McLean: Effective Onboarding Boosts Engagement & Retention

First impressions matter, yet despite rising turnover and a greater emphasis on employee experience, many organizations still treat onboarding as a quick orientation, missing the opportunity to engage, equip, and retain new talent. McLean & Company’s  recently refreshed research, Develop a Comprehensive Onboarding Program, reframes onboarding as a months-long journey that directly shapes how quickly employees contribute, how connected they feel to the wider team, and how likely they are to stay.

“Onboarding doesn’t begin on day one – it begins the moment a candidate accepts the offer,” says Kelly Berte, practice lead, HR Research & Advisory Services. “When treated as a strategic, shared responsibility between HR and leaders, onboarding becomes more than a process; it becomes a powerful driver of culture, clarity, and commitment.”

Despite its impact on engagement and turnover, the global research and advisory firm’s insights highlight that onboarding remains one of the most misunderstood phases of the employee lifecycle. Too often, organizations delegate the process solely to HR, overlook manager involvement, or fail to adapt to hybrid realities. The result is disconnected new hires, extended ramp-up times, and preventable attrition.

McLean & Company’s research shows that effective onboarding programs should:

• Improve time to productivity by clarifying expectations and role success.
• Strengthen employee retention by fostering belonging and connection.
• Reinforce culture and employer brand through intentional socialization.

The firm’s Develop a Comprehensive Onboarding Program blueprint outlines a five-step process for HR to build a comprehensive onboarding program that aligns with business needs. The five steps are:

1. Assess the current onboarding experience and define success metrics.
2. Acclimate new hires by sharing essential organizational, administrative, and cultural information.
3. Guide employees with performance clarity, goal-setting, and coaching from day one.
4. Develop new hires with role-specific learning and long-term growth support.
5. Implement and communicate the program for consistent and scalable adoption.

Designed for evolving workplace realities, the updated blueprint provides guidance on navigating decentralized teams, leveraging onboarding technology, and tailoring the approach by region or role complexity.

As organizations compete for talent and adapt to flexible work models, onboarding is becoming a critical component of the workplace. For new hires, McLean & Company advises that onboarding is often where their expectations are met with organizational reality, and that  when done right, it sets the tone for long-term engagement and growth.

“When onboarding is viewed as a shared responsibility between HR and leaders, it becomes a powerful driver of performance, and perhaps most importantly, trust,” explains Berte.

McLean & Company’s blueprint includes customizable tools, diagnostics, and step-by-step resources to help HR teams assess current gaps and design onboarding programs that work, whether employees are in-office, hybrid, or fully remote.  

To support implementation, McLean & Company offers a dedicated workshop to help HR leaders apply the framework in their own organizational context. Learn more about the workshop here.

Organizations looking to accelerate the development of their onboarding program may also benefit from McLean & Company’s Develop a Comprehensive Onboarding Program workshop, or the firm’s New Hire and Employee Exit Survey.

For media inquiries or to connect with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights on human resources, onboarding, culture, and employee experience, please contact Communications Manager Katie Tame at ktame@infotech.com.