Onboarding mistakes that are affecting new-hire retention

Onboarding can make or break employee retention. Yet only 52% of new hires are satisfied with their onboarding experience. 

And a staggering 80% say they’re ready to quit because they feel undertrained. That’s a huge problem for HR teams working hard to retain talent.

If your onboarding isn’t meeting expectations, it’s probably costing you top talent. Here are the top onboarding mistakes that drive employees away—and practical ways to fix them fast.

1. Information overload from day one

New hires are eager to learn, but throwing too much training at them too fast will lead to frustration and overwhelm. Instead, break training into smaller chunks over a few days or weeks. Start with key tasks and essential tools, then layer in more complex topics or role-specific trainings after.

Use short videos, quizzes, or interactive content that employees can complete on their own as well. This gives them space to absorb and come back with any questions.

2. They’re not connected to the culture

Remote and hybrid employees are especially at risk of feeling disconnected. 60% feel disoriented, and 52% feel undervalued after onboarding. HR teams can help new hires integrate by introducing company culture early—through videos, discussions, or team-building activities. 

Whether it’s a Slack/Teams channel for hobbies, or an ERG they can join, make your company culture part of the onboarding process. Show how values play out in day-to-day work, too.

Scheduling meet-and-greets with colleagues to help employees build relationships from the start is a small way to get even the most introverted team member opening up.

3. Missing tools and resources

If employees are left to learn essential systems without the right tools or training, they’ll feel unsupported and unprepared. Make sure all logins, software, and essential tools are set up before day one. If you don’t have one already, create a central hub for onboarding materials, FAQs, and key resources so employees can easily find what they need.

4. Unclear expectations on the job

Uncertainty about responsibilities brings frustration and disengagement, fast. Proactively work with managers to set clear expectations from day one. Make sure they’re ready to cover what success looks like in this role, key responsibilities, and short-term goals. Help managers outline how performance will be measured to help new employees prioritize.

Outside of specific role expectations, make sure to share any workplace norms like how teams collaborate at your company, who can answer what questions, and what’s expected of them from a stakeholder perspective as an employee.

5. Forgetting the human behind the role

The push for mental health advocacy at work is growing as new generations join the workforce. It’s no surprise that 79% of employees are more likely to stay in a role if they have access to high-quality mental health resources. Make sure employees know where to find support—whether it’s an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), wellness initiatives, or mental health services.

You aren’t at this alone though! Ask people managers to check-in with their new hires about more than just work and create a safe space where they can share and ask for help. While the honeymoon phase comes first, three to six months down the line they could face overwhelm before leveling out.

If employees learn during onboarding what’s available to them and who to rely on, they won’t have to awkwardly ask around or just pretend they’re okay.

6. No clear pathway to growth

Career growth is often promised in interviews, but is your HR team working with people managers to deliver? Organizations that have made a strategic investment in employee development report 11% greater profitability and are twice as likely to retain their employees. 

If new employees don’t see a clear path for advancement as promised, they may have buyer’s remorse or worse: Feel they can’t trust the company and start looking again. It’s a bad first impression that could really cost the company.

7. Confusing, disorganized ways of work

Once you’ve given some thought to the first six common mistakes, it’s time to develop a better, more structured onboarding program to avoid number seven: Disorganized ways of working.

Create a timeline for key milestones in the first week, month, and quarter. Start with company expectations, then work with team leads for department level, and then people managers for role-level add-ins where applicable. Yes, it’s a lot up front, but once you have the foundation, this is repeatable and could be automated through a form for each step.

Then, use your LMS or learning platform to complement the timeline. Add relevant and staggered training, track employee progress, and automate course updates. Blend your compliance training, company culture, and role-specific learning into one streamlined experience as much as possible.

Make onboarding effective and reliable for new hires

Onboarding is a pivotal moment for new employees—and if done wrong, you can expect higher turnover. But with the right approach, it sets them up for long-term success.

If you’re looking for ways to make onboarding smoother and more engaging, Go1 can help. We provide access to thousands of courses on everything from compliance to leadership, plus tools to personalize learning paths, track progress, and create a seamless new-hire training program.

Whether you need a centralized hub for learning, fresh content to keep employees engaged, or just a better way to structure the process, we’re here to support you. Want to see if Go1 can help you avoid some of these mistakes? Schedule a demo today.