How to Start an Employee Onboarding Program: Your Complete Guide

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Apr 24, 2025

Employee onboarding is an important part of the employee onboarding process. Organizations that invest in a structured employee onboarding program see high retention rates, increased productivity, and a better new hire experience. Without a proper onboarding framework, new hires often feel lost and may regret joining.

In this guide, we’ll outline how to build a structured, engaging employee onboarding program that helps employees succeed from day one.

What Makes Zappos’ Onboarding Unique?

Zappos is known as one of the most renowned companies for excellent customer service and a strong workplace culture. Its onboarding program goes beyond basic training. One of its best strategies is customer support training, in which every new hire, regardless of their role, spends some time in the customer support department to truly understand the company's core values.

The Zapier team also leveraged automation. Their onboarding workflows automatically add new hires to the program, thus saving 40 minutes per new hire. They also match new hires with experienced mentors, automatically eliminating manual work.

Zappos ensures that new hires develop the necessary skills for their roles and feel engaged and connected to the company’s mission.

Read: Employee Onboarding Surveys: Questions, Template, and Best Practices

How To Build An Employee Onboarding Program

A well-structured onboarding program can help new hires succeed by leveling their confidence, satisfaction, and engagement in the workplace. Let’s explore the necessary steps to build an employee onboarding program that drives business growth.

Seamless Transition from Hiring to Onboarding

The onboarding process should begin before the joining day of the employee to create a smooth transition from onboarding to full-time employment.

Here’s what the HR team can do:

Introduce company core values through presentations or video testimonial after the final interview.
Share all the pre-boarding material with employees so they feel welcomed and excited.
Set clear expectations about the job role to encourage transparency and reduce turnover.
Introduced an AI-driven hire portal to introduce key company values and set up personalized training modules before day one.

Laying the Foundation After the Job Offer

Once the candidate accepts the job offer, onboarding should begin immediately. The goal is to make the onboarding process stress-free and seamless. Some essential key elements of onboarding are:

Share a quick “what to expect” message from leadership.
A walk-through of the office in case of remote settings.
Send a digital or physical kit containing an employee handbook, first-week schedule, and FAQs.
To create a sense of belonging, gift them company-branded items such as mugs, notebooks, and T-shirts.
Consider sending a personalized “First-Day Essentials” box with a coffee card, a board game, and noise-cancelling earbuds.

The First Week: Building Connections & Training

The first week is critical, as it directly impacts engagement and productivity while shaping the new hire experience. To ensure a smooth start, companies should focus on:

Assigning a work mentor to new hires who will answer questions, introduce them to the workplace, and help them integrate into the company culture, supported by onboarding automation tools to streamline scheduling and task tracking.
Introducing new hires to colleagues through virtual or in-person meet-and-greets to form strong connections and foster a positive new hire experience.
Walking new hires through essential tools and systems they’ll use while performing their job, with AI onboarding feedback helping managers adjust training in real time.
Streamlining all paperwork digitally, such as tax forms and payroll setup, using onboarding automation to reduce delays and enhance efficiency.

Structured Training & Job Shadowing

New employees should complete organised training modules during their first week to gain critical skills and information. Companies can enhance the process by:

Interactive learning technologies include video classes, quizzes, and real-world case studies.
Collecting feedback by conducting surveys to assess training efficacy and suggest areas for improvement.
Introducing job shadowing possibilities allows new hires to see experienced staff in action and get practical insights into their positions.

Gradual Work Introduction and Performance Check-ins

Companies should introduce work gradually rather than overloading new employees with big tasks. This allows people to gradually adjust to new technologies, workflows, and expectations. Best practices include:

Assigning small, doable tasks to boost confidence.
Encourage collaboration among cross-functional teams.
Conducting regular check-ins to get feedback and handle any problems.

Implementing these onboarding tactics may help firms build a productive, engaged, and motivated team.

30-Day Check-In: Evaluating the Initial Experience

HR teams and managers should conduct a 30-day check-in to measure how well new hires are adapting in the workplace. By asking the right questions, you can continuously improve the onboarding process for future hires.

Key questions to ask :

Do you have all the tools and resources required for your job?
Do you feel comfortable reaching out to a manager when you need any help?
How well do you understand your goals and expectations for the next 60 days?

60-Day Check-In: Assessing Role Fit & Feedback Flow

Two months in the company should familiarize new hires with their job responsibilities and build confidence in them. This check-in strengthens communication between new hires and their managers, ensuring employees feel appreciated and supported.

Key questions to ask :

Do your tasks match your job expectations?
Do you receive personalized feedback from your manager?
How valued do you feel by your colleagues and leadership team?

90-Day Check-In: Measuring Growth & Future Goals

After three months, employees should have a good understanding of their role and workplace dynamics. The 90-day check-in emphasizes long-term success and professional growth.

Key questions to ask:

How satisfied are you with your role so far?
Are you able to complete your tasks independently, or still require frequent support?
How optimistic are you about growth opportunities within the company?

Best Practices for a Smooth and Engaging Employee Onboarding Program

A great onboarding experience helps new hires feel excited, supported, and ready to thrive in their new role. Here are some simple but effective ways to make onboarding smoother and more engaging:

1. Start Before Day One

No one likes feeling unprepared on their first day. Instead of waiting until they step into the office (or log in remotely), start onboarding early. Send a warm welcome email, introduce them to their team, and give them access to an onboarding portal where they can explore company values, policies, and expectations at their own pace.

2. Make Expectations Crystal Clear

Starting a new job is already nerve-wracking; don’t make new hires guess what’s expected of them. Give them a roadmap for their first 30, 60, and 90 days so they know what to focus on. Outline their key responsibilities, who they’ll be working with, and what success looks like in their role. When expectations are clear, confidence follows.

3. Ditch Boring Training Sessions

Let’s be honest; nobody enjoys sitting through hours of dry presentations. Instead, keep training interactive and engaging. Think:

Short and snappy video tutorials.
Hands-on activities to learn by doing.
Fun quizzes or real-world examples that bring lessons to life.

The goal? Keep them engaged, not overwhelmed.

4. Help Them Feel at Home

Starting a new job isn’t just about learning the ropes—it’s also about feeling like you belong. Help new hires build connections by:

Setting up virtual or in-person meet-and-greets.
Assigning a mentor or work buddy who can show them the ropes.
Organizing casual team lunches or coffee chats to break the ice.

The sooner they feel comfortable, the sooner they’ll start contributing with confidence.

5. Keep the Conversation Going

Onboarding isn’t a one-and-done process. Check in regularly to see how they’re doing, whether it’s through quick feedback surveys or casual one-on-one chats. Ask them about their experience, what’s working, and where they need more support. The more you listen, the better you can make the process for future hires.

How can AI improve employee onboarding?

AI can significantly enhance the employee onboarding process by automating repetitive tasks and delivering personalized experiences. Through onboarding automation, AI can:

Streamline preboarding paperwork and workflows.
Assign tasks and schedule training modules automatically.
Provide AI onboarding feedback to managers in real time, helping them adjust training and support for a better new hire experience.
Identify patterns in engagement and highlight areas for improvement in the onboarding framework.

Using AI in onboarding ensures a smooth, efficient, and highly engaging experience for new hires.

HR teams can leverage TheySaid to collect AI onboarding feedback, automate surveys, and streamline the employee onboarding process. Learn more on our HR page.

Enhance Employee Onboarding with TheySaid

A smooth employee onboarding program is critical for engagement, productivity, and retention. TheySaid is the everything app for feedback, empowering teams to manage surveys, interviews, polls, and user tests all in one place. With voice, AI, and conversation analysis, you can collect insights from multiple sources, import data, teach AI to understand your context, and perform sentiment analysis to detect trends, themes, and potential issues.

How TheySaid elevates onboarding:

Automated feedback collection: Gather real-time insights at key milestones (Day 1, Week 1, 30, 60, 90 days) using onboarding automation.
AI-powered insights: Analyze AI onboarding feedback to detect concerns early, track engagement, and improve the new hire experience.
Data-driven improvements: Identify patterns in employee engagement to enhance your employee onboarding programs and employee onboarding process.
Comprehensive features: Use voice, AI, surveys, conversation analysis, and imported data to get a full view of onboarding effectiveness.
Personalized support: Adjust training, mentorship, and workflows based on insights to ensure every new hire feels supported.

TheySaid transforms onboarding into a dynamic, responsive, and fully integrated process that keeps employees engaged, supports continuous improvement, and prepares teams for long-term success.

Book a demo to see how TheySaid can optimize your employee onboarding program.

Read - Top Onboarding Feedback Survey Questions for Employee Success

Key Takeaways

Enhance onboarding with interactive training, mentorship programs, and company-branded welcome packs to create a great experience.
Conduct regular check-ins at 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day intervals to assess engagement, assist, and monitor progress.
Use AI-driven portals and automated workflows to streamline training and administrative tasks.
TheySaid helps optimize your Employee Onboarding Program with real-time new-hire feedback.

Final Thoughts

A well-designed employee onboarding program sets new hires up for long-term success by making them feel welcomed, confident, and fully supported. By clearly communicating expectations, providing mentorship, and offering hands-on training, companies can create a seamless transition that enhances the new hire experience.

Implementing onboarding best practices such as structured training, automated workflows, and regular feedback ensures employees are productive faster, feel connected to the company culture, and are motivated to contribute from day one.

A thoughtful employee onboarding program is not just a first-week checklist; it’s a strategic investment in engagement, retention, and long-term organizational growth.

FAQs

What is an employee onboarding program?

An employee onboarding program is an organized process that helps new hires easily transition into their jobs. It covers training, business culture, and performance goals.

How long should an onboarding program last?

While the first week is critical, the best onboarding programs extend over 90 days to ensure long-term employee success.

What are the key elements of a good onboarding program?

Key elements include preboarding, structured training, mentorship, regular check-ins, and ongoing support.

Why are 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day check-ins important?

These check-ins help managers track employee progress, provide support, and ensure that new hires feel valued and confident in their roles.