In 2025, onboarding is no longer just a procedural step; it's a strategic imperative. With the talent market more competitive than ever, organisations must reimagine onboarding to reduce time-to-hire, ensure compliance, and minimise candidate drop-off. Here's how forward-thinking companies are transforming their onboarding processes to meet the demands of the modern workforce.
The onboarding journey should commence the moment a candidate accepts an offer. This preboarding phase is crucial for setting expectations, fostering engagement, and reducing anxiety. Research indicates that 20% of employees leave within the first 45 days if onboarding is poor.
Our applicant tracking system (ATS) facilitates this by automating welcome emails, providing access to essential documents, and introducing new hires to their teams. This proactive approach ensures that new employees feel valued and prepared from the outset.
Artificial intelligence is revolutionising onboarding by automating repetitive tasks and personalising the experience. Companies like Hitachi have reduced onboarding time by four days and decreased HR involvement from 20 hours to 12 hours per new hire through AI integration.
Our ATS incorporates AI to streamline processes such as document verification, training assignments, and feedback collection. This not only accelerates onboarding but also allows HR teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.
When Active Care Group partnered with us, they were looking for more than just recruitment software—they wanted a fully integrated solution that could support the entire employee lifecycle, including onboarding. With over 400 locations across the UK, consistency and compliance were vital, but so was user-friendliness and flexibility.
Through our ATS, Active Care Group has been able to simplify onboarding for both HR and new starters. They praised the seamless link between recruitment and onboarding, with features like document templates, automatic task assignment and configurable onboarding journeys making the entire process smoother.
In their own words, “We love the onboarding functionality in Jobtrain. It’s helped us reduce our admin time and create a consistent experience for candidates. We’ve had lots of positive feedback from managers too—it just works.”
The ability to manage compliance, deliver training and collect essential documentation all in one place has not only saved them time but ensured safer, faster hiring in a highly regulated industry. You can read more about their success story here.
A one-size-fits-all approach no longer suffices. Personalised onboarding enhances engagement and retention. Devlin Peck says that 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they have a positive onboarding experience.
Our ATS allows for customisable onboarding journeys tailored to individual roles, departments, and locations. This ensures that each new hire receives relevant information and training, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose.
Remote and hybrid work models can hinder social integration. It's essential to create opportunities for new hires to connect with colleagues and understand the company culture. Research indicates that remote new hires are nearly 50% more likely to feel that culture was poorly demonstrated during onboarding.
Our ATS includes features like virtual introductions, mentorship programmes, and interactive training modules to bridge this gap. By facilitating meaningful interactions, we help new employees feel connected and engaged, regardless of their physical location.
Effective onboarding is an evolving process. Regular feedback and data analysis are vital for continuous improvement. Only 29% of employees feel fully prepared for their new role after onboarding, highlighting the need for ongoing assessment.
Our ATS provides real-time analytics and feedback tools, enabling organisations to identify bottlenecks, measure engagement, and refine their onboarding strategies accordingly.
Onboarding in 2025 demands a holistic, technology-driven approach that prioritises the employee experience. By starting early, leveraging AI, ensuring compliance, personalising journeys, fostering connections, and continuously adapting, organisations can create an onboarding process that not only welcomes new hires but also sets them up for long-term success.
In a competitive talent landscape, the key to successful onboarding lies in embracing innovation, empathy, and continuous improvement.