How Long Does Onboarding Take?

Here, we’ll break down the different stages of onboarding and explain how Empact Employee Engagement Software can support each phase. To dive even deeper, check out our related articles on What is onboardingand Why is onboarding important.

How Long Should Onboarding Take?

Effective onboarding goes far beyond a quick introduction. It includes introducing new hires to the company’s culture, giving them the tools they need, and supporting them for several months as they settle in. Research shows that while many companies stop onboarding after just a few weeks, extending it up to six months or even a year can greatly improve employee engagement and retention.

Here’s a simple onboarding timeline to follow:

1. Preboarding (One Month Before Start Date)
2. Orientation (First Week)
3. Role Training (First Month)
4. Integration and Growth (Months 2–6)

With Empact’s tools, each step of the onboarding journey can be efficient, organized, and engaging.

1. Preboarding: Building Connection Before Day One

Preboarding begins after an employee accepts an offer. It’s an important time to keep the new hire excited and connected before they officially start. Preboarding activities can include:

• Introducing Company Values and Policies: Send welcome emails, handbooks, and important role-specific details.
• Ensuring Access to Needed Tools: Make sure they have the right devices, access to company resources, and necessary accounts before day one. Empact makes this easy by providing digital access to documents, training, and other resources.
• Starting Conversations Early: Empact’s Chat and Social Wall features let new hires meet mentors and teammates, helping them feel like part of the team even before they arrive.

Empact helps make preboarding smooth and welcoming, ensuring employees feel ready to start.

2. Orientation: Introducing Company Culture and Basics

The orientation period—typically the first week—introduces new hires to the company’s culture, values, and day-to-day processes. Orientation can include:

• Team Introductions: Plan meet-and-greet sessions with leaders, mentors, and key team members. With Empact’s Announcements feature, you can easily keep these meetings organized.
• Overview of Policies and Compliance: Provide easy access to important policies through Empact’s Knowledge Base.
• Access to Company Tools: Empact’s Task Management feature allows new hires to complete necessary onboarding tasks, like setting up accounts, so they have what they need to start working right away.

Orientation gives employees the information they need and shows them how the company works. Empact’s tools help keep everything organized and easy to access.

3. Role Training: Teaching Job-Specific Skills

Once orientation is done, the focus shifts to training the new hire for their role. This stage usually takes about one to four weeks, depending on the job. Empact can help streamline training with features like:

• Digital Training Modules: Empact’s Training and Onboarding tools make it easy to assign role-specific training that employees can complete from their mobile devices.
• Progress Tracking: Managers can keep an eye on new hires’ progress and send reminders or extra support through Empact’s WebAdmin Suite.
• Interactive Learning: Employees can get quick answers with chatbots, connect with peers on Empact’s Social Wall, and receive real-time feedback via notifications.

Empact’s easy-access tools help make training clear and effective, helping new employees feel capable and confident in their new role.

4. Integration and Growth: Ongoing Support and Development

Many companies make the mistake of ending onboarding after the first month. However, experts say it takes about eight months for a new hire to reach full productivity. An extended onboarding period supports long-term success through:

• Continued Culture Building: Monthly check-ins with mentors help reinforce company values. Empact’s Chat feature and Social Wall allow regular connections with teammates and mentors, keeping employees engaged.
• Skill Development: Empact’s Ideation feature encourages employees to share ideas, fostering creativity. Training modules can be updated as needed to keep employees learning.
• Regular Feedback Sessions: Frequent one-on-ones with managers provide new hires with feedback, helping them feel confident in their progress and ready to tackle challenges.

With Empact, ongoing integration becomes a structured and engaging experience that supports new hires as they grow into their roles.

Factors That Affect Onboarding Duration

The length of onboarding depends on several factors. Tailoring onboarding to specific needs helps ensure that each new hire gets the right training and support:

• Complexity of the Job: Specialized roles, like those in healthcare or finance, may require longer onboarding for safety and compliance training.
• Company Size: Larger companies may need more time to help new hires understand the organization’s structure and make cross-departmental connections.
• Remote vs. Onsite Roles: Remote onboarding often requires more check-ins to help employees feel connected. Empact’s remote-friendly features, such as video-based content and easy access to team chats, make remote onboarding simple and interactive.

For more ideas, explore our articles on Remote onboarding and Digital onboarding.

Making Onboarding Easy with Empact

Empact’s platform is designed to create a streamlined, effective onboarding experience. With Empact’s features, HR managers, production managers, and IT directors can create a smooth, engaging onboarding process for all employees, whether they’re on-site or remote.

From early check-ins to structured training and ongoing support, Empact helps make onboarding more organized and helps new hires feel connected, informed, and ready to contribute to the company.

Conclusion: Set Your New Hires Up for Success

So, how long should onboarding take? While it varies by company, role, and industry, the general recommendation is a structured process lasting from six months to a year. This extended onboarding process gives employees time to understand their roles, build relationships, and fully integrate into the company culture.

Using a tool like Empact allows you to create an organized onboarding process that supports new hires at each step, reducing turnover and boosting productivity. With Empact, you can provide a welcoming, supportive experience that sets up your new hires for long-term success.

For additional onboarding tips and tools, check out our articles on Onboarding tools, Onboarding ideas, and Why is onboarding important.

Investing in a thoughtful onboarding timeline, with the help of tools like Empact, is key to creating a workplace where new employees feel valued, prepared, and ready to succeed.