Raphael Bohne
Research expert covering professional services
Onboarding - statistics & facts
Onboarding is the processes an organization has in place to integrate new employees upon commencement. Typically an onboarding program will involve some combination of: showing a new employee the requirements of their role, teaching them broader company processes and making them familiar with the company’s culture. A variety of methods are used to achieve this, with hands-on practice and computer-based training being the most popular in the United States. Many HR professionals view onboarding as important for making new staff quickly feel at ease in the company and enabling new staff to start being productive as soon as possible. Employer efforts in the regard seem to be well received, with a majority of new employees worldwide finding their employer was helpful in getting them prepared for their new role.
The length of onboarding programs varies. Some employers only assist in the first week, while others continue to provide assistance for a year or more. Program lengths tend to differ slightly between regions, with North America generally having shorter onboarding programs than other regions. Actual program lengths also tend to be shorter than what HR professionals would prefer. In addition, many organizations commence their program prior to a worker starting employment, a process known as preboarding. While this may appear overly enthusiastic to some, others point to the time savings of getting some tasks finished early, allowing new employees to concentrate on the productive aspects of their role right away.
Many HR professionals are starting to think of onboarding as a way to manage the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in their workplace. This differs from traditional onboarding in that the target is existing employees, not a new employee, but the principle is the same. A vast majority of HR professionals see onboarding as able to teach employees the required skills to work effectively with newly-introduced AI/automation, reducing fear and uncertainty around the change. In line with growth of AI and automation, a 2019 survey found a majority of U.S. HR professionals believed their onboarding program was either extremely or somewhat prepared for this eventuality.
The length of onboarding programs varies. Some employers only assist in the first week, while others continue to provide assistance for a year or more. Program lengths tend to differ slightly between regions, with North America generally having shorter onboarding programs than other regions. Actual program lengths also tend to be shorter than what HR professionals would prefer. In addition, many organizations commence their program prior to a worker starting employment, a process known as preboarding. While this may appear overly enthusiastic to some, others point to the time savings of getting some tasks finished early, allowing new employees to concentrate on the productive aspects of their role right away.
Many HR professionals are starting to think of onboarding as a way to manage the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in their workplace. This differs from traditional onboarding in that the target is existing employees, not a new employee, but the principle is the same. A vast majority of HR professionals see onboarding as able to teach employees the required skills to work effectively with newly-introduced AI/automation, reducing fear and uncertainty around the change. In line with growth of AI and automation, a 2019 survey found a majority of U.S. HR professionals believed their onboarding program was either extremely or somewhat prepared for this eventuality.
