Onboarding has changed dramatically in just a few years. Expectations are higher, competition for talent is tighter, and the experience new hires receive in the first days and weeks has a measurable impact on whether they stay, engage, and become productive.
I revisit these onboarding myths often, especially as I speak with companies navigating new realities in hiring, retention, and through offboarding.
Let’s break these seven myths in the spirit of Myth Busters, taking the same spirit of testing assumptions and bringing it into the world of onboarding.
Click to jump to a section: Paper onboarding | Mobile’s optional | HRIS onboarding | Day one | HR owns onboarding | The hassle | New hire needs
Myth 1: Paper-based onboarding is still sufficient
If you’ve ever welcomed a new hire with a stack of paper, you already know the drawbacks. Paper is slow, error prone, and deeply out of step with what today’s employees expect. Gallup’s workplace research found that only 12 percent of employees believe their organization does a great job onboarding new hires.
This number has barely improved in years, and manual processes are a big reason why.
When you automate and speed up time spent on onboarding, the impact is clear:
- Delta Dental reduced the time their new hires spent on paperwork from three hours to twenty minutes.
- CRH Americas saves 4,000+ hours across their enterprise thanks to greater automation
These gains matter. New hires can move directly into meaningful work, and your team isn’t stuck rekeying information or chasing signatures.
Digitization also strengthens security, which has only become more important. Employee data protections continue to expand at the state level, and centralized, secure systems make compliance far easier than managing paper files or emailed forms. Even when I cannot find an updated statistic for a specific reference, the trend is clear: storing employee data securely and digitally is now a baseline expectation.
Myth 2: Mobile-first onboarding is optional
Mobile-first is no longer a nice-to-have. According to DataReportal’s digital trends, US adults spend more than three hours per day on their mobile devices – and that includes job seekers who rely on their phones for everything from applying to jobs to signing offer letters.
Also of note: 33 million Americans only have a smartphone for a computer. They don’t have another device with a larger screen.
When you design an onboarding experiences, start with mobile-first accessibility because that’s where new hires already are – and it’s inclusive to every candidate.
No apps, no downloads, no barriers.
A new hire taps a link, gets welcomed into their personalized experience, and can move through tasks quickly.
Clients consistently tell us that mobile-first onboarding helps them:
- Increase engagement
• Better support remote and field-based workers
• Reduce HR processing time
• Improve completion rates
• Help new hires arrive on Day 1 ready to work
Accessibility is the foundation of a great onboarding experience, and the data makes the case for mobile-first onboarding stronger every year.
Myth 3: The onboarding module in my HRIS is good enough
Full disclosure, we know Click Boarding is often compared to what’s in your HRIS today. Many HRIS platforms include onboarding modules, but whether they’re good enough depends on what you value.
We’ve found most fall short in two critical areas: mobile experience and customization.
A mobile-first experience is difficult for many suite-based systems to deliver reliably, forcing new hires into desktop-only workflows that are slow, clunky, or unintuitive.
As for customization, when you want workflows tailored by role, location, business unit, or brand, the typical HRIS module can’t deliver the flexibility you need. New hires expect personalized experiences, and HR expects processes that scale without added complexity or cost.
The right blend
When I evaluate an onboarding experience, I look at both compliance and engagement. Compliance alone is not enough. A government website is compliant, but no one calls it engaging!
Onboarding should affirm a new hire’s decision to say yes, I’ve made the right decision.
One of our clients improved their onboarding NPS from 35 to more than 70 after shifting from their HRIS module to a mobile-first, personalized workflow. That is what a modern, candidate-centric approach makes possible.
Myth 4: Onboarding begins on Day 1
If you wait until day one to begin onboarding, you’ve already wasted time.
Indeed’s hiring research shows that about one in five new hires signs an offer but never shows up. This number has remained fairly consistent across multiple years of data. The moment someone says yes is the moment they are most vulnerable to counteroffers, competing opportunities, and doubt.
That is why I view HR preboarding as the true beginning of onboarding. It is your chance to reassure, welcome, and connect with a person who is making a major life decision.
World-class onboarding programs begin immediately and extend through a new hire’s first 90 days, yet many HRIS options don’t allow new hires any access until their start date, which invites uncertainty and disengagement between offer acceptance and day one!
Great onboarding includes:
- Preboarding messages that build connection and belonging
- A structured first day that removes anxiety
- Orientation activities that introduce culture and community
- Tools, equipment, and training that eliminate friction
- Manager check-ins and achievable goals that guide early success
SHRM reports consistent improvements when organizations invest in structured onboarding, including more than 50 percent higher engagement and more than 70 percent faster productivity.
Myth 5: Onboarding belongs (only) to Human Resources
HR plays a central role, but onboarding is not a single department’s responsibility.
Every new hire needs access, equipment, information, expectations, and human connection. That requires participation from managers, mentors, peers, IT, facilities, security, and more.
When we see onboarding work beautifully, it is because the whole organization believes they share responsibility for welcoming new hires and have a system that facilitates this.
Research backs this up: SHRM notes that structured onboarding programs contribute to stronger engagement, while Glassdoor found that strong onboarding can improve retention by more than 80 percent.
When onboarding becomes part of the company’s DNA, new hires feel that support immediately.
One way you make it easy for cross-functional collaboration? Automated reminders and built-in check-ins for your onboarding tool. Our real-time updates make it simple for you to see who’s up next … ask us how 🙂
Myth 6: Modernizing onboarding is too difficult
I understand why this myth sticks.
Change is intimidating, especially for organizations with many locations, legacy systems, or complex workflows. Leaders often worry about data security, integration challenges, and implementation workload.
Frankly, change is hard, exhausting, and getting the necessary buy-in can be a real challenge.
Here’s what I’d say in response:
Secure, centralized systems now protect employee information more effectively than manual processes. For instance, we maintain SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR compliance, with secure access and storage that removes risk rather than adding to it.
Integration has also become much easier. Point solutions like ours are built for be easy to integrate (fun fact, we support direct connections to more than 250 systems, with the ability to build something custom when needed, as well)
And organizations should never go through implementation alone. For instance, our in-house implementation team guides every step and works alongside your company to drive faster time-to-value for your investment. The consistent experience we see is that expert support dramatically reduces effort and increases confidence.
Change is hard, but the right partner has done this dozens of times and brings that expertise to your organization and make it far easier – and more attainable.
Myth 7: New hires will figure things out on their own
There’s a tendency to throw new hires in and let them sink-or-swim, with varying results.
Every new hire has questions. Even confident employees wonder how things work, who to turn to, and whether they are meeting expectations. A structured onboarding program removes uncertainty and helps people feel grounded quickly.
SHRM’s research has been clear for years: employees who experience structured onboarding are significantly more likely to stay for three years or longer. That finding continues to hold true.
HR preboarding, Day 1, the first month, and the first 90 days are all essential stages. Each step provides an opportunity to create clarity, build connection, and ensure early success.
Our guided experience makes each step understandable and achievable. New hires always know what to do next, and HR can monitor progress through the Action Center so nothing falls through the cracks.
Your onboarding should be a strategic advantage
Onboarding has always mattered, but today it is a true differentiator. When we replace outdated assumptions with modern, mobile-first, personalized experiences, we see measurable improvements in retention, productivity, engagement, and overall talent outcomes.
If you would like to explore how we support these results, I’d be happy to connect.
Or, explore critical onboarding KPIs as you form your ideas!
