First Impressions: Why Onboarding Matters More Than You Think
By: Brenda Quach
As leaders, we know onboarding matters, yet sometimes it’s easy to underestimate the cost of getting it wrong.
The paperwork gets signed, the laptop arrives, and a "Welcome!" email hits the inbox. Onboarding complete, right? Not to the new hire.
The disconnect between a successful hire and their readiness to thrive is where the breakdown most commonly happens. This gap often goes unnoticed until consequences, such as employee turnover or disengagement, become apparent.
The Cost of "Figuring it Out"
Research shows that 37.9% of employees who leave organizations do so within their first year, with one-third departing after just six months.
If you skip the planning or rush the process, the first few weeks become reactive. Small misunderstandings compound, and confidence stalls. By the time the problem is visible, it has already cost you time, productivity, and potentially the person themselves.
The fix isn’t a 60-page manual, more meetings on the calendar, or more trackers. It’s a clear, intentional process that treats every new hire like the high-stakes investment they are.
The Foundation
A solid onboarding plan is a necessity; it’s a strategic roadmap. Without a structured process, even the most talented new hires spend their first 90 days guessing.
When employees have to guess, they hesitate. They play it safe. They spend more energy trying not to make a mistake than they do driving results. This pattern shows up more than it should. Some organizations hire exceptional people and may still watch them underperform in the first quarter. Not necessarily because it was a bad hire, but because nobody clearly defined what success looked like from the start.
Beyond the First Day
A successful onboarding process should serve three main purposes:
Defining Success: Provides tangible milestones for the new hire’s 30, 60, and 90-day marks.
Cultural Context: This is where orientation plays its part. Whether it’s a formal session or a structured series of introductions with key players at the organization, this is when the hire learns how decisions are actually made.
Reducing Friction: Those first performance conversations are more supportive check-ins rather than stressful interventions.
It Doesn’t Stop Here
A solid onboarding framework is a tool you can use for more than just onboarding new hires. Newly promoted supervisors need "re-onboarding" to transition from individual contributors to leaders. Similarly, when a role shifts significantly, a structured re-entry ensures the employee doesn't feel like they’re starting from zero without a net.
Start with the End in Mind
Onboarding is one of the few moments in an employee’s lifecycle where you can prevent problems before they even start. If you’re hiring this year, your process is where your retention strategy begins. If you're not sure if your current plan is actually setting people up to win, that's exactly what we help organizations figure out.
At the end of their first day, what is your new hire going to tell their family at the dinner table? Was it the start of a career, or the beginning of a search for a different job?
