Onboarding is a human resources industry term referring to the process of introducing a newly

hired employee into an organization. Also known as organizational socialization, onboarding is

an important part of helping employees understand their new position and job requirements. It’s
the process that helps them integrate seamlessly with the rest of the company.

There are many activities that go into the onboarding process, from the job offer to team
training.

How Long Does Onboarding Take?

Onboarding may last anywhere from a few weeks to a year, but the most effective onboarding
usually lasts at least a few months. Ideally, employees will feel confident and competent when
the onboarding process is complete.

While there's no strict rule about how long onboarding a new employee should take, it’s
important to be thorough in this process. Many companies have an onboarding process that
lasts only a month or a few weeks, which risks new employees feeling overwhelmed with their
new responsibilities and not connecting with the rest of the company.

Many HR professionals recommend that an onboarding process should last about 90 days,
while some professionals recommend extending the process for as long as a year. This ensures
employees have the resources they need to get to know the company, internalize their training,
and feel comfortable doing their job as expected.

What Are Onboarding Activities?

Onboarding consists of multiple individual processes; however, it has no official definition and
opinions still vary as to which processes fall under the umbrella of onboarding.

To name a few common onboarding activities, onboarding can include:

 Job offers
 Salary negotiation
 New hire paperwork
 Policy and culture training
 Job training
 Employee handbook training
 Benefits paperwork
 Benefits education
 Facility tours
 Executive introductions
 Team introductions

What Is the Onboarding Process for a New Employee?

One thing HR professionals generally agree on is that onboarding begins the moment a candidate
accepts a job offer and ends when a new employee is fully integrated and performing as
expected. Whether or not an organization provides all of the onboarding elements in the list, it’s
a wise investment to provide all new employees with a thorough, efficient, and consistent
introduction to their new organization.

In a survey of U.S. employees, we found that the quality of onboarding experienced by new
employees dramatically impacts engagement, performance, and longevity, among other factors.
The best onboarding processes will include relational onboarding, which includes:

 Setting expectations
 Building relationships with other employees
 Creating confidence and trust
 Creating a clear definition of roles and boundaries

Starting a new job can be overwhelming, and onboarding is most effective when it is spread out
over time. This allows employees to better retain information by giving them time to process
everything and ask questions as needed.

Create Better First Days.

BambooHR® helps you build an effective onboarding process with expert-approved,

customizable onboarding checklists, welcome emails, and new hire packets—so every new hire
feels welcome on day one.

Get your free demo today!

See how easy HR can be when everything works together.

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