“You’ve got 24 hours.”
You’ve probably seen the show where the hero races to do something seemingly impossible in a short amount of time to stop something terrible from happening. They somehow emerge victorious while looking completely put together (like they just didn’t go the last 24 hours without sleeping…)
What does that have to do with onboarding you ask?
More than you might think. While onboarding may not involve high-speed chases or dramatic plot twists (unless we’re talking about being ghosted by your perfect candidate the day before their start date..…) , it does operate on a similar principle: what happens within a small window of time can change everything.
Just how small is that window? As it turns out, almost 30% of new hires know whether a job is a right fit for them or not within the first week, and 44% say they’ve second guessed their decision during that same time period. What happens within those first few days matters- it's when expectations meet reality.
Ready for the good news? You’re the hero in this situation. You and your sidekicks (aka the hiring managers, IT and other members of the HR team), can keep your new hires from second guessing their decision to join your organization. How you might ask? Focus on the 5 C’s of onboarding
- Compliance: Ensure paperwork, policies, and system access are completed
- Clarification: Align with managers to confirm role expectations and first-week priorities
- Confidence: Equip new hires with tools, resources, and a clear onboarding roadmap
- Connection: Coordinate introductions, welcome messages, and early manager check-ins
- Culture: Share values, norms, and “how things work here” through stories and examples in orientation and throughout the onboarding process
Onboarding doesn’t have to feel like a race against the clock. When the 5 Cs are intentionally incorporated into your onboarding process, new hires don’t just survive their first days — they start seeing themselves at your company for the long term. Now that’s a happy ending.
Ready to talk about how automation can lead to real transformation in your onboarding process? We can help with that. Have no idea on how to even get started with designing an onboarding program that meets your needs? We can help with that too. Reach out to us at info@upboard.work. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter, so you never miss an update.
Want to apply to be a product tester? Email us at info@upboard.work.