Onboarding is supposed to be a launchpad—not a holding pattern. But for many companies, it turns into a long layover with endless paperwork, missed connections, and a lot of waiting around for someone to say, “Oh, you haven’t gotten access to that yet?” If your new hires are spending more time lost than learning, you might be caught in a few onboarding bad habits. The good news: they’re fixable, and fixing them can turn confused newbies into productive team members, faster.
Here’s what to avoid (and what to do instead) if you want onboarding that actually gets people up to speed.
1. Treating onboarding like a to-do list, not a learning journey
It’s easy to see onboarding as a stack of forms, checklists, and mandatory videos to “get out of the way” before real work begins. But when companies approach onboarding as a box-ticking exercise, new hires miss out on context, confidence, and connection. Employees who only interact with impersonal admin tasks and endless compliance modules quickly become disengaged—and more likely to feel like outsiders instead of part of the team. What’s missing is the understanding of why the company does what it does, what really matters, and how the new hire fits in. If you want people to care about their work, help them see the bigger picture from day one.
Action items:
- Build onboarding as a multi-stage learning journey that includes company values, team culture, and success stories, not just admin tasks.
- Share the “why” behind processes, not just the “how” or “when”—link every step to your mission and goals.
- Map out a clear onboarding path with milestones, so new hires know what’s coming next and how it all fits together.
2. Dumping everything on day one
Nothing dampens first-day enthusiasm like an information avalanche. Many organizations try to front-load every ounce of training, policy, and product knowledge into the first eight hours—often hoping it will “get onboarding over with.” The reality? New hires retain almost nothing from marathon slide decks and five-hour Zooms. They’re left overwhelmed, mentally checked out, and worried about what they missed. Effective onboarding delivers information in digestible doses, prioritizing the essentials up front and saving the deep dives for later. That way, new employees actually remember what matters, and start applying it faster.
Action items:
- Prioritize need-to-know information for the first day and week; save complex or role-specific topics for the following weeks.
- Break learning into manageable modules with a mix of formats: short videos, interactive sessions, shadowing, and self-paced resources.
- Schedule regular check-ins to answer questions, reinforce key points, and ensure nobody’s left behind.
3. “Sink or swim” (aka, leaving people alone to figure it out)
Handing a new hire a laptop and saying “just shout if you need anything” isn’t empowerment—it’s abandonment. Companies that take a “sink or swim” approach might think they’re encouraging independence, but most people just feel unsupported, isolated, and anxious. Without guidance, new hires may hesitate to ask for help, afraid of looking unprepared. The result? They spend precious weeks second-guessing basic processes or silently making mistakes, instead of learning, growing, and connecting. Support, especially early on, is the key to faster, smoother onboarding.
Action items:
- Pair every new hire with a buddy or mentor for their first month—a friendly face for questions, context, and support.
- Normalize asking questions: remind new hires and the whole team that curiosity is valued over perfection.
- Blend self-directed learning with regular check-ins, shadowing, and collaborative work, so people never feel adrift.
4. Not setting clear goals for the first month
“Do your best and let us know if you have questions!” sounds friendly, but it’s not a plan. New hires without specific targets are left guessing what’s important, wasting time on low-priority tasks, or simply trying to look busy. This lack of direction often means new employees don’t ramp up as quickly—or they work hard in the wrong direction. Clear, measurable goals provide structure, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment. When people know exactly what’s expected and how to win, they get there faster (and feel better doing it).
Action items:
- Outline concrete 30-, 60-, and 90-day goals that focus on learning, performance, and integration—not just “finish training.”
- Break big goals into bite-sized steps or weekly targets, so new hires see progress and avoid overwhelm.
- Hold regular goal reviews to discuss progress, course-correct, and celebrate wins, big or small.
5. Ignoring tech and access needs
It’s shocking how often new hires spend their first week locked out of essential systems, waiting for hardware, or emailing IT for the fifth time. Every hour spent wrestling with missing logins or broken laptops is an hour lost for everyone—new employees and their managers. Tech bottlenecks don’t just delay productivity, but also make new hires feel like an afterthought. Efficient onboarding means everything is set up and tested before the employee’s first day, so they can focus on learning—not waiting.
Action items:
- Prepare and test all devices, accounts, software licenses, and access permissions before a new hire’s arrival.
- Use a comprehensive IT checklist to guarantee nothing is missed (think: email outreach tools, Slack, VPN, HRIS, project tools).
- Set up a dedicated, fast-response IT channel for new hires—make it clear who to contact for help.
6. Forgetting the “why” behind the work
When onboarding only covers tasks and tools, new hires might know what to do—but not why it matters. People who understand the impact of their work feel more motivated, make smarter decisions, and stay longer. If you skip the stories about your company’s mission, customer success, or the real-life outcomes of your projects, you end up with a team of button-pushers instead of engaged contributors.
Action items:
- Host a welcome session with leaders who share the company’s story, vision, and values (and why you do what you do).
- Walk through real customer success stories or product wins to make the impact tangible.
- Show how each role, including the new hire’s, connects to your goals and contributes to the bigger picture.
7. Leaving culture on the sidelines
Task-based onboarding can make your workplace seem like any other. But what makes people stay—and thrive—is culture. If new hires don’t get introduced to your values, team rituals, inside jokes, or unwritten rules, they’ll always feel a step behind. Worse, they may misread social cues or hesitate to participate. When you make culture part of onboarding, you invite new people to become true team members, not just temporary contractors.
Action items:
- Integrate culture-building sessions or “meet the team” chats into the onboarding calendar.
- Create a fun, honest guide to company quirks, communication styles, and social norms—beyond the employee handbook.
- Assign a “culture buddy” (separate from HR) to help new hires navigate informal customs and connect faster.
You can always avoid this by looking for good fits during the interview phase and nothing can help you more than automated video interviews, as you can set all questions and make sure not to forget anything. Using them can help you identify the right fits for your team’s culture, so you don’t have to struggle at this stage.
8. Making everything “figure it out yourself”
Every team has a list of “things everyone knows”—but new hires don’t. Leaving critical how-tos, best practices, and little process hacks undocumented leads to slowdowns, mistakes, and unnecessary frustration. When the only way to learn is trial-and-error or Slack DMs, new employees waste time reinventing the wheel instead of building on what’s already there.
Action items:
- Create and maintain a living FAQ or onboarding wiki that answers common questions and covers everyday tasks (with screenshots!).
- Encourage every team member to contribute updates when processes change or new insights emerge.
- During onboarding, point new hires to these resources first, and gather anonymous feedback forms on what’s missing or unclear.
9. Assuming remote onboarding is just like in-person
Remote onboarding is not just “take the in-office plan and put it on Zoom.” Without physical proximity, new hires miss out on casual chats, spontaneous learning, and that intangible feeling of being part of a team. If you’re not intentional, remote employees can feel lost, disengaged, or even invisible. Great remote onboarding takes extra effort: structured introductions, proactive check-ins, and creating moments of connection even from afar.
Action items:
- Schedule video calls for introductions—not just with managers, but with peers, other departments, and leadership.
- Organize informal virtual events: coffee chats, buddy check-ins, or team trivia to foster connection and belonging.
- Provide digital welcome kits with company swag, guides, and resources to help remote hires feel included from day one.
10. Treating onboarding as “one and done”
The “you’re trained, good luck!” approach is a myth that leads to stagnation. Great onboarding is an ongoing process. If you stop after week one, you’ll miss opportunities to catch misunderstandings, answer lingering questions, and fix what’s not working. The result? New hires plateau, get frustrated, or look elsewhere. Real success comes from follow-up, feedback, and iteration—helping employees keep growing long after the paperwork is filed.
Action items:
- Schedule regular feedback sessions at key milestones (week one, month one, month three, etc.)
- Ask for honest feedback on the onboarding experience—what was confusing, what was helpful, what’s missing.
- Update onboarding content regularly based on new hire input and changing company needs.
Final thoughts
Onboarding isn’t just about filling seats or ticking HR boxes—it’s the first chapter in every employee’s story with your company. Bad habits create confusion, slow growth, and a sense of “am I really wanted here?” The good news? A few focused changes can turn onboarding into a true launchpad. By building real learning journeys, setting clear goals, sharing the “why,” and making people feel welcome and supported, you turn new hires into productive, motivated team members who actually want to stick around.
Your onboarding isn’t just about getting started. It’s about belonging, growing, and winning—together.
