Onboarding can make or break the trajectory of a new hire's journey.
An onboarding process that lacks preparation will leave new hires feeling confused, undervalued, and questioning their decision to join the company. On the other hand, a thoughtful, well-structured onboarding experience encourages confidence, engagement, and long-term success.
At The Metiss Group, we’ve seen firsthand how onboarding isn’t just about making a good first impression; it’s about setting the foundation for meaningful relationships, clear expectations, and consistent development.
In this article, we’ll explore the stark differences between good vs. bad onboarding practices over three time periods:
And by the end of the article, you’ll understand how to create an experience that sets every new hire (or promoted employee) up for success.
The first day of onboarding shapes the employee experience
The first day shapes how the new hire will feel about the company. A well-planned first day can make them feel excited and confident, while an unorganized one can leave them feeling confused and unimportant.
Bad onboarding
The new hire, Anne, walks in and meets reception. “Hi, today’s my first day. I’m supposed to meet John Doe.”
Reception responds, “Oh. Let me see if I can find him.”
John comes out 10 minutes later and introduces himself. Anne can tell he forgot today would be her first day.
“Let me see if I can find you a desk,” he says. “In the meantime, why don’t you go to HR to fill out your paperwork. I’ve gotta go jump in a meeting.”
Throughout the day, Anne feels like an afterthought. She doesn’t have a desk phone or a work email setup yet. She immediately loses confidence in her decision and feels buyer’s remorse as a new hire.
This scenario is bad onboarding because it lacks preparation and care. When Anne is greeted with confusion and isn’t shown any resources or guidance, it signals disorganization and devalues her role. Instead of feeling welcomed and supported, she feels regret and uncertainty about her decision to join the company.
Good onboarding
Anne received her new hire paperwork via email before her first day. That way, she’s able to hit the ground running on the first day. She also received a job scorecard that sets expectations around her job duties and success factors.
Once she arrives, John takes Anne to her prepared workspace. He lays out her entire day and gives her an onboarding plan. He introduces her to key people around the office, and he plans out her lunches for the week.
A good onboarding plan requires managers to think ahead about everything that could cause confusion for a new hire. Things that sound obvious to longtime employees can cause stress for a new hire:
Do people pack a lunch or go out to eat? Is there a microwave or a fridge?
Do people take notes during meetings? Do people eat during meetings?
Do people show up to meetings on time, late, or 5 minutes early?
What time do people show up? What time do people leave for the day?
During the first day and week, it’s not so much about doing the work, it’s about figuring out the cultural norms. By addressing these questions as soon as possible for a new hire, you’ll eliminate unnecessary anxiety and help them hit the ground running as smoothly as possible.
Onboarding 90 days to one year helps employees feel confident
The first 90 days turn a new hire into a confident and engaged team member. And over the course of the next year, consistent communication, clear expectations, and meaningful feedback can help them feel like they belong.
Bad onboarding
Anne has lunch with her former coworkers every week, and they’re begging for her to come back. And she’s honestly considering it.
None of her current coworkers were looped into her hiring decision, so many are reluctant to engage with her. Some even ice her out, not understanding how her position is relevant to their own.
Without a job scorecard, Anne has no idea whether she’s successful in her new role. Her manager never set any expectations, so she doesn’t know if she’s meeting or exceeding them.
She tried asking for feedback, but John’s response was, “If you don’t hear anything from me, that means you’re doing just fine!”
This scenario highlights how bad onboarding extends beyond the first day and into the long-term employee experience. Anne’s lack of clear expectations, feedback, and team integration leaves her feeling isolated and undervalued.
Without ongoing support and accountability, she becomes disengaged and ultimately decides to leave.
“Well, she just wasn’t a good hire,” John thinks to himself. But what we’ve found is this: turnover in the first 90 days might be indicative of a bad hire, but turnover after 90 days is indicative of a bad leader.
Good onboarding
Anne has weekly 1-on-1s with her manager. From the beginning, her manager has made a habit of giving her a 3:1 ratio of positive to course-correcting feedback.
In her first month, Anne was delegated her first small project. It not only gave her a sense of success, but it also gave her an opportunity to work closely with others in the organization and build rapport.
Anne and her manager took assessments that allowed them to understand how to communicate with each other. But in the absence of that, a new hire and their manager could do a “Stop, Start, Continue” exercise, where they each share something they’d like the other person to stop, start, and continue doing.
At the end of her first 90 days, Anne and her manager review the job scorecard again. For each success factor, she and her manager will mark on track, off track, or N/A. Some of the job duties have changed since she started, so they also edit those in the scorecard.
They also set a personal development plan for Anne, leveraging her strengths and overcoming the weaknesses identified in her assessments.
Over the year, Anne and John keep their quarterly rhythm of reviewing her scorecard and development goals, and Anne’s growth at the company never stagnates.
This scenario shows how good onboarding fosters long-term success and engagement.
Regular feedback, clear expectations, and opportunities for growth help Anne feel valued and supported. By maintaining open communication and revisiting goals, Anne not only gains confidence in her role but also continues to develop herself, which shows John that Anne is committed to the organization.
Employees must also be onboarded after a promotion
Although onboarding typically takes 90 days to one year, there is one more situation that requires onboarding: a promotion within the company.
Bad onboarding
“You’re getting the promotion!” John tells Anne. “Your new role is Senior Account Manager, and you’re getting a 10% raise. Congratulations!”
Although Anne is ecstatic — after all, she worked toward this all year — she can’t help feeling a little anxious. She has questions about her promotion:
Is there anything she should start doing in her new role? Anything she should stop doing?
Are there new expectations for success?
Does anyone else on the team know?
Did John only promote me so I wouldn’t quit?
She knows she should just ask John these questions. But her plate is already full, and she doesn’t have time to take on any extra work right now.
So she just keeps doing the things she was already doing, and after a month of the same, John feels frustrated that Anne isn’t stepping up to her new role.
This scenario shows how bad onboarding after a promotion can leave employees feeling confused by their new responsibilities.
Without clear communication of expectations, Anne is left guessing about her role and struggles to adjust. This lack of guidance not only hinders Anne’s growth but also creates frustration for her manager, setting both up for disappointment.
Good onboarding
“You’re getting the promotion!” John tells Anne.
He tells Anne her new title and salary, then lays out the following:
What’s expected moving forward
What to stop doing so Anne can add new duties to her plate
Who to delegate her former responsibilities
Which people she should ask for help in her new role
What technology resources she should use in her new role
Then they revisit Anne’s scorecard and make the appropriate updates. Anne now knows her new expectations for success.
By clearly defining expectations, delegating old responsibilities, and providing resources and support, John helps Anne confidently transition into her new role. With updated goals and a plan in place, Anne thrives, proving she was the right choice for the promotion.
Your next steps when onboarding employees
Onboarding isn’t just a checkbox. It’s the starting point for a positive and successful employee journey.
Poor onboarding leads to confusion, disengagement, and unnecessary turnover, whether it’s during the first day, the first year, or even after a promotion. On the other hand, intentional onboarding helps employees feel confident and have a deep sense of belonging. It’s not only better for the employee, but it makes the manager’s job easier, too.
At The Metiss Group, The Accountability System™ helps clients design onboarding strategies that create lasting impact. We help employees feel confident in their jobs, and in turn, managers feel confident in their employees.
Now that you understand the difference between good vs. bad onboarding, the next step is to understand the problems with hiring a superstar, because superstars will always be more critical of your onboarding than anyone else.