TL;DR
Preboarding is one of the most important moments in the employee journey, yet it is still often underprioritized.
When preboarding and onboarding lack structure, clarity, and engagement, the consequences go beyond a slow start. It affects how employees perceive the organization from day one, their productivity, and ultimately how long they stay with a company.
A more structured and thoughtful onboarding approach helps new hires become productive faster, feel more confident in their role, and stay longer.
Overview
- What poor preboarding really costs organizations
- Where onboarding processes tend to break down in practice
- How to build a more effective preboarding process
- How to build a more effective onboarding process
- How you can achieve it yourself
Preboarding sets the tone for everything that follows
Poor preboarding is often seen as a minor issue. Managers and HR tend to think a not so great onboarding experience can be overruled with having a great experience once on the job. In reality, poor preboarding has very real consequences and can often lead to not even getting to the first days on the job.
When new hires do not receive the right support early on, it slows down their time to productivity. They spend more time figuring things out on their own, asking ad hoc questions, or waiting for answers that should have been part of a clear process.
This is something many organizations only fully recognize once it starts affecting retention.
With our highest area of attrition being within the first six months, we couldn’t afford not to review the preboarding experience.
Georgina Huntley, Head of Employee Career & Development, ManpowerGroup UK
At the same time, managers and colleagues are pulled into repeated, unstructured onboarding tasks, which adds unnecessary pressure internally.
The biggest impact, however, is long-term. Employees who feel lost, unsupported, or disconnected early on are significantly more likely to disengage or leave.
And replacing them is always more expensive than onboarding them properly in the first place.
Where onboarding typically breaks down
In many organizations, preboarding is non-existent and onboarding is still fragmented. Before their first day, new hires don't hear anything and are left to assume what is to come. And once they start, they get information spread across different systems, documents, and conversations. Tasks are handled manually. And responsibilities are not always clearly defined.
This creates an inconsistent experience where some employees receive a structured start, while others are left to figure things out on their own.
The truth is that this kind of setup rarely happens by design. It is often the result of onboarding evolving over time without a clear structure behind it.
The onboarding process has evolved significantly over the past few years. Before, there was no real structure, and no preboarding. New hires would simply receive an email a few days before starting with all the necessary information.
Petra Baars, Online Communication Specialist, Werkzaak Rivierenland
Preboarding is where this gap often becomes most visible. The time between signing the contract and the first day is a key opportunity to build engagement, set expectations, and create a sense of belonging.
When that moment is reduced to a single email or a few scattered touchpoints, the experience already starts to lose momentum before the employee even walks through the door.
How to build a more effective preboarding process
Effective onboarding does not start on day one, it starts the moment a candidate says yes. A structured preboarding process ensures that new hires feel informed, prepared, and connected before they even begin.
That means creating a clear journey between signing the contract and the first day. Communication should be consistent and timely, not dependent on manual follow-ups. Practical information about the role or work equipment, introductions to the team, and expectations for the first weeks should be shared in a way that is easy to access and revisit.
At the same time, preboarding is not just about sharing information. It is about creating a sense of belonging early on. Giving new hires insight into their team, their role, and the organization helps them feel like part of something before they arrive.
How to build a more effective onboarding process
Improving onboarding does not necessarily mean adding more steps. It means making the existing ones clearer, more consistent, and easier to follow.
That starts with defining a structured onboarding journey that begins before day one and continues beyond the first weeks.
All tasks a new hire receives during the first weeks should be clearly assigned, communication should be centralized, and progress should be visible for both the employee and the organization.
With the right setup, onboarding becomes a guided experience rather than a series of disconnected tasks. New hires receive relevant information, training, and communication tailored to their role, while HR and managers gain visibility into progress and engagement.
How can you achieve this?
More organizations are starting to recognize preboarding and onboarding as a strategic priority in the employee lifecycle.
The question is no longer whether onboarding matters, but how structured and scalable your approach to it is today.
At Talentech, we help organizations:
- Create structured onboarding journeys from preboarding to full productivity
- Ensure consistency across teams and locations
- Reduce manual work and improve the experience for both employees and managers
Explore how our onboarding solution supports a smoother, more engaging start for every new hire here.
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