Onboarding at Euro Caps: From a one-way street to a personal welcome

The Challenge

Euro Caps is the world’s largest private-label coffee capsule producer. With 330 employees (100 in the office, 230 on the production floor), they supply retailers like Jumbo and Lidl across 44 countries. Despite rapid growth, their culture remains grounded. "We’re a dynamic, hands-on company. Our motto is: Stop talking, start doing," says Karin Snijders, L&D Business Partner at Euro Caps.

When Karin joined the company, she experienced the old process firsthand: a laptop-based e-learning program. Her impression was instant: "It felt a bit like being back at school, especially with a quiz at the end of every module. I found myself focusing on getting the answers right rather than feeling welcomed. It was more about 'This is how we do things' and less about 'Welcome! How can we help you walk through the door with confidence?"

The old process worked, but it didn't fit the company's DNA. The core issues were:

• One-way communication: The focus was on what the company wanted to say, not what the employee needed to know.
• Accessibility: It was only available via laptop, yet 230 production workers don’t use laptops or work emails.
• One size fits none: A single standard program for two completely different work environments.
• Missing basics: Practical questions—like where to park or what to do about lunch—went unanswered.
• Low engagement: Only 5 out of 60 new hires actually completed the e-learning.

The Solution: Mobile, Personal, and Always-On

Karin decided not to just "fix" the e-learning, but to pivot to the Appical onboarding app. "You can use an app anywhere: on the couch or scrolling through your phone in bed. That’s exactly when you might want to browse a chapter," Karin explains. For production staff on the factory floor, this low-threshold access is crucial.

Euro Caps focused on three goals:

1. Connection before day one: "The primary goal is to connect new employees with the organization the very moment they sign their contract."
2. Telling the unique story: "Euro Caps isn't just any random company. We are defined by many unique characteristics, and we want to share those with our new colleagues." The app is designed to bring the culture, pride, and our specialized expertise to life.
3. Removing tension through clarity: Euro Caps puts the employee's journey at the center, rather than the company's information needs. "We acknowledge that you probably have a lot of questions. All practical queries, from 'Where do I park my bike?' to 'Do I bring lunch?', are answered."

Implementation: A Blueprint for Success

The Euro Caps team opted for a "self-service" approach and built the onboarding app themselves, step by step. They kicked off with an internal Design Workshop to map out the new employee's journey: which moments are critical, and what information is needed at those times? They also looked at how information needs differed between target groups.

Armed with those insights, they dove into Appical’s Miro board. There, they mapped out the complete storyline and established a logical structure. "I actually found that to be the most helpful tool," says Karin. "Because if you fill that in properly, building the actual journey in Appical becomes much easier."

To ensure the app truly resonated, they gathered direct input. For the production staff, the team went straight to the factory floor. They asked recent hires: "What did you miss? What did you find valuable?" This feedback formed the foundation of the onboarding journey.

With a clear plan and valuable feedback in hand, the team built the two journeys within the platform. They gathered and created all the content—from videos to copy. An Appical consultant provided extra tips and a final quality check before the app went live. The entire process took approximately 3 months.

The App in Action: Two Paths, One Goal

Two Separate Routes

Euro Caps created two distinct journeys: one for office employees and one for production staff. Both groups start with the same foundation—the company story, coffee culture, and values—before the paths diverge.

Initially, the team considered using a single journey with tags. However, once the office version was finished, it became clear that production employees needed entirely different information. As a result, they created a second track, fully tailored to that specific target group.

Culture and Practice

New hires learn about the company’s origins, its growth, what makes the organization unique, and the sheer scale of production (nearly 2 billion capsules per year). But they also discover the social side: Formula 1 trips, the annual company party, and the "Wall of Fame" where every employee receives a professional portrait.

Practical questions are answered before they are even asked. Where do you park your bike? How does the security key work? Is there free fruit at work? It’s all in there.

Interactive and Connecting

The app makes learning highly accessible. Every team introduces itself via its own video, ranging from a short clip from Finance to a mini-course on coffee tasting by the specialists. This gives departments much better visibility than a dry presentation on the onboarding day.

A virtual tour of the massive factory shows you exactly how to get to Hall 8, while quizzes (such as "drag the right name to the right capsule") boost engagement.

Personal contact even begins before day one: the Director welcomes you via video, your manager sends a message through the app, and the whole team lets you know, "We’re looking forward to having you!"

Results: More engagement, less admin

New employees are responding enthusiastically, and the app truly breathes Euro Caps: "The look and feel, the vibe, it’s a perfect match. A dynamic, catchy, 'let's get to work' company. No-nonsense and hands-on," says Karin. This alignment translates directly into a smoother start for new colleagues.

Time Savings and Efficiency

Euro Caps said goodbye to the old e-learning platform and significantly improved the efficiency of their Coffee Culture Program. "A large portion of the presentations has been integrated into the app. This allows us to skip them during the onboarding day and move much faster to the practical module, where people actually get to work with coffee."

It also saves HR a lot of time. For example, the welcome messages that new employees write for the SharePoint page are now completed directly in the app. "In the past, my colleague always had to follow up with emails and phone calls for those."

A Consistent Story

The same applies to crucial (safety) information. As a food production company, Euro Caps must maintain strict food safety standards: "In every chapter, we refer back to mandatory training sessions. You must complete these before you are even allowed to enter the factory. We can now provide that extra reminder continuously." The message also remains consistent: everyone hears the same well-thought-out story.

Higher Engagement

While previously only 5 out of 60 new employees per year completed the e-learning, engagement is now noticeably higher. The rest of the organization is also much more visible: "Departments introduce themselves through videos, something that previously didn't happen, or wasn't done well enough."

The result: people land better, feel more welcome, and start their new roles with more confidence.

4 Tips from Euro Caps:

1. Define your storyline first. What exactly do you want to show?‍
2. Take the new employee as your starting point, not the company. What questions and uncertainties can you resolve before someone starts?
3. Prep your content: Have your photos, videos, and texts ready to go.
4. Batch your work: Set aside dedicated time to build the journey so you stay in the flow.