Why is Onboarding Important?
Is your onboarding plan strong enough to support a fair, well-evidenced probation process?
With UK employment law moving towards a shorter six-month qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal claims, you and your business will have less time to identify concerns, support new starters, and make confident employment decisions.
On the first day, any new starter should receive a clear workplace induction. This means they will understand how your organisation operates, what is expected of them, and how their progress will be supported during probation.
A tour of your premises can help them become familiar with the working environment and meet the wider team.
Buddy system
New starters often benefit from having an existing employee act as their buddy during the placement. This buddy can help them settle in, answer day-to-day questions, and act as a first point of contact if any issues arise.
Some organisations may already have a designated buddy, such as someone in HR or learning and development, but any suitable employee can take on the role.
The buddy should be patient, approachable, and familiar with your organisation. Team leaders or employees with experience of work placement programmes are often good choices.
From offer acceptance to full productivity, onboarding helps lay the foundation for long-term success. It can improve retention, confidence, and engagement by helping new starters understand their role and connect with colleagues.
Onboarding helps by:
Setting expectations: New starters learn policies, processes, communication norms, and how success is measured.
Building confidence and productivity: Clear responsibilities, training, and early support help people contribute sooner.
Creating connection: Introductions, shadowing, and buddy support help new starters feel part of the team.
Supporting development: Role-specific training, mentoring, and regular check-ins help identify progress and any extra support needed.
Improving retention: A positive onboarding experience can increase engagement and reduce early turnover.
The 4 phases of onboarding
A simple onboarding journey can be split into four phases: preboarding, the first week, the first 90 days, and ongoing development:
Preboarding: Share key information before the first day and build confidence about the role.
Day 1/Week 1: Cover introductions, IT setup, policies, job expectations, and the organisation’s mission and values.
First 90 days: Provide mentoring, regular check-ins, feedback, and short-term objectives.
90+ days: Review progress, confirm any further support needed, and agree next development goals.
Good onboarding is about much more than making a positive first impression. It gives new employees clarity, confidence and the support they need to succeed, while giving you, the employer, a structured opportunity to set expectations, monitor progress and address concerns early.
With changes to employment law making those early months increasingly important, now is a good time to review your onboarding and probation processes. Are they clear, consistent and properly documented? And are your managers confident about what they need to do at each stage?
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