Although the term "onboarding" may evoke the idea of boarding, in a professional context it refers to the process of welcoming and integrating new employees within a company. Implementing it in an organization has the advantage of reassuring new hires from their very first days in the company, reinforcing their decision to accept the job offer, enabling them to quickly grasp already established company habits, clearly sharing the objectives expected of them, and ultimately giving them the keys to become operational in their assignments as quickly as possible. However, onboarding is often underestimated, neglected, or limited to basic actions such as a tour of the premises, introducing team members, distributing access badges, and providing access to online platforms. Yet, carefully preparing the arrival of a new employee can significantly reduce turnover and strengthen the company’s attractiveness. A study conducted by Cadre Emploi in 2019 reveals that one manager out of three has already left their position following an unsatisfactory integration. Successful onboarding plays a decisive role in a recruit’s decision to stay with the company or not. We propose sharing a few onboarding best practices that you are free to adopt to bring your new employees on board, while taking into account the different contribution of each stakeholder.

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Understanding the importance of onboarding

First, let us recall why it is important to ensure the proper integration of a new employee. During this phase, employers expect the new hire to be punctual, humble, enthusiastic about the role, and able to adapt quickly to the responsibilities assigned to them. But successful integration does not rest solely on the shoulders of the newcomer. The company also has a role to play. Neglecting the onboarding process could penalize it and cause it to lose valuable talent, thus increasing turnover. It is necessary that the new hire’s initial enthusiasm does not fade upon arrival in the company, but on the contrary is strengthened, and that the employee fully commits to their new role.

Let us put ourselves in the shoes of an employee about to start in an environment they will discover in a few days. They are likely to expect practical information before arrival, such as the company’s exact address and recommended arrival time. And on day one, they may expect a workspace to be prepared, their new colleagues to be introduced to them, to feel comfortable within the team, and to be entrusted with initial assignments. logistics and communication are crucial and form the foundation of their first impression. A shortcoming in these areas could lead to disappointment, affect their integration experience, and by extension their long-term motivation.

American psychologist Bruce Tuckman defined five stages in team development, the first being "forming" or the group formation phase. This marks the moment when the team is formed, when the leader selects members who will contribute to achieving a common goal. During this phase, he explains that it is necessary for each member to understand precisely their roles and responsibilities within the group, as well as those of their colleagues. In short, introducing a new talent to colleagues during the first few days is of great importance. In addition, Tuckman specifies that during forming, the team leader must ensure clear communication about the company vision, as well as the team’s main goals and the direction to follow, to ensure buy-in and engagement from everyone. This forming process is in fact closely intertwined with onboarding, because successful integration into the company will facilitate the transition into this first stage of a group’s life.

Getting involved in onboarding a new hire: everyone’s responsibility!

Neglect of onboarding can often result from unclear distribution of responsibilities within the organization. It happens that everyone thinks integrating a new employee is not their responsibility. Colleagues may consider it the team leader’s or manager’s responsibility, while the manager may see it as the human resources department’s business. However, successfully welcoming a new hire is the result of a collective effort, involving not only the newcomer and their direct manager, but also HR, close and more distant colleagues, the IT team in charge of equipment, and leadership.

Moreover, the heterogeneity of expectations regarding onboarding further complicates the situation. While the new employee may have specific expectations when starting at a company, the manager will have others: they will mainly expect the new talent to quickly reach optimal performance and autonomy. HR, for its part, will ensure certain procedures are strictly followed, and leadership will want to make sure the company vision has been well understood and shared. Harmonizing these different expectations requires open and effective communication, as well as coordination between all stakeholders.

Despite this, regardless of one’s role in the company, each stakeholder is responsible for offering a human, sincere, and caring experience to every new talent joining the company.

Taking care of the key moments

Onboarding includes several phases: from employee recruitment to acceptance of the job offer, followed by the day of arrival, then the first days in the company, and finally the weeks and months that follow. Depending on where the employee is in their journey, certain actions may be recommended, such as those we present below. Let us add nuance, however: each piece of advice shared can be kept, removed, or customized as you wish so that your company’s values are always represented and the human connection preserved. If autonomy is essential in your company and you want new hires to dive into the deep end from day one, you could intentionally share fewer guidelines with them.

Understanding the definition of DESC

Onboarding a new employee begins well before their first day at the office. It starts from the earliest stages of their recruitment process. During this phase, which lays the foundations for integration, each stakeholder has a specific role. Here is how each can help enrich this experience:

• The first people who welcome the recruit

  They can provide a positive experience from first contact with the candidate by conveying a warm and professional image and responding accurately and kindly to practical questions.

• The direct manager

  They are responsible for clarifying expectations, objectives, and the role of the new talent, but also for sharing during the recruitment phase potential growth opportunities should the candidate join the team.

• The N+2 and leadership

  They will communicate the company’s key mission to the candidate, as well as its values and history. They will inspire the desire to take part in this collective adventure, in order to strengthen their sense of belonging from the outset.

• Future colleagues

  Through their welcome, knowledge sharing, availability, courteous gestures, and smiles, future colleagues can transform a candidate’s apprehension into positive anticipation.

• The HR department

  Its members will ensure that all administrative formalities are clear and simplified for the candidate and that company policies are shared as they progress through the recruitment process.

Each interaction, each gesture, each word during this phase will contribute to onboarding, building a rich and welcoming experience that will not only attract talent but also further encourage them to commit to the company.

From the job offer acceptance to the eve of the new employee’s arrival

Between the moment the candidate accepts the job offer and the day before arrival, several actions are recommended. Here is how each actor can help prepare the ground for successful integration of the new employee:

• The HR department

  It will play a key role by sending a carefully prepared onboarding email. Depending on the company’s organization and size, this email may be sent by the direct manager or a member of leadership. In this welcome email, practical information will be provided such as start date and time, instructions on what the employee should bring, and questions about specific equipment needs. HR (or the manager, or a leadership member) will also make sure to collect the necessary documents (ID photo of the new employee, date of birth, home address, copy of national ID card, health insurance card, bank details, etc.) to finalize their employment contract.

• The IT team

  It will ensure that from day one, the newcomer has a professional email address and all required login information to access work platforms and tools. For this, it is necessary that the direct manager or HR informs IT in advance of the new hire’s arrival and shares the required information. In the absence of an IT team, responsibility for creating online access will then fall to the direct manager or a leadership member.

• The current team

  It will also be encouraged to warmly welcome the newcomer, adapt schedules (for example, by changing a remote-work day to come to the office) to meet the new colleague, make themselves available for a few minutes of conversation, and, if possible, attend the organized team breakfast or lunch, in order to break the ice and begin building professional and personal connections.

• The direct manager

  They will inform the current team of the imminent arrival of the new member, indicating the exact date of their first day, otherwise this could create discomfort. They may even ask within their team or others whether there is a volunteer to be the new recruit’s buddy or mentor, meaning someone willing to explain company habits and support them with initial questions. The direct manager will also be responsible for sharing resources the future employee can consult before joining the team, for preparing the new employee’s workspace by providing supplies they may need (pens, sticky notes, notebooks, etc.), required equipment (computer, dual screen, mouse, headset, etc.), goodies (if the company has them), and why not writing a personalized welcome note to strengthen their sense of belonging from day one. Finally, they will identify which tasks to assign and determine expected objectives for the first day, first week, and first month as well. The goal is for them to have all the information and resources needed for effective skill development and rapid immersion in projects and assignments.

With these actions, the new employee will feel expected, valued, and supported from the moment they arrive. Their first impressions should be positive.

The employee’s first day

A new employee’s first day is a pivotal moment that can greatly influence their experience and perception of the company. Here is how everyone can act:

• On the direct manager’s side, the focus will be on welcome and orientation.

  • Maximize team presence in the office

    A team largely present to welcome a new member will have an undeniable positive impact on the talent’s experience. Thus, for those who had initially planned to work remotely on the new employee’s arrival day, the manager may request a special effort by asking them to come on-site. The goal is to foster a welcoming and dynamic atmosphere from the new talent’s first day.

  • Give a tour of the premises

    The manager may give a guided tour of the premises, indicating, for example, the different rooms, how people are seated in the space, the equipment in the kitchen area, etc. The employee will then be able to navigate independently and easily in their new work environment.

  • Share a friendly moment

    For a new employee, it is more pleasant to have lunch with new colleagues on the first day and get to know them in an informal setting. The manager may have planned an outside lunch with the team or with certain key people, or present the best local spots to the new employee (or delegate this task to willing colleagues).

  • Strengthen belonging to the company

    Recalling the company’s history, values, and ambitions will anchor the new member’s sense of identification and commitment. Moreover, this mission can also be carried out by leadership members.

  • Set clear objectives

    During interviews, the direct manager likely already shared the role’s objectives and may have been imprecise due to confidentiality concerns. On the new employee’s arrival day, expected deliverables should be more precise. Ideally, objectives should follow the SMART method, meaning they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

  • Assign a first concrete task

    To engage the new employee on day one, it is better that they are assigned a concrete mission with clear guidelines on the company’s work processes and methods.

• For HR, priorities will be administration and support.

  • Clarify formalities

    An initial exchange to discuss contractual details, compensation, bonuses, employee benefits, leave policy, remote-work requests, works council offers, and additional administrative documents to provide (e.g., invoice proving transport subscription, choice of health insurance plan) will ensure a smooth administrative integration for the recruit. They can then focus on what matters most: their assignments!

  • Facilitate familiarization

    The sharing of a staff directory, enriched if possible with a short written introduction of each company member, will help the newcomer understand everyone’s roles and functions. HR could also ask the new employee to complete a profile sheet and include a short personal description so that their new colleagues can, in turn, learn more about them.

• The leadership team, for its part, will play a role in welcome and company vision.

  • Welcome personally

    A brief exchange with leadership can significantly make the new employee feel valued, and show that their arrival is important at all levels of the company.

By orchestrating these different actions, the company will ensure that the new employee feels valued, well informed, and ready to fully commit from day one, creating a positive integration experience.

The weeks and months following day one

Enthusiasm when a new employee arrives should continue after the first day. Here is how the different stakeholders can ensure proper integration of the new employee.

• For the direct manager

  • Provide feedback to the new hire

    It is advisable to organize regular feedback check-ins after the talent’s first week and first month to discuss first impressions, review challenges encountered, and adjust objectives according to needs. This will not only support skill development but also strengthen their feeling of being heard and valued.

  • Ensure social integration

    In addition to professional aspects, the manager can ensure the newcomer’s social integration, for example by inviting them to group activities and informal moments such as coffee breaks, team lunches, afterworks, and team-building weeks. Furthermore, encouraging the new employee’s participation in cross-functional projects can foster integration by allowing collaboration with a variety of colleagues.

  • Communicate continuously

    Setting up a routine of one-on-one meetings will ensure constant follow-up, regularly discuss the new employee’s progress and aspirations, and make any necessary adjustments.

• For HR (or the direct manager or leadership teams)

  • Congratulate the employee when the probation period is validated

    The end of the probation period is a key moment that deserves to be marked by a follow-up meeting or formal communication. Highlighting the employee’s success will help reaffirm their commitment to the company.

  • Request feedback from the new talent

    Encouraging the new talent to share impressions through a fresh-eyes report can provide valuable insights into company processes and open the way to potential improvements.

• Colleagues

  • Strengthen bonds

    Building strong relationships with colleagues happens over time through shared projects, challenges overcome together, and friendly moments shared.

  • Support new colleagues on a daily basis

    As resource persons, experienced colleagues can offer support by answering questions, sharing advice, and facilitating access to information, contributing to the newcomer’s well-being.

• Leadership members

  • Show recognition

    A simple gesture, such as celebrating the employee’s first anniversary within the company, could have a significant impact on the talent’s sense of belonging. This celebration could take the form of a message sent on an internal social network, an in-person exchange, or a small gift.

  • Invite the employee to company events

    Inviting them to take part in events (e.g., celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary, attending the annual wishes speech, joining the Epiphany cake gathering) will strengthen integration and offer an opportunity to build connections across the organization.

By adopting these practices, the company will create an environment where every new employee feels supported, valued, and engaged over the long term.

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Onboarding goes beyond simply introducing a new employee to their work environment; it is an essential process for the employee’s long-term growth and success within the company. Through the different stages, whether from recruitment to the job offer made to them, up to their arrival in the company and their adaptation in the weeks that follow, the objective is the same: to transform the arrival of a new talent into a positive and enriching experience, both for the individual and for the organization. The new hire must feel integrated and feel like part of the company they have joined.

Each company, depending on its size, DNA, core values, the personality of its members, its business sector, and its resources, can launch onboarding measures that represent it. Although certain actions are recommended for very specific stakeholders, these recommendations are flexible and adaptable. There is no universal formula for an ideal onboarding process. Each company develops its own approach, designs a process that truly reflects its identity, facilitates integration of the new employee, and contributes positively to the organization’s image.

The success of onboarding is actually based on: the importance of preparation, raising awareness among different stakeholders (direct managers, colleagues, HR, IT, leadership) about their role during the onboarding phase, open communication between the different actors, personalized support for the employee, and valuing them throughout their development within the company.