4 tips to create an effective onboarding experience

Imagine showing up for your first day at a new job and no one was there. Not a soul. Sounds like a movie or maybe a cruel joke, but this is actually a true story. A woman recently took to social media to tell about this experience. Even more surprising than being the only person there, when she contacted her employer seeking an explanation, she received no response.

In another situation, management of a different organization decided to wait until a new hire’s first day on the job to tell the incumbent that they were being let go. After informing the current employee of their fate, they then proceeded to ask them to train the new employee who would be replacing them after their involuntary exit. As you can imagine, it did not go well.

These examples are real and while they set the bar pretty low, unfortunately there are many other examples of what NOT to do when it comes to establishing what makes a good onboarding experience.

Why does the employee onboarding experience matter?

Here at Talogy we conducted research where we surveyed over 800 industrial entry-level hiring professionals to better understand quality of hire metrics inside industrial organizations. One of the key findings was that the onboarding experience ranked as the number one factor for new hire success in entry-level industrial jobs. This is noteworthy because onboarding experience is unique for these roles – including but not limited to manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, warehouse, and logistics – because they typically include requirements for physical labor with heavy equipment where safety and awareness are critical to the job.  

Even if your organization follows a structured process when it brings on new employees, it’s important to constantly be seeking feedback and evaluating the effectiveness of the onboarding experience. Research shows that it significantly impacts three key industrial outcomes:

1. Productivity

• Organizations with a standard onboarding process experience a 70% increase in productivity. (Brandon Hall Group)

2. Safety

• About 35% of all work-related injuries and illnesses happen within a worker’s first year on the job. (Travelers)
• 52% of employees felt their onboarding process left them feeling “undertrained.” (Paychex)

3. Retention

• 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they have a positive onboarding experience. (UrbanBound)
• Organizations with effective onboarding are able to increase retention of new hires by 82%. (Brandon Hall Group)

How to improve onboarding experience

While a typical employee onboarding experience for an industrial new hire can vary widely, the takeaway and overall impression are critical regardless of the role and the company. Whether there’s no program at all or a well-thought-out process that allows the new hire to get off to a strong start, the amount of effort invested into this initial introduction determines whether their time starts on a positive or negative note. And that start has an impact on the length of their tenure.

Establishing and perfecting the basic elements of a good onboarding process will pay dividends in the long run. To implement or improve the onboarding experience for your employees, keep these recommendations in mind:

1. Acknowledge that the onboarding experience actually starts as soon as a candidate applies for a job.

The assumption that the onboarding process begins on day one of the job is incorrect. The perceptions and experiences that a new hire has during the hiring process is the foundation they build on during the coming days, weeks, months, and hopefully years on the job. For example, if the hiring process is confusing and disorganized, the new hire’s onboarding experience is already negative rather than positive or even neutral. This adds pressure to make the new hire onboarding experience that much better to erase the previous mistakes. In contrast, if the hiring process is transparent, clear, and positive, then the new hire is likely to be more forgiving of flaws in the onboarding process, given the positive start.

Some ways that industrial organizations can set the right tone in the hiring process is with a fair and engaging screening or selection assessment. If the psychometric assessment is done right, it can provide a realistic job preview (which reduces the potential of future turnover), an opportunity to display relevant skills, and feedback for both candidate and employer to inform hiring managers if the prospective employee is a good fit. The feedback can also provide the candidate with insights about their strengths and challenges.

Once the job offer is extended and accepted, the paperwork should begin as soon as possible. Day one on the job should not be spent signing their name over and over, but rather be utilized to make them feel welcome, conduct team introductions, set initial goals, and commence job training.

Key takeaway: The onboarding experience starts long before day one.

2. Create customized and consistent training for each role and person.

Starting with the end in mind, if you don’t have a standardized onboarding process, it will be extremely difficult to measure, review, and revise over time. The standard operating procedures should be clear and established upfront. Since internal quality, safety, and operating procedures are often updated, these updates should be incorporated into your onboarding documentation regularly. New hires are building a knowledge foundation that will have long-lasting impact on all aspects of the job. Build that foundation with accurate and up-to-date information. Each job is unique. Therefore, each job training process should be personalized to that role. While safety training is universal, the various hazards to each position will differ greatly. A skilled maintenance worker should not be receiving the same training as a machine operator.

There are various methods to training hourly industrial workers. Some of these include mobile or desktop online training, classroom, and either simulated or live hands-on demonstrations. Within these methods, employees might see videos, slides, worksheets, assessments, and an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding. It is best to take a blended approach to reach everyone’s learning style.

When possible, training should also be adapted to each person. Different people have different preferences for learning. Pay attention to how new employees respond to the different methods of training. Seek constant feedback to improve this part of the onboarding process. It will create an environment where new employees feel comfortable asking questions and are able to learn in a way that will maximize their ability to be most productive, committed to safety, and confident about their work.

Key takeaway: Job training should focus on the specific job and person receiving the training.

3. Lay the foundation for safety and compliance immediately.

The maximum penalty for a serious or other‑than‑serious violation is currently over $16,000 per violation. Manufacturing and other industrial subsectors are heavily regulated. Having a set safety structure in place for each job role is vital to compliance and employee well-being.

Make sure there is a safety-first culture established early. Consider bringing in some top performers on the team to personally share why awareness, following safety rules, and compliance is so important. Create a culture of safety accountability where employees are clear on what’s expected of them and empowered to report situations that create safety risks. While the goal is always to keep the organization running smoothly, it starts with keeping people safe.

Key takeaway: Safety first. Always.

4. Utilize technology, but in the right way.

AI is changing the way we look at so many tasks. First, it’s important to get educated on the best way to utilize automation and AI. You can use this to speed up document collection, I-9 style verification, and background steps. The use of chatbots or virtual assistants can quickly answer basic questions from new hires at any time of day. You can also utilize AI to help create role-specific training and for planning schedules for regular check-ins and follow-ups. 

While technology can be great, don’t forget you are working with an actual person. The best onboarding experience uses technology for efficiency, but still socially engages with new hires and works to ensure they feel a sense of belonging within their team via you guessed it – human interaction.

Key takeaway: Balance technology with being a real person.

Start prioritizing the employee onboarding experience today

This new research emphasizes the importance of the onboarding experience for industrial hourly jobs that organizations cannot afford to ignore. The cost of a poor onboarding experience is very expensive. The benefits of a structured and well-organized onboarding experience results in better production, fewer safety incidents, and less turnover. The challenge is urgent, but solvable. Start the onboarding process long before day one on the job, make job training specific to the role and person, create a safety-first culture, and introduce new technology with a human touch to maximize the efficiencies of the onboarding process. When all this comes together, the outcome is a structured and positive onboarding experience for new employees that ensures they go home safely to their family.

In industrial environments where safety, productivity, and retention are under constant pressure, the gap between a good hire and a successful one often comes down to factors that have nothing to do with the selection process itself.

In this insight summary of our latest industrial research, conducted with over 800 industrial sector experts, we explore:

1. Why onboarding has the biggest impact on retention and productivity
2. How team dynamics influence integration and early turnover
3. Why work conditions drive attrition — and how to get ahead of it