What Is Preboarding? 7 Tips to Welcome New Employees

These days, job seekers have plenty of choices, giving them more power than before. In the US, there are 1.4 million more open jobs than people looking for work.

But companies now struggle with more than just finding talent – they need to keep employees interested and committed. The fact that 20% of new hires quit within their first 45 days shows that keeping employees engaged should be every HR team’s top concern.

So, how do you make sure new employees care about your company’s goals from their first day?

The answer is pre-boarding. Connecting with new hires before they start work doesn’t just make a good impression, but it also helps them become productive faster and makes them more likely to stay with your company longer.

What Is Preboarding?

Preboarding is the period that comes before onboarding helping new employees prepare for their first day by taking care of paperwork and giving them an early introduction to the company’s culture.

Preboarding process plays a key role in shaping their overall experience, helps to reduce any uncertainty and boosting their sense of connection and commitment to the company.

This phase typically handles essential paperwork: tax forms, health documentation, insurance enrollment, and other email-manageable tasks. Completing these items before the start date enables HR to design a more effective and engaging onboarding program.

The primary goal of preboarding is to prepare employees while maintaining their enthusiasm about joining your team.

Why Is Preboarding Important?

Imagine this scenario: a candidate accepts your offer and signs the contract, then receives no communication for weeks before their start date.

This silence may leave them feeling undervalued or questioning their decision to join your company.

In contrast, robust preboarding keeps new hires engaged from acceptance through their first day. It builds anticipation and connection, significantly improving employee retention and reducing the risk of pre-start dropouts.

Effective preboarding demonstrates that you value new team members, establishing the foundation for a successful employment relationship.

Key Benefits of Effective Preboarding

Preboarding is super essential for any organization, because it: 

1. Maintains enthusiasm and engagement: Regular communication shows new hires they matter and builds excitement about joining your team.

2. Delivers essential information: The period between contract signing and start date provides an ideal opportunity to share important company information.

3. Facilitates buddy connections: If you use a workplace buddy system, preboarding offers the perfect timing for these introductions.

4. Streamlines administration: Handle document reviews and signatures during preboarding to simplify the official onboarding process.

5. Builds team relationships: Preboarding helps new employees connect with future colleagues, understand team dynamics, and preview meeting structures, reducing anxiety and creating early rapport.

6. Prevents competitor poaching: Research shows 20% of people who sign contracts never show up on day one, often joining competitors who provide superior preboarding experiences.

Essential Preboarding Elements

Your preboarding program must familiarize new hires with your organization, giving them a jumpstart on their role. Include these key components:

1. Structured Roadmap: Provide clear guidance about what to expect during their first days and weeks, creating certainty and reducing anxiety.

2. Comprehensive FAQ Document: Anticipate questions your new team member will have and address them proactively, helping them feel informed and confident before day one.

3. Cultural Immersion: Company culture significantly impacts employee experience. Share traditions, achievements, and even inside jokes to foster inclusion and excitement about joining your team.

4. Company Handbook: Share this valuable resource early so they can familiarize themselves with your organization’s policies, procedures, and expectations.

5. Administrative Preparation: Complete essential paperwork and administrative tasks during preboarding, ensuring their first day involves meaningful activities rather than just paperwork.

Preboarding vs Onboarding: Key Differences

Are preboarding and onboarding the same? If not, what are the differences between preboarding and onboarding? 

Preboarding engages and prepares new hires before their official start date, while onboarding integrates them into the company after they begin work. Both processes form essential components of your overall employee experience.

The table below highlights key differences between employee preboarding and onboarding.

Read More: Digital Employee Onboarding: Challenges, & Benefits

7 Best Tips for a Successful Preboarding

A well-designed preboarding process helps new hires feel welcomed, informed, and prepared before day one. Consider these important steps:

1. Crafting Welcome Communications

First impressions matter significantly. Making new hires feel valued and appreciated immediately is crucial. A thoughtful welcome email creates a positive impression and improves retention rates.

Welcome emails also provide an excellent opportunity to share important information and introduce new employees to your company culture.

HR Responsibilities:

• Design a welcome template for managers to customize
• Include a video message from leadership welcoming new team members
• Review our “Welcome to the Team” resource for communication inspiration

2. Creating First-Week Onboarding Schedules

Most new hires appreciate knowing what to expect during their first days. Developing a comprehensive onboarding agenda requires coordination across multiple departments.

Proper planning ensures a smooth first day and subsequent onboarding experience.

HR Responsibilities:

• Outline the standard onboarding elements common to all employees
• Identify and coordinate with all stakeholders involved in onboarding
• Have managers select appropriate time slots for department-specific activities
• Compile this information into a first-day and first-week schedule to share with new hires

3. Managing Pre-Employment Documentation

The preboarding period offers an ideal opportunity to handle necessary paperwork before the first day. This allows new employees to complete administrative requirements at their own pace rather than rushing through during formal onboarding.

Relevant documents include tax forms, employment contracts, company policies, employee handbooks, and benefit information.

HR Responsibilities:

• Compile a comprehensive list of required documentation
• Create a distribution timeline with automated reminders for required signatures
• Distribute information gradually to avoid overwhelming new hires
• Collect feedback about the documentation process to identify improvements

Read more: 14 Essential Employee Onboarding Documents for New Hires

4. Set Up the Work Environment and Tools

The time before arrival gives HR teams and supervisors an opportunity to handle all practical matters well in advance of the new team member’s first day.

A properly arranged workspace and equipment are essential, yet surprisingly, this fundamental step is often overlooked. What this entails will differ significantly based on the position and industry the individual is entering.

The action items below represent what might be needed for an office-based position.

HR responsibilities:

• Clearly communicate start dates to all parties responsible for preparing the new hire’s arrival (office management, IT department, legal team, etc.)
• Several days before the new employee begins, verify that their workspace and equipment are properly configured.
• Connect with the new team member’s supervisor a few days prior to their start date as a gentle reminder about their incoming team member and to determine if they require any HR assistance.

5. Prompt Managers to Brief Their Team About the New Arrival

While most supervisors will remember to inform their team about a new colleague joining, providing them with guidance on this process is beneficial.

Informing the team about the new person’s role and responsibilities creates clarity and explains which projects the incoming colleague will participate in. This preparation also helps ensure the new hire feels welcomed on their first day.

HR Responsibilities:

• Develop a template that supervisors can utilize when drafting an announcement to their teams introducing the new colleague, outlining their position, responsibilities, and project involvement
• Encourage supervisors to have their teams reach out to their future coworkers, perhaps through LinkedIn, to extend a greeting and welcome them to the team
• Suggest that supervisors invite the new hire to participate in one or two team meetings or social gatherings during preboarding to facilitate a smoother transition on their first day.

6. Assist with Creating a 30-60-90-Day Plan

A 30-60-90-day plan, or quarterly plan, helps new team members navigate their workplace and position. It provides structure and guidance regarding company culture, procedures, and expectations.

While supervisors ideally develop this plan collaboratively with their new hires, HR plays a crucial role in supporting this process.

HR Responsibilities:

• Design a 30-60-90-day plan template for supervisors to use when structuring their new hires’ initial months. For inspiration, examples, and a free template download, visit the resource page.
• During preboarding, remind supervisors to have their 30-60-90-day plan prepared and to share it with their new team members according to the preboarding schedule
• Consistently check in with supervisors and new hires throughout the onboarding period to monitor progress.

7. Remain Accessible and Maintain Communication

As mentioned earlier, a primary objective of preboarding is keeping new hires engaged and enthusiastic about their upcoming position.

Therefore, maintaining contact throughout the preboarding period and being available when a new hire has questions or concerns is essential.

HR Responsibilities:

• Outline the preboarding process and establish a timeline, detailing which actions occur at specific points
• Deliberately schedule moments within that process for HR or the new hire’s supervisor to check in with them
• Create straightforward channels for new hires to contact HR and their future supervisor
• If your organization implements a buddy system, ensure that assigned buddies connect with their partners during preboarding and remain easily reachable.

Use Preboarding to Enhance Employee Retention

Today’s workforce, particularly millennial professionals, cycle through organizations at a dizzying pace. Nearly 20% of newly hired employees resign from their positions within just 45 days of starting.

Recruitment extends beyond merely identifying and securing talent: For the process to succeed, new team members must remain with the organization. Fortunately, properly executed preboarding can swiftly strengthen your incoming employees’ attachment to your organization, substantially decreasing turnover and departure rates.

Dedicating resources to your preboarding initiatives should be considered essential for maintaining new hires’ enthusiasm and connection to your organization.