When it comes to hiring, candidate experience is everything. A poor one can cost you top talent, regardless of how strong your employer brand might be, and an excellent one can result in a successful hire, even if the candidate did not think of your company as their first choice. But what about after the hiring decision is made?
More often than not, companies unfortunately forget about this period. The contract is signed, so that is all we need, right? Not really. The candidate experience does not end at the point of contract signing. But how do you bridge the gap between offering the job and the candidate’s first day on the job? This is where preboarding comes in and becomes a game changer.
Let’s break it down.
What is missing in the perfect candidate experience?
The candidate experience has traditionally been a focus during the application and interview stages, but far too often, companies neglect the crucial period between job acceptance and the first day of work.
In fact, our Nordic Recruitment Report found that 61% of new hires experienced not hearing much from their new workplace between contract signing and the first day on the job.
This silent gap leaves candidates feeling uncertain and disconnected. And ultimately, this can lead to disengagement, loss of enthusiasm, and even candidates reconsidering the decision to join your company.
The good news? You can fix it. But how?
Preboarding is the key. How can you get started?
According to the Nordic Recruitment Report 75% of new hires want to learn more about their new team and company before their first day.
Yet, many organizations overlook this phase, missing an opportunity to solidify the connection with their new hires.
What is preboarding?
Preboarding is the practice of keeping candidates engaged from the moment they accept the job offer until they start their first day. It is when you build excitement, offer valuable information, and start to integrate your new hire into the company culture.
In our Nordic Recruitment Report, 98% of candidates shared that receiving key information before their first day – such as company insights, team introductions, and practical details – helps them feel better prepared for their first day on the job.
Preboarding ensures that new hires feel not only prepared and informed, but also excited to join, reducing any anxiety about their first day.
The benefits of strong preboarding
Building a strong preboarding process can lead to higher engagement, reduced turnover, and a better overall experience for new hires. Here’s how.
Providing candidates with the right information during the preboarding period is crucial for making them feel prepared, engaged, and confident before their first day on the job. And thankfully, we know what kind of information new hires find most valuable:
- 75% want to learn about the company’s history, products, vision, and mission.
- 73% value introductions to colleagues, teams, and departments.
- 62% find practical information about equipment, lunch, benefits, and the employee handbook essential.
- 58% appreciate insights into company culture and invitations to social events.
The Nordic Recruitment Report, 2025
What to focus on in preboarding?
Now that we know why preboarding is essential, let’s look at the key areas that will help fix the candidate experience gap:
1. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
By now, we have established that open, transparent communication is essential during the preboarding phase. After the candidate accepts the offer, communication should not stop. You can remain in touch with them by sending regular check-ins to inform them on important topics and keep their excitement alive.
What should these check-ins include? Start by giving them a preview of what their first days will look like. Provide details on what they should bring, what their schedule will be like, and any other logistical information that will help them feel prepared.
Did you know that dress code is the thing most candidates wonder about? And yet it is so easy to give them instructions or inspiration on how to dress even before their first day, so they do not have to worry.
Jens Christian Borgen, CEO at Talentech Norway
2. Introduce the team
Aside from communicating any technical details, it is also essential to introduce a new candidate to the team they will be working alongside of. And yet again, this can be done way before they even set foot in the office. Even a virtual introduction can go a long way. For instance, you can have team members send personalized messages or short introductions.
People trust people. Our Nordic Recruitment Report showed that 64% of candidates trust employees to recommend a workplace and 73% of candidates specifically want an introduction to their colleagues, team, and department.
Beyond introducing them to their immediate team, consider showing them the bigger picture by sharing resources on your company culture, values, and employee resource groups. This helps the new hire see they are joining a larger community, not just a team.
3. Offer learning opportunities early on
Preboarding isn’t just about paperwork. It’s a great opportunity to get new hires involved in learning the basics of their role and the company.
Even before they’re physically sitting at their desk, provide access to essential learning materials such as online training, an employee handbook, and documents that outline your company's mission, values, and processes. By offering these resources early, new hires can start absorbing important company information at their own pace, which helps them feel prepared and confident from day one.
Additionally, you can introduce them to any role-specific training or tools they’ll need to be familiar with. For instance, this could include access to a company sharepoint, project management tools, or training sessions that help them understand the technical aspects of their job.
Based on the data from our Nordic Recruitment Report, the biggest challenge new hires experience when starting a new job is unclarity with job duties, expectations and results.
4. Involve managers rightaway
While it is HR who often owns the preboarding process, the hiring manager plays a critical role in making the new hire feel welcome and wanted. Preboarding is the perfect time to bring managers into the experience, not just on day one.
Encourage managers to:
- Schedule a brief welcome call or video chat
- Share what they’re most excited about regarding the new hire joining
- Provide context on upcoming team priorities or goals
- Answer any role-specific questions directly
This kind of personalized outreach reinforces the new hire’s decision to join, builds trust early, and sets a professional tone that HR alone can’t fully deliver.
5. Let technology help you
Automating the administrative tasks involved in preboarding can save HR teams valuable time and provide a smoother experience for the new hire all at the same time.
To save yourself time, you can opt for utilizing preboarding platforms to handle routine tasks like paperwork, compliance training, and setting up IT systems before the new hires' first day. Aside from this making your processes smarter, it will be of great help for the new employee that will not have to spend their first few days filling out forms or waiting for access to key systems. Preboarding platforms that integrate AI tools can also streamline this process by automatically sending onboarding messages that engage the new hire early on.
Thankfully, we offer a solution just for that – a powerful ATS to manage the entire preboarding experience from start to finish. And the cherry on top? It is powered by our AI Copilot, a secure and GDPR compliant extension that will help you automate just about everything you might need automated.
Jens Christian Borgen, CEO at Talentech Norway
Check out more about this solution here.
What’s next?
Fixing the candidate experience gap requires a proactive approach to preboarding. And although it might be more of a marathon than a sprint to perfect it to the fullest, you can start with small steps already today.
For instance, you can take action and kick it off by reviewing your current preboarding process and evaluating how you can simplify and enhance the experience for your new hires. And if you feel that you still do not know enough, you can also opt for downloading our Nordic reports to get more insights into candidate experiences and expectations as well as strategies for improving your preboarding processes completely for free:
