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Digital onboarding: How to design the process for your company
TL;DR: The 5 most important key messages
- Strategic digital onboarding is crucial for retaining new employees in the long term and strengthening the employer brand.
- A successful process is divided into several phases, starting with preboarding immediately after signing the contract and ending with full integration after six months.
- Success is based on a clear plan, the right technology, and, above all, targeted human interaction such as mentoring and regular feedback.
- Specialized software automates administrative tasks, ensures a consistent process, and gives the HR department more time for personal support.
- Digital onboarding is the method that improves processes in every company, while remote onboarding is the purely location-independent application of this method.
Digital onboarding is much more than just moving paper forms to the cloud. It offers a range of strategic advantages that have a direct impact on a company’s efficiency and competitiveness.
- Efficiency and time savings: Digital processes automate routine administrative tasks such as document management, sending standard emails, or obtaining signatures. This significantly reduces the workload of the HR department and frees up time for important, strategic tasks that focus on people, such as personal feedback meetings or cultural integration.
- Cost efficiency: By eliminating printed documents and the need to keep physical resources on hand for each new hire, companies can save significant costs.
- Scalability and consistency: Digital tools ensure that every new employee, regardless of their location, department, or start date, receives exactly the same high-quality information and training. This creates a consistent and high standard across the entire company, which is especially valuable for fast-growing organizations.
- Access to a global talent pool: By removing geographical barriers, companies can hire and integrate the best talent worldwide without being tied to a specific location.
- Improved employee experience and employer branding: A modern, smooth, and technologically advanced onboarding process leaves a positive impression from the very first moment. It signals that the company is forward-looking and values its employees’ time. This strengthens employer branding and makes the company significantly more attractive to sought-after skilled workers.
A direct comparison of traditional and digital onboarding
Traditional onboarding, which relies on physical presence, facilitates spontaneous social integration. Questions can be answered immediately, and the corporate culture is absorbed through direct observation and informal conversations in the office.
The biggest challenge of digital onboarding is to specifically replicate this sense of personal connection and cultural immersion. Informal exchanges at the coffee machine or shared lunches are no longer possible. This requires innovative and proactive measures to create a sense of belonging. However, there is also a hidden opportunity here: while cultural communication in the traditional model often happens implicitly and by chance, the digital process forces companies to make their culture explicit. Values, communication norms, and unwritten rules must be consciously defined, documented, and actively communicated—whether through a welcome video from management, a digital employee handbook, or structured virtual get-to-know-you sessions. The need to articulate one’s own culture leads to a deeper understanding and a more conscious shaping of interactions throughout the company.
The following table summarizes the main differences:
| Criterion | Traditional onboarding | Digital onboarding |
| Interaction & relationship building | Direct, personal, and spontaneous, which facilitates relationship building | Virtual and planned; requires proactive measures such as virtual coffee breaks to promote a sense of community |
| Flexibility & work-life balance | Less flexibility in terms of work location and hours, which can affect work-life balance | Maximum flexibility for employees, which can significantly improve satisfaction and work-life balance |
| Costs & resources | Often associated with higher costs for office space, travel expenses, and printed materials | Significantly reduces these costs and is more efficient in terms of resource utilization and training time. |
| Talent pool | Limits talent acquisition to geographical proximity to the company location | Enables access to a global talent pool, as companies can hire the best talent regardless of their location. |
| Administration & processes | Often manual, paper-based, and time-consuming, with higher personnel costs | Highly automated, digital, and efficient, minimizing administrative effort |
| Consistency & standardization | The quality and content can depend greatly on the person conducting the assessment (e.g., supervisor). | Ensures a consistently high standard and consistent experience for all new employees |
Who is digital onboarding suitable for? An analysis for your company
The assumption that digital onboarding is only for tech start-ups or purely remote companies is a widespread misconception. In the modern working world, it is rather a flexible methodology that almost every company can benefit from.
Obvious use cases
For certain company structures, a well-designed digital onboarding process is not only advantageous, but simply essential:
- Remote-first and hybrid companies: When employees work from home permanently or part-time, a digital process is the only way to ensure a structured and fair onboarding experience for everyone.
- Companies with multiple locations: Digital onboarding guarantees that a new employee in Munich receives the same high-quality introduction as a colleague in Hamburg. This ensures company-wide consistency and strengthens a shared identity.
- Fast-growing companies (scale-ups): When many new employees are hired in a short period of time, manual processes are no longer efficient. Automation and standardization are key here to managing a high hiring frequency without compromising quality or overburdening the HR department.
Why every modern company can benefit
Even for companies whose employees work exclusively on-site, integrating digital elements into onboarding offers significant advantages. The key point is to understand digital onboarding not as a rigid category, but as a flexible methodology. The question is not, “Is digital onboarding right for us?” but rather, “Which elements of the digital onboarding methodology can we use to improve our existing process?”
Even in a traditional manufacturing company, digital tools can revolutionize the onboarding process. Administrative tasks such as digitally signing contracts or providing safety guidelines via a learning platform can be completed before the first day of work. This saves valuable time on the first day, which can instead be used for practical training on the machines.
In addition, a digitized process sends an important signal to the labor market. Younger generations in particular, such as millennials and Generation Z, now expect essential organizational tasks to be completed online and from anywhere. A company that offers modern and efficient solutions in this area positions itself as an attractive and contemporary employer. The introduction of digital onboarding elements is therefore an investment in the future viability and attractiveness of your own employer brand.
The cornerstones of successful digital onboarding
A successful digital onboarding process is based on three key pillars. If the foundation is not stable, the elements built on top of it will fail to have the desired effect.
The first pillar: a clearly structured and documented plan
The basis for everything else is a carefully crafted and documented plan. An improvised approach inevitably leads to gaps, confusion, and a poor first impression. The plan must contain clear goals, defined milestones for each phase, and clear responsibilities for all parties involved (HR, supervisor, IT, buddy, etc.). It is crucial to share this plan with the new employee. This creates transparency, provides guidance, and helps to manage expectations from the outset. The new employee knows exactly what to expect in the first few days and weeks, which reduces uncertainty and builds trust.
The second pillar: tools and the right technology
The second pillar is technical and organizational preparation. Without functioning tools, even the best plan cannot be implemented. This includes:
- Hardware: The laptop, company cell phone, and any other equipment must be configured, functional, and, above all, arrive at the new employee’s home in good time before their first day at work. Technical problems on the first day are one of the biggest sources of frustration and convey an image of poor organization.
- Software & access: All necessary accounts and access rights, from email addresses to communication platforms such as Slack or Teams to specialist systems, must be set up in advance. The access data should be sent to the new employee securely so that they are ready to start on their first day. Nothing is more demotivating than being unable to work because a password is missing.
The third pillar: the human factor
The third pillar is the most important, because without the human component, digital onboarding cannot be successful. Technology can support processes, but it cannot replace human connection. That is why these aspects must be specifically promoted in the digital space:
- Clear communication: Clear communication channels and rules must be established. What is chat used for, and what is email used for? Who is the contact person for which questions? This clarity avoids misunderstandings and provides security.
- Mentoring (buddy system): Assigning a “buddy” or mentor is one of the most effective measures. This person from the team serves as an informal contact for everyday, practical questions (“How do I submit my vacation request?”) and helps with social networking. A buddy lowers the inhibition threshold for asking for help and significantly accelerates social integration.
- Social integration: Because spontaneous encounters are lacking, social interactions must be proactively planned. These include virtual coffee breaks, joint online lunches, or informal get-togethers within the team that are not solely about work.
- Regular feedback: Planned and regular check-ins are essential. During the first week, there should be daily, brief conversations between the new employee and their supervisor, followed by weekly conversations. These conversations serve to clarify questions, discuss progress, align expectations, and build a trusting relationship.
Only when all three levels—the plan, the tools, and the human factor—are carefully designed can digital onboarding reach its full potential and sustainably retain new employees for the company.
Your customized onboarding process in 5 tried-and-tested steps
A standardized process is rarely the best solution. In order to develop a digital onboarding process that truly engages new employees and quickly integrates them despite physical distance, it is essential to tailor it precisely to the corporate culture, the department, and the respective role.
To create a customized digital onboarding process for your company, the following 5 steps must be followed:
- Needs analysis and goal setting
- Personalization of the digital onboarding phases
- Selection of suitable digital tools and content
- Involvement of the right people
- Continuous feedback and optimization
1. Needs analysis and goal setting
Before you start designing, you need to clearly define your starting point and your goals for the digital environment.
- Set digital goals: What exactly do you want to achieve with digital onboarding? Is it primarily about new employees mastering certain software tools, understanding the rules of virtual communication, or quickly establishing social contacts in the remote team? Define concrete, measurable goals for the digital onboarding process.
- Analyze role-specific requirements: Digital onboarding for a software developer requires different technical introductions than for a sales representative. Analyze the job description and talk to the relevant department to identify all the digital tools and online processes that are critical to the role.
- Evaluate existing digital processes: Where are the digital hurdles in your current process? Feedback from recently hired employees is invaluable here. Ask specifically about technical problems, unclear digital processes, or feelings of social isolation.
2. Personalization of the digital onboarding phases
Digital preboarding (from signing the contract to the first day)
- Virtual welcome package: Don’t just send standard information. Include a personal welcome video from the team or management. Use e-signature tools so that all contracts can be signed conveniently from home.
- Ensure technical setup: Make sure that laptops and other equipment arrive on time and are already configured. Nothing is more frustrating on the first day than technical problems.
- Early access and contact: Give early access to a learning platform or the intranet so that the new employee can voluntarily look around. Invite them to an informal virtual team event that takes place before they start.
Virtual orientation phase (first week to first month)
- Warm welcome via video: The first appointment on the first day should be a scheduled video call with the direct supervisor. After that, organize a virtual introduction round with the team, in which everyone shares something personal to break the ice.
- Structured digital learning paths: Instead, create an individual digital learning path with e-learning modules, videos, and interactive quizzes that can be completed in a logical sequence and are tailored to the needs of the position and the employee.
- Daily virtual check-ins: Schedule daily, short video calls between the supervisor and the new employee during the first week to answer questions and offer support.
Digital integration phase (second to sixth month)
- Virtual coffee chats: Organize short, informal video calls with key contacts from other departments to help the new employee network within the company.
- Structured feedback meetings: Hold regular, scheduled feedback meetings via video to discuss progress based on the 30-60-90-day plan.
- Transfer responsibility in digital tools: Gradually hand over projects and tasks in the company’s collaboration tools to promote independence. Take into account the new employee’s current level of development.
3. Selection of suitable digital tools and content
Technology is the backbone of digital onboarding. Choose the tools that fit your goals and culture.
- Onboarding tools: Select the onboarding tools that are right for your company. Keep flexibility in mind. Tools such as Papershift Pulse can be easily integrated into existing processes. Clearly define which tools are used for which purpose. In addition to work channels, set up informal chat channels to replace the “coffee break chat.”
- Learning and knowledge platforms: Use e-learning platforms to provide training content in an interactive and flexible manner. Create a central knowledge database (wiki) where all important processes and information can be looked up at any time.
- Interactive and understandable content: Create short videos or screencasts to explain software or complex processes. Use gamification elements such as quizzes or progress bars to keep motivation high.
4. Involving the right people in the virtual space
Successful digital onboarding depends crucially on the people who actively shape the process.
- The direct supervisor: Responsible for regular one-to-one video calls, clear expectation management, and professional guidance.
- The team: Must proactively approach the new colleague, involve them in virtual meetings, and invite them to informal online events such as a joint lunch via video call.
- The buddy/mentor: Is the most important source of support in the digital space. They serve as an informal contact person for everyday questions in chat and help new employees understand the unwritten rules of digital communication within the company.
5. Continuous digital feedback and optimization
A digital process is easy to measure and optimize.
- Collect feedback digitally: Use online surveys or digital feedback forms to systematically collect feedback on the onboarding process. Ask specific questions about the digital experience: Were all tools accessible? Did the employee feel well integrated into the team? Were there any technical hurdles?
- Adapt the process based on data: Analyze the data from the surveys and the completion rates of learning modules to identify weaknesses in the process and continuously improve it.
The difference between digital onboarding and remote onboarding
In discussions about modern onboarding processes, the terms “digital onboarding” and “remote onboarding” are often used interchangeably, which can lead to misunderstandings. It is important to clearly distinguish between the two in order to correctly assess the strategic opportunities for your own company.
- Digital onboarding describes the method, i.e., the use of digital tools and technologies to support, structure, and automate the onboarding process. This method can be applied in any work environment. An example: On their first day, a new employee in a manufacturing company sits in their office and uses a tablet to work through a digital checklist, sign their contract electronically, and complete an online safety training course. This is digital onboarding on site.
- Remote onboarding describes the context, i.e., the fact that the entire onboarding process takes place 100 percent independently of location because the new employee is not physically present in an office.
The relationship between the two terms is clear: remote onboarding is a specific application of digital onboarding. Effective remote onboarding is inconceivable without digital tools. Conversely, however, a company can certainly use digital onboarding without its employees working remotely.
The most important questions at a glance: 5 FAQs
What is digital onboarding?
Digital onboarding uses modern digital technology to integrate new employees into a company in a structured and efficient manner, regardless of whether they work on-site or remotely.
Can technology completely replace personal contact?
No, technology should support and scale personal contact through planned virtual meetings and mentoring programs, but not completely replace it.
How do you measure the success of digital onboarding?
Success is measured using metrics such as time to full productivity, new employee satisfaction, task completion rate, and turnover rate during the probationary period.
How do you establish a personal connection to the team in digital onboarding?
Proactively planned virtual events such as digital coffee breaks, joint lunches via video, or informal get-to-know-you sessions deliberately create the social interactions that would arise spontaneously in everyday office life.
Why is a “buddy” or mentor so important in digital onboarding?
A buddy serves as an informal, low-threshold contact person for everyday questions and actively helps with social networking, which is particularly crucial without the chance encounters that occur in the office.
How can you avoid overwhelming new employees with information?
Information should be provided in structured, easy-to-process modules or via digital learning paths, rather than presenting everything at once, so that new employees can process the content at their own pace.
