BBB Business Tip: 7 key tips to successfully onboard new employees

With many businesses facing ongoing challenges in hiring and retaining talent, it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed with onboarding new employees and ensuring they stay with your company for the long term.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2024, the total number of people in the U.S. who quit their jobs dropped to approximately 39.6 million. Unfortunately, some people left their positions because they felt undervalued and underappreciated. Many companies needed help finding qualified candidates for their open positions because they had a reputation for being difficult to work with. 

This is why it's essential to ensure that you're improving your onboarding process and providing your employees with the tools they need to succeed. 

Updated with recent statistics on May 14, 2025

What you'll learn:

• How to create a thoughtful onboarding experience that makes new hires feel welcomed and prepared

• Steps to build strong relationships and open communication from day one

• Ways to set employees up for long-term success with clear expectations and professional development opportunities

7 key tips to successfully onboard new employees

You’ve hired a new employee, and it’s time to onboard them. Onboarding is your new employee’s first impression of your company, and ensuring that the impression is good is essential. 

Follow these critical seven tips for successfully onboarding new employees: 

1. Discuss any questions or concerns with them before their first official day

One of the most important things you should be doing when onboarding your new employees is taking the time to sit down and discuss any questions or concerns they may have. 

This can range from first-day nerves to questions they may have regarding processes and procedures. By addressing these issues and concerns before your new employee even begins working, you're showing them that you are invested in them and their needs from the get-go. 

2. Begin with pre-onboarding

Once you've let your new hires get their initial questions and concerns out on the table and you've taken the time to address them, you can begin with your pre-onboarding. 

This is essential because it allows you to present your new employees with expectations and guidelines to help them feel comfortable and successful from the start. Whether this is through a phone call, pre-onboarding email, or a pre-onboarding meeting, you'll want to present your employee with the following:

• A copy of their contract and a copy of the company's policies and procedures
• All new hire paperwork must be filled out, including benefits packages, W2s, etc. 
• A copy of their employee handbook
• Instructions for their first day and any special training that they may need
• Their start date, time, and location (as well as a plan for their first day/week)
• Any necessary usernames/passwords for relevant company accounts 

Presenting your new hires with all this information before their official onboarding date will allow them to feel more comfortable with you and your company as they get to know you.

3. Introduce new hires around the offices

Before your new employee's first official day on the clock, you should include a tour of the office as part of their onboarding process. During this tour, you should introduce your new hire to the rest of the staff, including their coworkers and managers. 

Doing this will help them feel more comfortable in their new surroundings and feel like they're part of the team.

4. Have new hires have a lunch out with their team lead/manager 

While introducing your new hires to the rest of the team is essential, having everyone meet at once is not always viable. If you can't introduce the new hire to their team lead or manager, you should encourage their upper management to host a lunch out with the new hire so they can get to know them better. 

During this setting, the new hire can ask questions about the company and better understand what they can expect from their new job.

5. Outline a path for professional development

During your official onboarding meetings with your new hire, you also want to take the time to sit down and show them a path for professional development. This is crucial because it gives your new employees an idea of what they can expect from your company.

During these uncertain times, you need to be able to have a clear path for your new hires to follow so that they can be successful. This will help them feel more comfortable and confident in their surroundings. 

6. Invite open communication from the beginning  

You must also emphasize the importance of open communication from the onset of your working relationship. Studies show that open communication and collaboration can increase employee productivity by 25%, so you must ensure your new hire feels comfortable enough to open up to you and your team.

7. Coach new hires for success

Finally, you want to give your new hires the tools and resources to succeed from day one. You give them the best chance to thrive and grow within your organization by providing the right tools. This will help them see their potential and increase their self-confidence, translating to their work and productivity and ensuring they stay with your company for the long haul.

Grow your business with more tips from the BBB

Operating a small business is challenging, but you can still grow and succeed. With the right tips and tricks, you can ensure you are doing everything possible to keep your business growing. 

By following the steps above, you can ensure that you are using the best strategies to onboard your new employees and ensure you are building a solid foundation for long-term success.

For more information

Need more helpful insight into growing your business? Check out the BBB business news feed and the BizHQ. 

Interested in education on hiring and retaining your employees? See BBB Learning for a full course catalog.

BBB of Southern Piedmont and Western N.C. contributed to this article.