Why onboarding so often fails

Onboarding is often the first real point of contact between a new employee and your organization. Yet, this is where things still frequently go wrong. Instead of a well-thought-out introduction, new colleagues receive a loose collection of links, documents, and "just ask your buddy." The result? Confusion, frustration, and in some cases, even premature departure.

Especially in hybrid or remote work environments, the chance of a poor start is greater than ever. New employees feel unseen, lack context, and struggle to find their place in the organization. And this while good onboarding makes the difference between someone who quickly becomes productive and someone who leaves after three months.

Why does it go wrong?

The biggest pitfall lies in the lack of structure. Companies often rely on a mix of emails, Slack messages, scattered PDFs, and ad hoc guidance. That might just work when you're small, but as soon as you grow, it falls apart.

Take Lisa, a new employee who starts remotely at a medium-sized company. On her first day, she receives a welcome email, a list of tools to install, and the advice to "call your buddy if you have questions." But Lisa doesn't know who her buddy is, where to find the right manuals, or what exactly is expected of her in the first week. After six weeks, she still feels "new" and a bit lost. Not because she isn't motivated, but because the system fails.

What does work?

Structure and centralization are the key. Onboarding shouldn't be a collection of loose components, but a consistent, repeatable experience. For this, you need a place where everything comes together – from practical information to culture and expectations.

An open-source tool like Outline is excellent for this purpose. It allows you to build a central onboarding hub where new employees can go through all relevant information at their own pace. Think of: • A separate onboarding section per function or team • Clear step-by-step plans and checklists • Embedded videos or visual explanations of processes • Direct links to internal tools and documents • Integrations with Slack or calendars for scheduling check-ins

Instead of one large bulk of information on day one, you give people the space to learn in a targeted, structured way and in context. Additionally, the knowledge remains preserved: new employees are no longer dependent on "who happens to be in the office."

What are the benefits?

Good onboarding is not a luxury. It demonstrably leads to: • Faster productivity • Fewer errors and miscommunications • Higher engagement and less turnover • More confidence and ownership among new employees

And this is measurable. By linking onboarding processes to tools like PostHog or Metabase, you can see exactly which components are being used well, where people drop off, and which content you need to improve.

And what if you don't have time to build this yourself?

That's where Emplex comes in. Emplex helps organizations set up and optimize their onboarding strategy. Not as a one-size-fits-all template, but tailored to your people, tools, and growth phase. Emplex establishes the framework, helps with the setup of tools like Outline, ensures connections with other systems, and makes sure your onboarding process becomes scalable, measurable, and personal.

No more chaos. No more dropouts after 6 weeks. But a strong, consistent start for every new colleague.

Want to know what your onboarding could really look like? Contact us – Emplex is happy to think along with you.