Studies show that as a result of poor onboarding:  

• 1 in 25 new hires leave their job after just one week 
• It takes on average 28 weeks (6.5 months) for a new hire to be fully effective in their role and to be caught up to the same level as their team 

Accompanying the newcomer from the outset through a structured onboarding programme makes it possible to support, involve, and inform the new hire in all things regarding their organisation. In other words, you’re providing the necessary support to get them through the uncertainty that entering a new organisation provokes.  

“Onboarding is the process of introducing a new employee to his or her new job; acquainting that employee with the organisation’s goals, values, rules, and policies and processes; and socialising that employee into an organisational culture” (Caldwell, 2018;3). 

During the pandemic, onboarding programmes had to be rethought quickly. Those that focused primarily on in-person practices came to a standstill; others simply replicated what had been done in-person in a virtual context; others were completely overhauled to reflect the new working reality.  

Here at ASAP Italia, we are supporting a new research project whose focus is on onboarding programmes. This is the Master’s dissertation study of Sian Wells, a student at the University of Leicester (UK).  

The research project aims to investigate best practices for onboarding programmes in two different time periods: the year before the lockdown was implemented in March 2020 and the period after the lockdown was implemented until July 2021. 

The online survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. The information collected will be processed and used in aggregate form (i.e. together with the answers given by other participants) for an eventual statistical analysis. Participation is voluntary. 

How has the onboarding programme changed in your organisation? What role has technology played/will continue to play in onboarding programmes?