Why systematic onboarding
Without onboarding, a new employee spends weeks figuring out “how things work here”, and the manager spends them on endless explanations. Systematic onboarding shortens time to results, reduces early turnover and takes load off the manager.
Before day one
- The workplace, equipment and system access are ready.
- A mentor is assigned and the first meeting is scheduled.
- The new hire has received an email: when and where to come, what to bring, who will meet them.
- The team knows a new colleague is starting.
First week
- Meeting the team and key people in related departments.
- An introductory course: history, values, products, org structure.
- Regulations for the key processes the person will work in.
- A first small task with a result by the end of the week.
- A meeting with the manager: expectations for 90 days.
First month
- A learning path for the position: courses, tests, practice.
- Weekly meetings with the mentor.
- Independent work in the main processes, with supervision.
- A pulse survey: what’s unclear, what’s missing.
Months 2–3
- Full work against the position’s goals and metrics.
- An interim review on day 60 and a final one on day 90.
- Feedback from the new hire on the onboarding process — to improve it.
The mentor’s role
A mentor isn’t “the person who answers questions” but someone with clear duties: a meeting plan, checking practical tasks, assessment. Mentors should be trained — our “Train the trainer” course and feedback skills help with that.
Onboarding metrics
| Metric | How to calculate |
|---|---|
| Early turnover | % of leavers in the first 90 days |
| Time to results | Days until the position’s plan is met |
| Path completion | % of courses and tests completed |
| New hire satisfaction | Score in the survey on day 30 and day 90 |
How to automate onboarding
Most checklist steps can be triggered automatically: after hiring, the system creates tasks for IT and administration, assigns courses, reminds the mentor about meetings and sends surveys. In Folck, onboarding is a process plus a learning path, and the new hire earns points in the motivation system for completing courses.