Onboard Amsterdam 2026
Learn from experts, connect with HR leaders, and discover best practices to enhance your onboarding experience and employee journey.
Date: June 4, 2026
Location: Venue Collective - The Conference, Amsterdam
Invite only, language: Dutch
Keynotes
From HR Task to Organizational Priority: Onboarding Lessons from The New York Times
Career Enablement
Onboarding rarely gets the priority it deserves. Yet it may be the most important moment in someone's employee journey. The New York Times chose to treat it that way and built a world-class program around it. With a team of two.
How do you get leadership on board? How do you build an experience that resonates across a diverse group of employees? And how do you make sure your mission is felt from day one? Ross Flatt takes you through their learnings and why they're more relevant to your organization than you might think.
HR in charge during the AI revolution
Margot van Brakel is a futurist, author, and keynote speaker at the intersection of technology and human potential. She has a clear vision of HR as the guide to a people-first future. In a time of exponential change, true potential doesn't come from AI—it comes from people. Margot not only offers a perspective but a shift.
Workshops
The Hague Introduction Program (HIP): Onboarding as a journey through the organization
A new job often feels like a journey: you step on board somewhere, get to know the route, and after a while you know exactly where you need to be. In The Hague, this hasn't remained just a loose metaphor — it has become the foundation of the Hague Introduction Program (HIP).
In this session, Mirjam Westgeest (Director of People and Organization) takes you on board. You'll experience how HIP works, gain insight into its content and facts & figures, and hear how the program has grown into the Hague Development Program. A session in which you're not just a listener, but travel along for a stretch.
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Onboarding in evolution: from project to program
Many organizations view onboarding as a one-time project and start from scratch each time. But what if you continue to develop from a solid foundation? In this workshop, KPMG and Yes! We Connect will guide you through KPMG's onboarding evolution. How did separate initiatives grow into a mature program where online and offline complement each other? You'll discover where your organization stands, actively work with peers, and leave with a concrete next step.
The role of primal principles in an increasingly digital world
What if 90% of all burnouts within companies could be prevented? This session examines how organizations can bridge the gap between our ancestral biological needs, such as movement, social connection, and natural rhythms, and the sedentary, high-stress nature of the modern workplace.
We will explore why prioritizing employee wellbeing is essential for creativity, productivity and retention in a digital and AI world, focusing on a holistic culture built on physical, mental, and social health. HR professionals will walk away with practical strategies to realign the work environment with human nature, fostering a more resilient and engaged workforce.
AI Anxiety in the Workplace: Where It Comes From and What You Can Do About It
AI is changing the way we work, and for many people that brings real uncertainty, stress and anxiety. But where does AI anxiety actually come from? What does it do to people? And how do you help your employees deal with it?
In this workshop, psychologist Jochem Bukman explores the psychology behind AI-related concerns — from job security to the fear of falling behind. You'll learn to recognize limiting thought patterns and make your teams more resilient in a rapidly changing world.
Onboarding after day one: keep the warm welcome alive with your managers.
Your onboarding in Appical is solid, and new hires start full of energy. At the same time, you keep developing your employer brand and continuously strengthen the touchpoints across the onboarding journey. In short: onboarding is well taken care of. But the moment day-to-day life with the manager takes over, that warm welcome risks cooling off.
In this workshop, KVK shares its Brand Experience approach (KVK DNA) and shows how it reinforces onboarding. After that, we'll roll up our sleeves together: how do you get managers moving so they fulfill their key role in onboarding actively, consistently, and with conviction?
Onboarding as the starting point of vitality
Most organizations see onboarding as a process: forms, systems, a quick round past IT and Health & Safety. But day one shapes something far bigger: whether a new employee feels mentally, socially, and professionally vital enough to thrive.
At Onboard Amsterdam 2026, we look at onboarding through a different lens: as your organization's first vitality intervention. In a World Café setting, we'll explore these three dimensions and discover what gives new employees energy and what unintentionally drains it.
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From Work Pressure to Resilience: What Teams Really Need When Collaboration is Under Pressure.
What happens when collaboration comes under pressure due to staff shortages and high workloads?
In this interactive session, you'll experience the story of a neighbourhood team at Zonnehuisgroep Amstelland. You'll see how they improved their collaboration and what it concretely delivered: more connection, calm and results.
No passive listening, but active doing: you'll reflect on your own practice and translate insights directly into actions for your team.
We show why collaboration is often the bottleneck in change and where you as an HR professional and/or team leader have direct influence.
Roundtables
Alongside the main programme, we are hosting two closed roundtable sessions for HR professionals from specific sectors. In a small group setting, you'll have an in-depth conversation with peers about the onboarding challenges that matter most to you.
Roundtable Healthcare
Hosted by St. Antonius Hospital
In a sector where staff shortages and high workloads are a daily reality, onboarding is the key to retention and engagement. During this closed session, you'll join fellow HR professionals from healthcare to discuss how to stay in control as an HR specialist in a rapidly changing labour market.
Roundtable Municipalities
Hosted by Muncipality of Amsterdam
How do you ensure every new employee feels connected to the municipality, across all its different departments and functions? During this closed session, you'll join fellow HR professionals from other municipalities to discuss how to maintain direction as an HR specialist within a complex, layered organisation.
Future-Proof HR: Scalable yet Personal
We will focus on three core pillars of a future-proof HR strategy:
• The strategic importance of onboarding
• The Employee Experience: Scalable yet personal
• The role of HR in the age of AI
What people think of Onboard Amsterdam
"I hear it from a lot of people: This is the place where the onboarding community meets."
“Onboard Amsterdam allows you to network with professionals that have one goal in mind—creating amazing experiences for new employees. It’s a great place to learn from each other and gain new insights.”
"Onboard Amsterdam gives me inspiration and makes me want to go back to my work tomorrow and do things differently."
Join the waiting list
For this edition of Onboard Amsterdam, we're choosing an exclusive setting with limited seating. If you are interested, join the waiting list and we will let you know when there's availability.
FAQs
Here you will find answers to the most pending questions.