RESEARCH REPORT Next-gen Onboarding: Redefining the New Hire Journey
New research report by TalentLMS and BambooHR reveals how generational trends, AI, and work setting are reshaping the onboarding experience. It sheds light on different onboarding delivery methods, spotlighting what clicks, what flops, and where the cracks show.
Onboarding felt like the beginning of a continuous learning journey for 65% of employees. Yet 39% had second thoughts about their new job during the process.
Key highlights
Off to a good start
73% of employees are satisfied with their onboarding experience.
AI-unready
60% of employees didn’t receive training on AI tools during onboarding.
Info overload from day one
42% were overwhelmed with too much information at once.
Research takeaways
Satisfaction with onboarding
Most new hires (73%) feel positive about their overall onboarding experience. Satisfaction varied slightly by generation: 76% of Gen Z and Gen X were satisfied with their onboarding, along with 75% of Millennials. Baby Boomers trailed behind, with 68% reporting satisfaction.
Sizing up delivery methods
Hybrid onboarding topped the charts for employee satisfaction: 75% of employees whose onboarding was hybrid were satisfied with the experience. This outpaces satisfaction with both in-person onboarding and remote onboarding, which scored 73% and 71%, respectively.
HR experts featured in the report
Julia Phelan, Ph.D
Learning Strategy Consultant at
To Eleven
Gary Cookson
Founder and Director of
EPIC
Neena Newberry
CEO and Founder of
Newberry Solutions
Lilith Christiansen
Founder & Chief Consultant at HumanGenuity
More takeaways
AI vs human touch in onboarding
32% of employees said they used AI tools more often than they asked a manager, HR, or colleagues to answer questions during onboarding. But, as the graph on the right shows, Gen Z is more likely than any other generation to turn to AI instead of a human. And this comes with a cost.
The younger the generation, the more they felt the human touch was missing during onboarding. Gen Z was most likely to say onboarding lacked human interaction (41%), followed by Millennials (33%). Fewer Gen X employees (29%) and Baby Boomers (18%) felt this way.
Top skill-building challenges
Skill building should be a core part of employee onboarding, not a nice-to-have. It’s how new hires gain the confidence, tools, and knowledge to grow in their roles. But in practice? Many run into roadblocks before they even get started.
The top challenge: being expected to perform before training is complete. Thrown into the job too soon, many don’t get the chance to build the skills they need. But you can’t build skills while rushing to deliver. Close behind is the lack of follow-up and continuous training. This sends the wrong message: learning was just part of onboarding, not part of the culture. The third-ranked challenge adds to the strain: generic training that lacks personalization.
When it comes to skill-building, new hires are rushed, left without follow-through, and handed training that doesn’t match their role. If companies want new hires to grow, they need to design onboarding that actually makes room for it.
Download the full-scale report
Uncover what helps new hires stay, thrive, and grow. Use the report insights to fix onboarding friction points and turn day-one confusion into clarity.
Dive deeper into original research by TalentLMS
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