The first few days and weeks of a new employee’s journey are critical and can have a significant impact on long-term engagement, performance and retention. A smooth and well-structured onboarding plan, which treats an induction as an ongoing process rather than a ‘one-off’ event, goes a long way to ensuring that your new hire is set up for success! This article will explore onboarding best practices that will help you create a smooth transition, drive engagement from day one, and set clear expectations to help your employee flourish and thrive in the long term.
Onboarding before day one
Ideally, the onboarding process should start well before your new hire sets foot in the building on their first day. The ‘pre-boarding’ stage is a great opportunity to start building a relationship and will go some way to reducing that first day anxiety your new colleague is bound to have. A good first step is to send them a welcome pack that has key information about their role, the team they will be working in, and some details about your company and its culture and values. It’s also a good idea to include logistics such as dress code, start time and what to expect on the first day.
From a more practical perspective, during pre-boarding, ensure that all technical and IT requirements are set up for your new hire, such as email address and/or access to any vital systems. This will ensure that a smoother and more efficient transition, as the employee’s first day will not solely be taken up with getting these in place.
Introducing key contacts such as line managers or team leaders during this stage is also advisable; either via email, or even better a short video call if possible. Make sure to stay in touch with your new hire between their acceptance of the job offer and start date at regular intervals, as this will help maintain enthusiasm for the role, and reduce their uncertainty.
Onboarding plan
Any onboarding plan you put together should be clear and well-structured, to help clarify to the employee what is expected from them from day one in terms of their targets and goals. A good approach to take is to use a 30/60/90-day structure to outline what they ideally should have achieved within each timeframe. Make sure to involve key stakeholders such as HR, IT and team leaders in the planning process so that everything is accounted for.
The plan should also include regular scheduled check ins with line managers to keep on track of progress and provide opportunities for feedback and support. These check ins are crucial to help identify any early challenges, and to keep the new hire engaged and involved in the process.
The first day
The first day is a key opportunity to make a positive impression on your new hire. With some thoughtful advance planning and good organisation, you can ensure a smooth and welcoming start that puts them at ease. Make sure everything is prepared in advance – from IT access and workspace setup to a clear schedule for their first week. Arrange to meet them at an agreed time and location, being greeted by a friendly, familiar face can go a long way to calming first day nerves.
Begin with a warm welcome chat, followed by a brief tour of the office, introducing colleagues along the way to help them start building connections. Then proceed to a short meeting to explain their first-week schedule, to help provide them with some structure and clarity. Try to keep tasks on the first day and week fairly basic and simple to help them get settled in and to avoid overwhelm.
Set clear goals and expectations
Throughout onboarding, setting clear goals and expectations is crucial to keep the new employee engaged and aligned with the process, and it also helps with building clarity and self-confidence. From the very beginning, define what success means in the context of their specific role – what do ‘good’ and ‘great’ look like in terms of their performance? Clarify what the KPIs and key responsibilities of the role are, both in conversations and written documents, so that they can begin working towards their goals with direction and confidence. Highlight how, when and from whom the employee can expect to receive feedback throughout their induction period (and beyond), and encourage them to ask questions along the way to help foster a sense of support.
Support professional development
Onboarding should not stop after the first week – ongoing learning not only helps your new hire build and develop the skills relevant to their role, but also signals that you are invested in their long-term professional development. After ensuring your employee has opportunity and access to complete initial mandatory training for their role, make them aware of other development opportunities that might be on offer, such as work shadowing, mentoring programmes, or access to specialist online learning platforms. Encourage them to take ownership of their development and your employee will feel supported and invested in, which will hopefully lead to long-term engagement with your company.
Ask for feedback
It’s a good idea to ask for feedback from your new hire about their experience of the onboarding process; this could be in the form of an email survey or a scheduled meeting. The following type of questions are a good place to start to gauge how they found the whole onboarding process:
- Did they feel supported throughout?
- Were the expectations of them and the role clear from the start?
- Do they feel fully integrated into the team?
- Can they suggest any improvements to the process?
Acting on any feedback you receive about onboarding is vital to help make any necessary amendments or improvements for the next new starter, and will reassure the employee that you value their opinions and input.
Summary
By following our advice and investing time and care into your onboarding process, you will help your employees to thrive, and strengthen your organisations’ reputation as a great place to work. A well-designed onboarding process builds a strong foundation for long term success, and shows employees they are valued and supported.
Unitemps has over 25 years’ experience in recruiting for temporary and permanent roles across a variety of sectors. Talk with one of our friendly consultants today or take look through Unitemps’ recruitment services.
This article was written by Amy Evan-Cook.
Last updated on 20 October 2025
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