insights

Employee Onboarding Process: Why New Hires Leave Early

Top 3 Takeaways

1. Onboarding determines whether a great hire stays.
Hiring creates momentum—onboarding either builds it or breaks it.

2. Most companies get onboarding wrong.
Only 12% of employees report a strong onboarding experience.

3. Structured onboarding drives retention and performance.
Clear plans, early engagement, and support dramatically improve outcomes.

Read the full blog here:

You Found the Right Person. Now Keep Them.

Why Onboarding Is the Second Half of Retention

Retention doesn’t begin after someone is hired. It starts the moment you begin the search.

Hiring with intention, aligning with culture, and setting clear expectations lay the groundwork.

But finding the right person is only half the equation. What happens next determines whether they stay.

That’s Where Onboarding Comes In

Onboarding isn’t a separate strategy from hiring; it’s the direct continuation of it.

The momentum, trust, and excitement you built during the recruiting process either carries forward or gets lost in the first few weeks on the job.

Many organizations unintentionally break that momentum by:

• Treating onboarding as a one-day event
• Focusing only on paperwork
• Failing to deliver on promises made during hiring

Hiring isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting block.

The Gap Between a Great Hire and a Great Experience

You’ve done the hard work:

• Sourced the right candidates
• Assessed for skills and culture fit
• Extended an offer to someone you believe in

Now what? Too often, companies stop there.

The transition from candidate → employee should feel seamless.

When onboarding lacks the same energy as hiring, it creates early friction.

The reality…Only 12% of employees say they’ve had a great onboarding experience. That means most new hires start their journey feeling… underwhelmed.

What’s at Stake When Onboarding Falls Short

When onboarding doesn’t match expectations, employees notice and act quickly.

The Data

Insights	Impact
Decision timeline	86% decide within 6 months if they’ll stay
Retention driver	80% would stay longer with better onboarding
Cost to hire	~$4,425 per employee
Cost to replace	~21% of annual salary

A poor onboarding experience doesn’t just cost you an employee. It costs your entire hiring investment.

When Hiring and Onboarding Work Together, Everything Changes

When onboarding reflects the same intention as hiring, results improve dramatically.

The Impact

Outcome	Improvement
Retention	82% higher
Productivity	70% higher

Employees who feel supported, trained, and confident in their first 90 days are far more likely to stay long-term.

What Great Onboarding Actually Looks Like

1. Start Before Day One (Preboarding)

Preboarding, the period between offer acceptance and the start date, turns anticipation into attachment. Employees who engage in preboarding are more than 80% more likely to show up on day one and 60% more likely to stay beyond year one. 

Stay engaged between offer acceptance and start date.

2. Deliver on What You Promised

Overselling a position is a fast track to early turnover. Be upfront about the realities of the job, the challenges, the environment, and the career path. If your recruiting process emphasizes culture, growth, and team connection, make sure those things are tangible from the very first day. 

The right candidates value transparency and stay because of it.

3. Use a Structured 30-60-90 Day Plan

Onboarding should be strategic, not rushed. A strong plan includes clear milestones, defined expectations, regular 1:1 check-ins, measurable performance goals.

This builds clarity, confidence, and momentum.

4. Assign a Buddy or Mentor

Human connection matters. 65% feel more connected to culture and 56% become more productive after just one interaction.

A buddy extends the relationship built during hiring.

5. Don’t End Onboarding Too Soon

49% of companies only include onboarding for two weeks. Only 43% of employees have an onboarding experience that consists of more than a one-day orientation and a packet of information on benefits. 

Onboarding should extend beyond the first few weeks. Continuous check-ins during the first year help new hires integrate and adapt to new projects and challenges. 

The Full Picture of Retention

Retention is a continuous thread. It runs through:

• How you write the job description
• How you interview
• How you make the offer
• How you onboard and support the employee

These stages don’t work in isolation. Onboarding is where the foundation is either strengthened… or lost.

The Bottom Line

Retention isn’t a reaction to turnover. It’s intentional.

The companies that win:

• Build connection early
• Create clarity from day one
• Foster belonging throughout the employee journey

Recruiting, hiring, and onboarding should feel like one seamless experience. At Dawson & Dawson, we support that full journey. Helping our clients not only find the right talent but set them up for long-term success from day one.

Frequently Asked Questions