fully integrate new hires into the company, leaving them underprepared and disconnected.

✅ How to do it right: Go beyond orientation

Handle the basics quickly and efficiently—paperwork, payroll, IT setup, and safety training. Get these out of the way swiftly, even before the first day, so new hires can focus on the bigger picture.

Onboarding should go beyond orientation and be an ongoing process. It should cover everything: from building relationships and understanding the company culture to mastering their role and setting long-term goals.

For more detailed tips on building a successful onboarding process, read our guide here.

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9. Turning a blind eye to connections with colleagues

❌ Mistake: Picture this: It’s the first day for your new hire. Nervously, they walk in, wondering, "Who are my teammates? Will I find a welcoming face?" The manager, buried in work, hasn't alerted the team about the new arrival. As a last-minute resort, an unprepared colleague is tasked with showing them around.

Without a warm welcome or familiar faces, the new hire feels out of place and unsupported. This lack of connection can leave them isolated and uneasy.

Ignoring the importance of building relationships with colleagues can have serious consequences. 94% of employees state that they’re more productive when they feel connected to their colleagues. Furthermore, 96% of employees who feel connected are satisfied with their current role, compared to just 60% of disconnected employees (Enboarder). Those who feel connected are also more likely to stay in their roles long-term.

Having a best friend at work makes employees seven times more likely to be engaged and boosts job satisfaction by 50% (Gallup).

✅ How to do it right: Foster strong relationships before day one

Building strong relationships from the start can make a big difference in your new hire’s experience. Here’s how to:

• Prepare the team: Inform your team about the new hire's arrival well in advance, and encourage them to send welcome messages to give the new hire a warm welcome.
• Designate a buddy: Assign an onboarding buddy with clear responsibilities to guide the new hire. This ensures they have immediate support and someone to turn to with questions.
• Create familiarity: The last thing a new employee wants to feel on their first day is alone or lost. Share a document with photos, roles, and fun quotes about team members. 
• Meet before the first day: Arrange a team outing or informal meeting before the new hire's first day. This helps break the ice and makes them feel part of the team from the get-go.
• Allow time for coffee meetings: Encourage your new employees to schedule informal meetings with colleagues to get to know each other and their roles better.

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10. One-size-fits-all approach (not personalizing onboarding)

❌ Mistake: It's great if your onboarding process runs like a well-oiled machine – well done! Standardizing certain elements is efficient and saves time, providing a consistent experience for new hires. But here's the catch: this approach only works up to a point.

When onboarding is too generic, it misses the specific needs of different roles, overlooks the unique challenges of various departments, and ignores the particular requirements of employees in different locations. This lack of personalization can lead to disengagement and slower integration into the team.

✅ How to do it right: Tailor your onboarding process

Start with a flexible onboarding framework that covers the essentials – company culture, values, and mission (as shared in the other tips). Then, customize based on the new hire’s specific context:

Role/department

Ensure new hires learn about key team members, understand workflows, and grasp departmental goals to see their role's place in the bigger picture. Tailor training to match specific responsibilities and skills, ensuring your new hires have the tools to succeed.

Location

Address the unique aspects of each work location, whether it’s different (office) setups, regional policies, or specific local customs. Don’t forget about remote workers – set up virtual tours or video calls with the team to make them feel included and connected.

Individual

Go the extra mile with personalized touches in your onboarding process. For example, add a small gift or voucher in the welcome package that reflects the new hire’s interests or preferences. 

Tip: The Appical onboarding platform allows you to “tag” content, ensuring that each role, department, and location receives relevant information. 

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11. No opportunities for employees to offer feedback

❌ Mistake: You might have a stellar onboarding process and welcome new employees with confidence, but do you know how they feel about it? Were they satisfied with the pace? Was something crucial missing? If you never invite feedback, you'll never know, and thus never improve. The same goes for giving feedback to your new hires: if they don’t know how they’re doing, they can’t improve either.

✅ How to do it right: Regularly ask your new colleagues about their onboarding experience 

Did they miss anything? Do they have suggestions? This shows you care about their input and helps you refine your onboarding process.

Use various methods like surveys via your onboarding app, emails, or 1-on-1 meetings to gather feedback. 

Tip: Send email reminders before these meetings so employees have time to gather their thoughts and provide constructive feedback.

You can find more tips on how to gather feedback in this blog.

Conclusion

That's it! 11 onboarding mistakes you really don't want to make. By steering clear of these common pitfalls and focusing on a structured, supportive, and engaging onboarding process, you'll create a fantastic experience for new employees. This means better retention, higher productivity, and a happier, more cohesive team. Remember, a great onboarding experience sets the stage for long-term success and satisfaction. Make it count!

[.callout-small]Need help identifying gaps in your onboarding process? Book a free onboarding assessment.[.callout-small]

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This blog was first published on October 25, 2022, and updated on July 16, 2024.