Onboarding, also known as the integration process, is a key lever in corporate talent management. It is often neglected or reduced to a purely administrative welcome. However, professionally designed onboarding can significantly increase performance, employee retention, and engagement. Lucca shows you what onboarding actually means and which best practices you can use to successfully integrate new employees into your company.
Article in 1 minute
-
Onboarding is a key process in talent management that helps new employees settle in and strengthens their commitment.
-
In Switzerland, a well-structured onboarding process can increase employee retention by 82 percent and significantly reduce the costs of failed recruitments.
-
Effective onboarding is based on careful preparation, a well-planned welcome, appropriate training, and regular one-to-one meetings to promote integration.
What is onboarding?
Onboarding: definition and benefits
Onboarding is a strategic process through which a company welcomes new employees and supports them as they settle into their roles. It goes far beyond a formal welcome. The process encompasses all steps from signing the contract to new employees becoming fully independent.
The onboarding process:
facilitates the adaptation of employees to their new working environment.
helps them to internalize the company's values and mission.
prevents premature departures, which are often due to poor integration.
Successful onboarding ensures that new employees feel welcome and valued and quickly settle into their roles.
Goals of onboarding
An effective onboarding program pursues several HR and management goals:
reducing stress when starting a new job
increasing productivity in the first few weeks
shortening the training period and accelerating the development of skills
strengthening team cohesion
long-term retention of talent
improving the employer brand and employee experience
Why is onboarding important for Swiss companies?
Onboarding is more than a formal HR process. It is an effective lever for performance, employee retention, and team cohesion.
Impact of onboarding on employee retention
The first few weeks are crucial. Many employees already know in the first week whether they want to stay with the company in the long term.
Structured onboarding can turn this sensitive phase into a positive experience. Well-implemented onboarding can increase employee retention by up to 82 percent.
In Switzerland, the cost of a bad hire can be up to five times the annual salary, according to the National Business Research Institute (NBRI). Targeted optimization of onboarding is therefore an effective way to save time and resources.
Consequences of neglected onboarding
Inadequately prepared onboarding can have the following effects, among others:
rapid departure of new employees
difficult integration into the team
premature departure, sometimes even during the probationary period
collective demotivation in the team that has to fill the gap
| Problem | Impact on the company |
|---|---|
| high turnover | additional recruitment costs |
| loss of productivity | reorganization, additional workload for the team |
| weakened employer brand | difficulties in attracting new talent |
Good to know: Failed onboarding not only has a negative impact on employees and teams, but also causes significant avoidable costs.
The key steps of a successful onboarding process
Effective onboarding is not limited to an administrative checklist. It is a step-by-step integration process that begins before the first day of work and extends beyond the first few weeks on the job.
Structure preboarding
Onboarding begins when the contract is signed. The preboarding phase is about maintaining contact with future employees, providing reassurance, and conveying initial information.
Successful preboarding includes:
a personalized welcome email to collect administrative information
logistical preparation, such as ordering work equipment and setting up IT access
providing useful or inspiring ideas, such as a video about the company culture or a personal welcome package
Good to know: This phase is crucial for keeping the motivation and anticipation from the recruitment process alive.
Preparing for the first day at work
New employees form an opinion about their new working environment on their very first day. The welcome should therefore be warm and enthusiastic.
Possible elements for a successful first day at work:
a fully equipped workstation
a welcome package in the corporate design
a tour of the premises
lunch with the team
a meeting with the manager to clarify tasks and next steps
Accompanying the first few weeks
After the first impressions, the following weeks must combine training, support, and social integration.
The following measures are recommended to lay the foundations for coherent competence management:
a step-by-step training program on tools, processes, and corporate culture
a structured introduction to the departments to understand cross-functional relationships
the appointment of a contact person, a mentor, or a sponsor to provide support in everyday life
regular meetings with the manager to assess progress and adjust goals
a joint team event to promote integration
Good to know: Onboarding does not only apply to new employees. The process should also be reactivated in the case of internal mobility to facilitate the transition to new tasks. This is referred to as crossboarding.
How can the onboarding of employees in Switzerland be optimized?
Prepare without overwhelming
Good onboarding is carefully prepared, but not overloaded. New employees should not be overwhelmed with too much information at once. It makes more sense to spread the content over several weeks and leave room for individual adaptation.
Define clear short-term goals
New employees need guidance to understand what is expected of them.
Clearly defined and achievable goals for the first few weeks:
promote motivation
make planning easier for new employees
create a clear framework for progress
Individualize the integration process
Onboarding should reflect the corporate culture and values. Personalized welcome packages, playful elements, or insights into internal rituals can make the process unique and strengthen the employer brand.
Enable exchange
Successful onboarding also includes social integration moments, such as joint breakfasts, team lunches, or after-work meetings. Informal one-to-one conversations also enable new employees to get to know their team better.
Such formats help to break the ice with new colleagues and develop a sense of belonging to the company.
Establish a step-by-step training plan
Further training is important, but it should be step-by-step, motivating, and appropriate:
no purely theoretical content
use of e-learning, gamification, or interactive formats
long-term planning with supplementary modules after three or six months
Ensure regular follow-up
New employees should not be left to their own devices after the initial integration phase.
Regular one-on-one meetings with the manager help to:
assess well-being and progress
identify obstacles at an early stage
ensure long-term commitment
Good to know: The integration process can be specifically optimized with digital onboarding. This allows information to be managed centrally and new employees to be offered a consistent and smooth experience, even in a remote setting.
Conclusion
Onboarding is a key driver of engagement in Swiss companies. In an environment where retaining talent is becoming increasingly important strategically, structured onboarding is not an option, but rather an investment in your own human capital.
