Workplaces have evolved considerably over the last few decades.
And that evolution shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. This evolution transcends every aspect of our working lives, from onboarding to offboarding.
With this comes new terminology.
Words and phrases that hardly existed, if at all, twenty, ten, five, even three years ago.
Think hot desking, remote working, gig economy.
And now, let us introduce you to another term to become accustomed to employee preboarding.
But what is employee preboarding?
Preboarding is the employment phase between acceptance of a new role and the start date.
It’s essentially the step before the official onboarding process and the first day. It’s the time when first impressions are forged.
If nothing else, this significantly impacts employee engagement and retention by creating a sense of connection, preparing new hires for a successful career, which hopefully, leads to loyalty and a productive, successful relationship for both the new starters and the organisation.
The Difference Between New Hire Preboarding and Pre-onboarding
Although the terms preboarding and pre-onboarding are often used interchangeably, there are a handful of subtle differences between each that differentiate them. This is especially prevalent in some sectors.
Preboarding is typically focused on administrative and logistical tasks, helping prepare both the new employee and the organisation for employment.
Key preboarding tasks include completing all paperwork (including contracts, enrolment forms), sending and receiving tools and technologies required for the role, e.g., laptops. Sharing introductory information about the organisation, i.e., the organisation’s values, culture and team and scheduling orientation or setting up workspace. 🤔
Pre-onboarding is a broader term that encompasses the whole period before an employee joins the organisation.
It can last from the moment a candidate accepts the role to a few weeks into initial employment and refers to all the activities to help the employee become familiar with the company culture, values and expectations.
Key pre-onboarding tasks can include welcoming messages from colleagues and the leadership team, distributing onboarding materials, such as employee handbooks, providing access to the digital infrastructure and setting up meetings.
In short, preboarding is crucial to encourage new employees to feel connected to the organisation, whilst making them aware of the resources available to them. This reduces initial anxiety, makes new employees feel valued and informed before their official start date, therefore improving retention potential.
The evolution of hybrid and remote work has given rise to the prominence of pre-onboarding. Remote and hybrid working requires early engagement, access to the IT infrastructure, complete virtual integration with the company culture, a clear understanding of role expectations, and, ultimately, getting new starters up to speed quicker. Pre-boarding offers this and more.
Preboarding vs. Onboarding: What’s the Difference?
Below is a table outlining the key differences between preboarding and onboarding:
|
Aspect |
Preboarding |
Onboarding
|
| Timing | Occurs before the new hire’s first official day of work | Begins on the new hire’s first official day and extends for a generally short period of time, depending on the organisation |
| Purpose | To prepare the new hire with all the necessary information and resources before starting their new role | To integrate the new hire into the organisation, team and culture, providing role-specific training |
| Activities | Completing paperwork, including personal information, bank details, and contract signing |
In-person or virtual orientation Role-specific training Meeting colleagues and managers Understanding the organisation’s culture and values Setting role-specific goals and expectations |
| Focus | Logistical and administrative tasks, getting the new hire prepared for their first day |
On-the-job training Team integration Long-term role alignment |
| Engagement Level | Primarily informational, often with limited direct information | Highly interactive, with deeper involvement in team activities, training and goal setting |
| Duration | Generally short, typically a few days | Depends on the organisation, and can last from a few weeks to a few months |
| Responsibility | Managed by HR or the hiring manager, who ensures that the new hire has everything they need when starting | Managed by HR, the hiring manager and team leaders help the new hire adjust to the role and the organisation |
| Key Outcome | The new hire feels prepared and confident to start their role on day one | New hire feels fully integrated into the organisation, understands their role and is productive throughout their employment |
So, as you can see, preboarding complements onboarding by preparing new starters for their role, the organisation, its values, culture etc. This can streamline the initial onboarding process, fostering a positive first impression whilst introducing them to pivotal information they’ll need to enjoy ongoing success. 🙌
Why Preboarding Matters More than Ever
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
You may have just got that stellar candidate, the one you’ve been looking high and low for, through the door. Finally. Yet, this is just the first step. Now comes the introduction to the organisation.
But why is this important?
Well, getting the right person is just the first step.
Now comes the next. Introducing them to the business in such a way that they have a solid foundation to build on. To prosper. Elevate their skillset. To achieve their professional ambitions. And become a vital cog in the wheel of the organisation, achieving its own short- and long-term ambitions.
Secures the Best Talent
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: just because talent has agreed to join an organisation, there isn’t a 100% guarantee that they’ll start.
It’s not uncommon for people to accept a role and then use this as ammunition to generate interest from another employer and, on some occasions, even secure a better role. As you’ll see from the next section.
However, something as simple as preboarding can convince the best talent to choose your organisation over other options. Why? It demonstrates a 100% investment in a career and the organisation. ⭐
Some Employees Don’t Start Despite Accepting a Role
Believe it or not, between 5-10% of employees don’t start a role despite being offered, accepting the offer and agreeing to a start date. A good preboarding process can convince employees who may be wavering, wondering if they’ve made the right decision to start promptly.
Preboarding Creates Loyalty
People who feel valued for their efforts feel a greater connection to their workplace.
This builds loyalty, allowing organisations to retain high-performing employees for longer, therefore optimising a workforce capable of meeting even the loftiest of expectations.
Prevents Turnover
Onboarding and employee retention are inextricably linked.
Get off on the right foot and you’ll increase your chances of keeping hold of those stellar candidates capable of driving your business forward. Turnover is costly and time-consuming.
Studies have estimated that turnover costs can total 33% of the exiting employee’s base pay. Reduce turnover and you’ll reduce wasted costs that could be better spent on areas of the organisation, something that promotes prosperity. 📈
Sets the Tone for Successful Employment
By proactively engaging with new hires through preboarding, organisations can help to reduce anxiety while building excitement.
More than that, preboarding promotes a smooth transition by providing candidates with essential information to hit the ground running from their very first day.
9 Elements of a Great Employee Preboarding Experience
Now that we’ve covered the why, successful preboarding is more important than ever. Let’s look at the individual elements of a great preboarding experience. Each will help you to build a stellar preboarding experience.
1. Welcome Email or Video from the Team or a Business Leader
Let’s start something basic but that can make a world of difference to immediate morale, make people feel welcomed from their first day: a welcome email, or better still, a video call from the team or even a business leader. 😊
This creates an immediate connection, personalises the relationship and makes new people feel more approachable and transparent while simultaneously strengthening engagement and immediately introducing new starters to the company culture.
2. Digital Paperwork and Pre-Start Tasks Using an HR/LMS System
Completing all pre-start tasks using an HR or LMS system prior to the official start date helps to create a seamless, swift, efficient, and engaging preboarding process.
More than that, completing digital paperwork and pre-start tasks ahead of time bolsters compliance tracking and minimises error potential, whilst reducing everyone’s first day stress, promoting transparency and simplifying scalability.
3. Mentor or Buddy Intro
Many organisations create a mentor or buddy program for a wealth of reasons.
Not only do mentors and buddies build strong relationships from the outset and cultivate cultural integration, but they also help new starters to get up to speed quicker, provide continuous, immediate feedback, improve retention, enhance long-term development, and help new starters to prosper.
4. Early Access to a Learning Program
Provide new starters with early access to a learning and development platform like Thirst and you’ll accelerate the time to optimising productivity, build immediate connections and engagement whilst streamlining the whole onboarding process, creating brand awareness, and encouraging them to hit the ground running. 🖥️
5. Branded Welcome Pack
Organisations that distribute a branded welcome pack to new starters make a powerful first impression, basically, we’re excited you’re here!
This reinforces that vital sense of belonging, signifying to a new starter that they’re included and valued, motivating them to work to their highest potential.
6. Intro to Company Culture and Values
Preboarding affords organisations with a great opportunity to introduce new starters to their company culture and values.
From sharing welcoming emails, Slack notifications or even video content to sharing memorable experiences, this helps to build alignment by showcasing what the company stands for before the first day.
7. Set First Week Expectations
The first week in a new role is crucial.
Most new starters, especially those who have never experienced preboarding before, don’t really know what to expect.
However, preboarding helps to set a clear picture of what they’ll likely experience in those vital first few days.
But more than that, the first week offers an opportunity for the organisation to set goals and priorities for the first week or longer, whilst introducing people to their role and responsibilities.
This helps new starters to get off on the right foot, even answering clarifying questions, so encourage a seamless transition into their new role.
8. Check-in Before Day One
By creating a safe space for early engagement, reassurance and meaningful connections before day one, preboarding opens the channels of communication, builds that vital personal connection, encourages engagement with the team and culture, while creating clarity and confidence. 👍
9. Access to Optional Pre-start Modules
Give someone access to pre-start modules prior to their start date, and you give them a head-start by encouraging self-driven learning, something that demonstrates trust and autonomy, building familiarity without overwhelming new starters and, generally, makes the whole first week an enjoyable experience.
How to Build a Scalable Preboarding Experience
Building a scalable preboarding experience is all about clear communication, personalisation and, of course, automation. Aim to leverage software and set up processes that minimise the time needed to complete simple tasks, ideally automatically.
Start by creating a comprehensive checklist of those tasks that don’t require much attention or, once completed, can create much-needed time for other, essential activities, like paperwork and sending welcome messages.
Once you’ve got to grips with the small stuff, next start scaling everything that can be done to create more time and make everyone’s life easier. ✅
Be sure to leverage every available platform to scale efficiently. HRIS integration and, especially, Thirst can be very helpful when hoping to optimise time.
Assign task ownership to HR, L&D, departmental managers, mentors or buddies.
This allows you to track task completion rates and scale at a comfortable pace. Syncing a scalable preboarding platform with your onboarding journey will create a fluid, connected experience for everyone, promoting superior scalability while boosting personalisation, whilst simultaneously integrating tools, people and ops systems.
Employee Preboarding Checklist for L&D and HR Teams
Any successful preboarding includes a strong checklist, covering each stage of the preboarding process.
This ensures that both the new starter and the employer can organise and track the complete preboarding process.
Below is an example of a preboarding checklist to ensure that all the boxes are ticked off prior to the official start date. Remember, timescales and dates are not set in stone and can be adapted depending on organisational preference.
|
Stage
|
Task | Owner | Deadline | Status | Notes |
| Welcome | Send personalised welcome email or Slack message | HR | Within 24-48 hours of offer acceptance |
(Select one of the following) Not started In progress Done |
Include start date, contacts, next steps |
| Systems setup | Grant LMS & tools access | HR | Within 2-days of offer |
(Select one of the following) Not started In progress Done |
SSO login info, email, Slack, intranet |
| Mentor/buddy assignment | Assign mentor/buddy | HR/Manager | 1-week before official start date |
(Select one of the following) Not started In progress Done |
Schedule info, email, Slack, intranet |
| Pre-start learning | Share optional learning modules | L&D | Once LMS is active |
(Select one of the following) Not started In progress Done |
Culture, tools, into to values and team |
| First week plan | Share first day agenda & calendar invites | HR/Manager | 3-5 days before start |
(Select one of the following) Not started In progress Done |
Orientation times, meetings, and training |
| Manager check-in | Manager sends welcome message and arranges meet-and greet 1-2-1 | Manager | 3-5 days before start |
(Select one of the following) Not started In progress Done |
Optional video or personalised email |
| Culture and community | Introduce ERGs, social spaces and values content | L&D/HR | 1 week before start |
(Select one of the following) Not started In progress Done |
Slack channels, culture |
| Internal prep | Notify IT, payroll, facilities, and update tracker | HR | Once offer is accepted |
(Select one of the following) Not started In progress Done |
Ensure systems, equipment & team are ready |
Mistakes to Avoid when Preboarding
Preboarding is, undoubtedly, a strong way to ensure that new starters have a solid foundation to begin the next chapter at an organisation. But that doesn’t mean that there are pitfalls, mistakes to avoid.
If you want to maximise the impact of your preboarding, be sure to avoid the straightforward mistakes we’ve outlined below.👇
Radio Silence After Contract Signing
One of the clearest mistakes that employers can be guilty of is not communicating clearly and effectively with new starters, leaving them unsure of their responsibilities.
The time between offer acceptance and day one shouldn’t be radio silent. Something as simple as a warm welcome email can make all the difference.
Overloading New Hires with Paperwork
A surefire way to overwhelm new starters is to send them reams and reams of paperwork before they’ve even got their feet under the desk. This can include policies, paperwork, and login information.
The good news is that this problem can be easily solved. All you need to do is break information into small, digestible chunks. Use timelines, emails, or a preboarding portal to share essential information in a staggered way.
No Clear Communication Timeline
This is a simple one.
If new starters don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing when, it’ll add to an already uncertain and, potentially, nerve-wracking experience.
This can be avoided by simply sharing a simple agenda outlining the events in the coming days or weeks.
Making It Too Impersonal or Generic
Preboarding that’s too impersonal or overly generic creates issues that, in the worst-case scenario, can create prolonged issues for new starters.
For one, impersonal or generic preboarding sends the message that you’re not as invested in them or the organisation, and this doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Being too impersonal or generic creates emotional distance, feeling automated, making it more difficult for new starters to bond with the organisation and brand, and leading to early disengagement.
Not Connecting the Preboarding to the Onboarding Journey
Not connecting preboarding to the onboarding journey undermines a seamless experience, something that is especially important in today’s contemporary workplace demand for a seamless pre- and onboarding experience.
This can be solved by ensuring that preboarding is the foundation of your onboarding.
Final Thoughts: Preboarding is the New First Impression
Wowing new hires can make the difference between building a solid foundation, one that promotes stability and success, and one that’s rich in uncertainty and tension.
Basically, preboarding cannot be underestimated. It’s that simple. Remember, first impressions count, often setting the tone, boosting early engagement, reducing first-week anxiety and building employee loyalty.
The result?
This shortens the time to optimal productivity and benefits both the new starter and the organisation.
Every HR and L&D department should implement a strong preboarding program, actively encouraging all new starters to collaborate in the whole process.
Not only does this appeal to the best talent, smooth the entire onboarding process and introduce new employees to the culture and values of the organisation, but, quite frankly, it sets new starters up for success. 🚀
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