5 Common Employee Onboarding Challenges (and How to Avoid Them)
In any business, but particularly in a small one, onboarding often happens fast. There’s a new hire starting, your to-do list is a mile long, and once the contract’s signed and they know where the bathroom is, it’s easy to call it job done.
But here’s the thing: those first few weeks shape everything that follows.
Research shows employees who have a positive onboarding experience are over 10 times more likely to stay. That’s not just a people win , it’s a serious business benefit. Engagement, productivity, and retention all start with how you welcome someone in.
So how do you make the first 90 days count, without adding pressure to an already full plate? You get ahead of the most common employee onboarding challenges with some Core HR professional tips. Read on!
Onboarding Challenge 1: It All Happens in a Day
The problem:
57% of employees say their employee onboarding lasted one day or less. A quick tour, a few forms, and it’s back to business as usual. With no structured follow-up or support, it’s easy for a new starter to feel adrift — like their arrival was more of a disruption than a moment worth preparing for.
Why it matters:
When onboarding ends after Day One, new hires feel unprepared and undervalued. Even if they stick around, that shaky start can impact confidence and performance. Poor first impressions stick — and can quietly shape whether someone engages long-term or keeps one foot out the door.
What to do instead:
Stretch onboarding out over the first 30–90 days.
Use a simple onboarding checklist so you're not reinventing the wheel.
Treat staff onboarding as a process, not a one-off event.
Onboarding Challenge 2: The Great Info Dump
The problem:
On Day One, it all hits at once: contracts, policies, health & safety, logins, systems, introductions. And that’s before morning tea. Even if you’re trying to be thorough, it’s often more overwhelming than useful.
Why it matters:
It’s overwhelming, and most of it won’t stick. It tells new hires the process matters more than the person. The best and most effective employee onboarding experiences prioritise confidence and connection, not just compliance and documentation.
What to do instead:
Spread admin and information across the first week.
Focus the first day on orientation and connection.
Assign a buddy to answer the small but important questions.
Onboarding Challenge 3: Culture Gets Left Behind
The problem:
We nail the paperwork, but forget the people. New hires get the "what," but not the "why." That often means they’re working in the dark when it comes to values, expectations, and how the team actually operates day to day.
Why it matters:
Only 29% of new hires feel supported and ready to do well. Without insight into team dynamics or shared values, they can feel like an outsider. A good onboarding process doesn’t just show someone what to do, it helps them understand why they are doing it. This helps them feel like they belong to the overall mission.
What to do instead:
Talk openly about your business values and what they look like in action.
Involve the wider team in welcoming new starters.
Create space for questions and conversation, not just instructions. This is part of any good onboarding process.
Onboarding Challenge 4: No One’s Really Owning It
The problem:
In many small businesses, employee onboarding is everyone’s job and no one’s responsibility. Bit of a tricky turn of phrase, sorry, but what we are trying to say is that without clear accountability, the process can become inconsistent and easy to deprioritise (especially when you’re already busy).
Why it matters:
Without clear ownership, though, things get missed. That first impression can be disorganised and isolating for a new starter. When no one’s leading the experience, it shows, and it often reflects broader gaps in structure and leadership.
What to do instead:
Make onboarding part of the manager’s role (not just HR’s).
Provide a structure: suggested timelines, talking points, and check-ins.
Use a staff onboarding checklist to ensure no essentials fall through the cracks.
Onboarding Challenge 5: No Feedback Loop
The problem:
Employee onboarding is often one-way. The business delivers the info… and hopes for the best. But if you’re not asking how it’s all landing, you’re missing critical insight.
Why it matters:
If something’s not working, you might not find out until your employees have mentally checked out, or walked out. Feedback is your early warning system. It’s also your best tool for building the best employee onboarding experiences over time, not just a vessel for critique.
What to do instead:
Check in at 2 weeks, 30 days, and 60 days. Ask: What’s working? What’s still unclear?
Use feedback to improve your employee onboarding aprocess over time.
Make feedback part of your culture from day one (even outside of onboarding, of course!). That’s how the best employee onboarding experiences are built.
Final Thoughts Consistency Beats Complexity
You don’t need a high-budget onboarding video or a corporate playbook. You just need a consistent approach that shows your people they matter right from day one.
For SMEs, great employee onboarding doesn’t require more hours just more intention. With a bit of structure and a whole lot of care, you can give your new hires a solid start. And if you’re a larger business, you still don’t need to break the bank on useless bells and whistles, a few simple and incredibly effective steps are all you need. The onboarding process just needs to look like a real process!
Remember that onboarding is as much as about getting a new employee up to speed as it is about making them love their job and work environment! And that’s the foundation for a thriving team, stronger retention, and a workplace where people want to stay.
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