Onboarding Is a Strategic Moment to Engage Employees

Reading time: 7 minutes

A new hire represents an opportunity—for both the employee joining the team and the company gaining a new contributor. This is a two-way street that begins with a well-structured onboarding process.

From the very first days, the way a new employee is welcomed can shape their motivation, understanding of company culture, and ultimately their long-term retention.

“Culture is the music playing inside the company—it’s what we value, promote, and use to set the tone for people,” says Marcelo Pirani, Director at ABRH Brasil.

During onboarding, it’s crucial that the newcomer understands not only the company’s internal policies, but also their role within the organization.

“The company needs to communicate clearly and reinforce the fundamentals so that the alignment is meaningful for both sides,” emphasizes Pirani.

Transparency and Cultural Consistency

Common mistakes during onboarding include masking the realities of the work environment or failing to present organizational values authentically. To avoid this, the process should be transparent and coherent with day-to-day practices.

Providing manuals and guidelines can be helpful—provided they don’t remain merely on paper.

“Looking at manuals also means translating them into practice, reflecting daily behaviors and skills,” Pirani notes.

Leadership plays a decisive role in this stage:

“Leaders must be prepared to help newcomers understand how they will operate and how they can deliver their best,” he adds.

Onboarding is also a key moment to address ethical and inclusive workplace practices.

“It’s essential to clearly communicate policies on diversity and appropriate conduct, looking people in the eye and demonstrating genuine commitment,” concludes Pirani.

Performance, Retention, and Ethical Alignment

“An effective onboarding process involves prior planning, a warm welcome, clarity on mission, vision and values, initial training, and the assignment of a mentor,” explains Saulo Diniz, HR program coordinator at Unifacex and a leadership humanization speaker.

The quality of onboarding has a direct impact on employee retention and performance. A well-designed process can:

Reduce anxiety
Create a sense of belonging
Align expectations
Leave a strong first impression

Performance can be fostered through faster adaptation, inspiring organizational values, trust and autonomy, and strong relationship-building.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Diniz warns against frequent mistakes such as:

Overloading newcomers with information
Failing to demonstrate culture in action
Not conducting regular check-ins for feedback and support

The solution involves structuring onboarding in phases, illustrating culture through real examples, and maintaining continuous communication channels.

Creating onboarding manuals or handbooks is another key element. These tools ensure communication consistency, accelerate adaptation, and minimize uncertainties.