Great onboarding isn’t just about having the right tools—it’s about having the right onboarding experiences to apply them effectively. I was reminded of this in January, shortly after joining TrainingPros as a Relationship Manager. I attended the NALES conference in Austin, TX, where I met and connected with top learning professionals. As I was getting ready to leave, one of the learning leaders I met gave me a quick tip on how I could take the city’s public transit system—something I enjoy doing in a new city, having grown up using the Chicago Transit Authority.. She had me simply download the CapMetro app!
She was right. The app was well-designed and intuitive. I had everything I needed to get to the airport. Confident in my ability to use the app, I boarded the right bus—only to realize after 20 minutes that I was on the right bus…but going the wrong way!
Luckily, I had given myself ample time to get to the airport. I quickly got off the bus, called for an Uber, and still made my flight. No harm done.
I returned to work to continue my onboarding at TrainingPros with this experience reminding me of an important lesson. While it can be tempting to cut onboarding short to save time and budget, best practices exist for a reason. Without a structured onboarding process, even the most capable professionals with the best intentions can feel lost.
The Problem: Onboarding Often Fails Employees
For too many organizations, onboarding is an information dump, not a structured learning journey. This creates costly consequences:
- Only 12% of employees say their company does a great job onboarding.
- A structured onboarding program can increase productivity by 70% and boost retention by 80%.
- Companies with a formal onboarding process see new hires reach full productivity 34% faster.
Despite this, most companies rush onboarding—expecting new employees to “hit the ground running” without the coaching, and time needed to succeed.
The result? Unnecessary mistakes, disengagement, and preventable turnover.
The Solution: Trust, Scaffolding, and Safe Learning Environments
Just like I had time to do a course-correct on my way to the airport, new hires need an environment where mistakes are low-risk and learning is prioritized over performance.
For learning leaders and consultants, this means designing onboarding that has the following intentional elements:
- Structured waypoints – like a transit map, onboarding should have clear phases, not a chaotic flood of information.
- Trust building between the manager and new employee – when managers take an active role, employees feel empowered to slow down and absorb key lessons without fear of failing.
- Builds progressive competence – onboarding isn’t a single event; it’s a journey that should extend over months, reinforcing key skills through mentorship, check-ins, and continued development.
- Safe space for practice – when learning happens in a low-risk environment, employees develop confidence and autonomy faster. Making mistakes is part of learning. Onboarding should provide a place for new employees to make mistakes without repercussions.
- Customized Learning Solutions – personalized onboarding programs, designed by Instructional Design Consultants and Learning Experience Designers (LXD), ensure that employees receive relevant, engaging training materials.
This isn’t just about making onboarding smoother, it’s about making it effective. A well-designed onboarding process ensures employees not only understand their role but also:
- Feel confident in their ability to do their new job.
- Feel connected and engaged.
- Integrate quickly into the organization’s culture.
- Become productive more quickly.
- Have a clear understanding of their role.
- Stay at the company longer!
How Learning Leaders Can Take Action
Partnering with Instructional Design experts ensures onboarding is strategically designed for both long-term success and immediate impact.
- Shifting mindsets: Onboarding should be seen as a long-term investment, not a short-term task.
- Training managers should be active coaches during onboarding, not passive observers.
- Creating structured, data-backed programs that optimize engagement and retention.
- Using analytics to measure onboarding effectiveness, so the learning and development team can iterate and improve.
- Leveraging custom learning solutions to tailor the experience to different roles and business needs.
By intentionally designing and leading the onboarding experience, we equip new hires with the skills, confidence, and connections they need to excel—accelerating their impact on the business.
Transformation: From Confusion to Clarity
New hires, like new travelers in an unfamiliar city, want to succeed, they just need the right guidance. When onboarding is structured, employees feel confident instead of overwhelmed, engaged instead of uncertain, and productive instead of lost.
The question for learning leaders and consultants isn’t whether onboarding should evolve—it’s whether we will take the lead in shaping that transformation. At the end of the day, no one wants to take the wrong bus just like new hires don’t want to make mistakes—but having the right support ensures that new employees have the best possible chance to thrive and contribute.
Call to Action for Learning Leaders
- Review your organization’s onboarding program – does it build trust, structure learning, and give new hires space to grow?
- Train hiring managers to be onboarding mentors, not just supervisors.
- Measure onboarding effectiveness – are new hires set up for success, or are they expected to figure it out on their own?
- Consider bringing in external consultants – If time, expertise, or resources are limited, training consultants and Instructional Design Experts can design Custom Learning Solutions that deliver measurable results while ensuring internal teams stay focused on their priorities.
Let’s build onboarding programs that don’t just inform—they transform.
Download your copy of 7 Key Design Elements of Successful Onboarding Programs.
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