Times have changed. While workplace presence was mandatory for decades, the last few years have seen an overwhelming increase in remote and at-home opportunities. But how do you integrate new hires, who may be thousands of miles away, into your business processes?

Global teams have become commonplace, and many employees now work remotely, making it impossible for them to physically attend an office. You don't want to lose out on top talent just because they can’t be physically present. That's where digital onboarding comes in.

With efficient digital employee onboarding, you can introduce a new team member just as smoothly as with traditional onboarding. Even more, thanks to digital onboarding tools, HR managers can also operate from anywhere and hire employees remotely. This is a win-win and forward-looking situation as the trend toward remote work continues to grow. 

What Is Digital Onboarding?

Really, digital employee onboarding is the same thing as traditional onboarding, differing mostly in medium and the effectiveness of the overall program to welcome and train new hires. 

Various employee onboarding software and HR platforms, can be used for both remote employees and the rest of the employee base. These generally include online portals, video tutorials and collaboration tools, as well as progress and KPI tracking. 

A new employee might start by downloading the app or registering on the HR website to get access to introductory videos, training modules, e-learning courses and tests, company policies, and other resources. 

Digital onboarding also includes automated workflows for routine tasks such as filling out tax forms or setting up direct deposit. With modern solutions like e-signatures, companies can manage paperwork efficiently and securely.

It’s important to note that the digital onboarding process doesn't just end with integrating new hires into a company but extends to ongoing support.

Digital Onboarding vs. Traditional Onboarding. 

Despite looking to achieve the same goal, there are some key differences between digital and traditional onboarding. Here’s a quick comparison:

Benefits of Digital Onboarding

Since remote work has been normalized, digital onboarding has become a must for most companies, but what you might not know is that it can also provide huge benefits for in-office employees.

Here are some of the key advantages of digital onboarding:

Cost reduction

Maybe one of the most important benefits of digital onboarding is cost reduction. 

Traditional onboarding involves paying for HR specialists, recruiters, printed documents, in-person training, and hiring external trainers—all of which can be costly. Additionally, poor onboarding can lead to high employee turnover, which can cost 100-300% of the employee's salary.

When digital onboarding is executed properly and effectively, costs are reduced both in the short and long term. 

Improved time and efficiency

The ideal onboarding process should last around 90 to 100 days, and sometimes up to a year, according to some HR experts. In practice, many companies complete onboarding in a week or less, with only 11% of employers taking three months or longer. This leads to inefficiencies and complications down the line.

The main benefit of digital onboarding in this sense is that it not only requires way less time and effort, even with the 1-year principle. You can construct programs easily, automating tasks that may have taken hours, if not days, and centralize all the paperwork in one database. 

This kind of structure leads to up to a 50% increase in productivity, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Higher employee retention

This might be the most important aspect of digital onboarding.

While it might seem that onboarding is just about training someone on our company’s product, in reality what we are essentially after is a positive response that will help bond new hires to both the company and its culture.

Effective onboarding guarantees a seamless experience, improving long-term retention and overall employee satisfaction.

Enhanced support and accessibility

Instant assistance is essential for successful onboarding. Many digital onboarding platforms feature chat functions and support systems for 24/7 communication.

As you can imagine, this helps reduce employee stress and improves the quality of one-on-one sessions. Open communication between senior staff, mentors, and juniors is essential to a smooth onboarding process. It makes information more accessible, promotes better onboarding sessions, and enhances employee engagement.

Problems of Digital Onboarding (And How to Solve Them)

Now for the bad. Despite its many benefits, digital onboarding can also pose challenges. Here are a few common issues and solutions:

Feelings of isolation

Limited interactions and the lack of face-to-face meetings can make new hires feel disconnected. Without physical presence, it’s harder to engage with colleagues and feel part of the team.

That’s why a key component of digital onboarding is creating open communication and feedback loops. Make sure to incorporate collaboration tools, regular check-ins, and progress discussions to prevent remote workers from falling through the cracks.

Information overload

New hires can easily become overwhelmed with the volume of onboarding materials and tools presented to them. Digital onboarding, while centralizing information, might unintentionally bombard employees with too many documents, videos, and online courses.

The solution is pretty simple: break down the content into bite-sized pieces. Giving new hires the necessary material in manageable chunks with a distinct beginning and end will massively improve their mood and efficiency. 

Lack of engagement and motivation

A person can rapidly lose their interest when no one is around, and they’re responsible for keeping their focus on monotonous, impersonal training activities. This is what happens when onboarding only involves watching long videos or reading dense text.

Making digital onboarding interactive and engaging is a must. Make sure you use varied content types such as games, quizzes, contests, and interactive videos. Award points or digital badges for various achievements. Regular gratification boosts engagement, inspires new employees, boosting their well-being by over 50%.

What’s the Digital Employee Onboarding Process Like?

1- Preboarding

The onboarding journey begins even before a new hire’s official first day, during preboarding. 

This phase involves organizing essential documents such as contracts and tax forms and setting up email accounts and software access. Digital tools like DocuSign make this process seamless by allowing employees to sign documents from their mobile devices.

Companies can also provide an introductory company video and messages, helping new employees understand their new tools and feel prepared for their upcoming role.

2- Welcoming and Orientation

When new hires officially join the team, a welcoming orientation is essential to introduce them to the company culture. 

This part of the onboarding process can include a personalized video message from the CEO or their direct supervisor, virtual welcome meetings with their colleagues on platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, and an interactive e-learning module. 

A virtual office tour can also help new employees understand the company’s layout, learn about key departments and team members, and gain insight into the organization’s mission, values, and expectations.

3- Training and Development

Job-specific training begins soon after the new employee joins, often starting with initial readings or simple activities during the first phase of onboarding. 

From here, training transitions into a more structured approach, leveraging resources like learning management systems (LMS), with tailored lessons that track progress, and customize learning based on the company's processes. 

Assigning experienced mentors or “onboarding buddies” also provides new hires with accessible guidance. Through virtual meetings and instant messaging, mentors can help employees gain clarity, answer questions, and adapt to their roles in a supportive environment.

4- Integration and Collaboration

Effective onboarding doesn’t stop at training—it includes helping new hires integrate with the team. Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Trello help encourage collaboration and communication among team members.

Regular check-ins with team leaders via video calls can help new hires feel supported, engaged, and connected to their teams.

5- Ongoing Support and Feedback

Just because the initial onboarding process is done, doesn't mean the work is over. Maintaining ongoing support is essential. 

Providing access to resources like FAQs, knowledge bases, and help desk services allows new hires to find answers easily as they continue to settle in. Collecting regular feedback from new hires via surveys also ensures continuous improvement.

Best Practices for Digital Onboarding

Use straightforward onboarding documents

New hires already have a lot to take in, you can make their lives easier by providing concise, understandable onboarding documents. Avoid lengthy, jargon-filled texts, use bullet points, visuals and infographics, and list instructions.

Grant access to systems and digital tools ASAP

It's always hard to visualize the information without the ability to explore the mentioned solutions. Still, some companies don't give immediate access to their software. When this occurs, people may apply lessons learned in other organizations and misuse the tools. 

Make sure new hires have access to all the tools they will need during their journey from the get-go, along with any accompanying instructions that might be necessary. 

Treat employee onboarding as a continuous process

As we’ve already discussed, onboarding may take not only several weeks but months. Several platforms can host courses for long periods, allowing people to complete them at their own pace.  

Moreover, you should never stop updating your team on policies and procedures throughout the whole period of working with you. Continuous onboarding for old and new employees leads to higher retention rates and job satisfaction.

Personalize the experience

Everyone is different, so it’s important to tailor the onboarding process to meet individual needs. 

Understand the unique skills and goals of each new employee and adjust the onboarding plan accordingly to make the most out of their abilities from the start. Personalization is also a great way to make new hires feel valued and appreciated.

Encourage communication and collaboration

It's not uncommon for new hires to hesitate asking “too many questions”, fearing it could impact their reputation. Let them know it’s okay to have questions (even if they feel basic) and seek help.

Assigning someone to a mentor role to whom they can refer to will do wonders, especially if they make a habit out of regularly checking on their trainee. Make sure to also highlight small successes to enhance an employee's self-esteem, motivation and sense of achievement.

Make space for bonding

Finally, arrange team-bonding activities when feasible. 

While going digital yields advantages, traditional methods like retreats, happy hours, and parties are still effective and can only reinforce your company culture and team cohesion. 

If meeting in person is impossible, think of alternative fun ways to collaborate as a team for work or leisure. This can include recreational meetings or small games across digital platforms. 

Starting a new job is always thrilling, but it also comes with a lot of stress, both for the employee and the employer. It's an event that triggers a long chain of necessary procedures, from dealing with the legalities of hiring new people to educating them on using corporate tools.

Digital onboarding is a method that brings unique benefits when done right. Although it might take some getting used to, and although there are some aspects of traditional onboarding that it might never replace, it's a strategy that's already here to stay.