Preboarding: what is it and why does your company need it?

The first day shouldn’t be stressful or a test of endurance for new employees. When onboarding begins immediately after accepting an offer, employees come to the company already prepared and engaged.

So, what is preboarding? Preboarding creates an emotional connection, reduces anxiety, and demonstrates that the company values ​​the new employee even before they start working. In this article, we explore a preboarding checklist and tools that help transform anticipation into productive dialogue.

Preboarding, simply put, is establishing a rapport with employees before their first day at the company and can include:

• Sending a welcome email with useful information;
• Provide access to corporate resources (email, internal portal);
• Introduce the new team and management;
• Organize a meeting to discuss upcoming tasks and expectations.

All this helps new employees feel part of the company even before their first day, reducing stress. They’ll familiarize themselves with the company, its culture, processes, and work tools in advance, so they won’t waste time on these during their first few days.

Pre boarding meaning for work

So, let’s take a closer look at what can be done to facilitate an employee’s adaptation to the company.

• Good communication. In it, you can congratulate the employee, provide instructions on who and where to contact with questions, and provide basic information about the company, its culture, and values. Briefly inform the employee of what to expect on their first day.
• Welcome-box. You can include corporate swag: a T-shirt, notebook, pen, or mug with the company logo. Prepare a quick reference guide for new employees, flyers with the company mission and values, and a manual on internal processes.
• Providing access to corporate systems. Set up corporate email and access to key company systems and resources in advance, so the employee can begin familiarizing themselves with the tools before their first day.
• Team Meetings. Arrange a meeting online or in person with future colleagues or your immediate manager. This could be an informal chat or a call to get to know each other and discuss upcoming tasks.
• Virtual office tour. If an employee will be working in the office, organize a virtual tour to show them the workspaces, kitchen, break area, and other key areas.
• Familiarize yourself with the corporate culture. Share videos, articles, or other materials about the company culture with employees. These could include employee stories, examples of corporate events, and company values.
• Preparing the Workspace. If the employee will be working in the office, ensure their workspace is prepared: the computer is set up, and the necessary materials and equipment are available.
• Document List. Make sure the employee knows in advance what documents and information they need to provide on their first day (e.g., passport, bank account details).
• Inclusion in corporate groups and channels. Add employees to corporate groups in messaging apps, internal forums, or team chats so they can follow company news and communicate with colleagues.
• Feedback survey. After the first few days at the company, send the employee a survey to find out how the onboarding process went and if they have any suggestions for improving the process.

Benefits of employee preboarding: new strategy

1. Reduces turnover. Research shows that approximately 20% of new employees leave within the first 45 days of employment. High-quality pre-boarding helps reduce this percentage by strengthening new employees’ confidence in their choice and creating a positive initial experience with the company.
2. Accelerates onboarding. According to research by The Wynhurst Group, employees who undergo effective pre-boarding and onboarding processes reach their peak productivity 50% faster than those who don’t receive such support. Preboarding helps new employees get up to speed in their new role by familiarizing them with tasks and tools before their first day on the job.
3. Increases engagement. Research by the Aberdeen Group found that companies with strong pre-boarding and onboarding programs increase new employee engagement by 54%. Engaged employees are more motivated and productive.
4. Creates a positive experience with the company. According to Glassdoor, a positive onboarding experience (including preboarding) increases the likelihood of long-term retention by 82%. Preboarding creates this positive experience from the very beginning.

Preboarding and Onboarding: what’s the difference?

Preboarding and onboarding are two related stages that help new employees adapt to the company, but they occur at different times.

Preboarding is the process of preparing a new employee for their first day of work, beginning after they’ve accepted a job offer but haven’t yet started their first day. 

During this period, the company can send him welcome materials, help with paperwork, introduce him to future colleagues, and provide access to corporate systems. The goal of preboarding process is to ensure that new employees feel confident and prepared even before their first day on the job.

Onboarding is the process of adapting and integrating an employee into a company, which begins on the first day and continues for several weeks or months.

During onboarding, the employee undergoes training, becomes familiar with the tasks, team, and corporate culture, and begins working fully.

The goal of onboarding is to help employees successfully master their responsibilities and become full-fledged team members.

In short, the difference between the concepts is as follows: preboarding process is before the first day of work; onboarding is from the first day of work onward.

But not all HR professionals understand this difference between the processes and often abandon preboarding, leaving only onboarding.

As a result, the introduction to the “informal” side of the company happens on the first workday, mixed in with the first work tasks. A person is mildly (or not so mildly) shocked and wonders: “What kind of mess is going on here?”.

If the workload is overwhelming, a person essentially lives in constant turmoil from their first day at the company, trying to figure out who’s who and what they look like. And they might even want to leave after the probationary period.

Why companies still underestimate pre-boarding — and lose people

The labor market remains competitive: top candidates receive multiple offers, and a record number of new hires don’t even make it to their first day.

According to Gartner, 35% of candidates receive four or more offers, and 50% of those who accept them decline them before even starting work. This makes preboarding process – the stage between accepting an offer and the first day of work – critically important.

But companies still underestimate it. A recent CIPD Study found that more than a quarter of employers encounter “ghost” employees who simply don’t show up for work on their first day. Almost 50% of new hires quit within the first few weeks.

The reason? They’re technically already on staff, but psychologically, they’re not. This means that if someone offers something more interesting (or simply a warmer attitude), the employee will leave before they even get a chance to start.

We’ll explore the pre-boarding mistakes companies make and how to fix them.

• Complete Silence. After accepting an offer, it’s crucial for a candidate to feel supported by the company. A complete lack of feedback creates doubts, prompting the candidate to look for alternatives and risk not returning to work.
• Pre-boarding without emotion. Starting a job is stressful, and if the company doesn’t create a positive emotional environment, candidates focus on the risks.
• Paperwork Overload. The first day of work with a pile of paperwork leaves a negative impression and ruins the emotional mood.
• Complete Lack of Personalization. If all communications seem standard (“hello, here’s a general chat, we’ll see you in a month”), the candidate feels like just one of many.
• Ignoring Newbie Anxiety. Uncertainty about the first day of work causes stress, which can lead candidates to choose a more predictable option.
• Preboard with digital tools. Modern candidates are accustomed to digital comfort. If the pre-boarding process is filled with paperwork and silence, the employee feels disconnected from the company.

Preboarding is not an option, but a must-have

Today, competition for talent is so intense that a signed offer is only the first step. The real game begins after that, when the battle to retain a new employee until their first day begins. A well-designed preboarding process is not just a nice bonus, but a vital tool that helps reduce bounce rates and speed up onboarding.

In an era where every candidate meticulously analyzes offers, high-quality preboarding is becoming a necessity. It helps not only reduce the rejection rate but also create a welcoming atmosphere where new hires feel valued and welcomed from day one.