Pulled this bit from my latest [byte]sized post because, it deserves a deeper dive.
We’ve all been there. First day at a new job. You show up, maybe a little nervous, but excited. Then… nothing. Your manager is too busy to greet you, your laptop isn’t set up, and you spend the first week wondering if you actually work there or if you’re doing enough - or even what you’re supposed to be doing.
Or maybe it’s the opposite. You get a firehose of information, an endless list of trainings, and 27 unread emails before lunch. By the end of the day, you don’t remember anyone’s name, and your soul has already left your body.
Onboarding is so much more than getting a stupid-looking hat, setting up logins, and maybe getting a welcome speech. It’s the moment where someone decides:
🤔 Did I make the right choice joining this company?
🤝 Do I feel valued and supported here?
🚪 How soon will I be updating my resume again?
Good onboarding isn’t just “nice to have.” It directly impacts retention, morale, and how quickly someone can actually contribute. Yet, so many companies treat it as an afterthought (if they think about it at all).
Onboarding starts before Day One.
From the first impression of your company (usually the job posting), you’re setting expectations. A stressful interview process, lack of communication, or radio silence between interviews? Suddenly, you’re losing good applicants, or your new hire is already looking for something better before they’ve even started.
I have this really dumb saying that bugs everyone I tell it to (#dealwithit):
🔥 Make Day One a Great One. 🔥
Here’s what actually makes for a solid onboarding experience:
✔️ Day 1 isn’t paperwork purgatory. Get that done beforehand so their first day is about people, culture, and context - not forms.
✔️ They know what success looks like. A clear roadmap for the first 7/30/60/90 days helps new hires understand where to focus.
✔️ A real human checks in. Give them a buddy - maybe a manager (but make sure they have bandwidth and time set aside for them), maybe just a teammate. Hot tip: this is also a great way to give others leadership opportunities.
✔️ Their stuff is ready. Don’t make them run around trying to find their laptop or setting up their personal machine because you didn’t send their equipment yet. Have a full desk ready to go when they walk in (or open up the box you sent them)
✔️ They actually feel welcome. Introduce them to their nuclear team (the people closest to them) so they aren’t left floundering. A simple intro, and Slack message goes a long way. Maybe even have the team set aside an hour or so in the morning to bring in the newb.
If you botch onboarding, don’t be surprised when your “great hire” mentally checks out before they even get started, leaves faster than you expected, and/or drags down morale for the rest of the team because of their sour experience.
What’s the worst onboarding experience you’ve had? Or better yet, what’s something a company did that made you immediately feel like you belonged?
Let’s make onboarding suck less.