Most hiring processes are measured by one milestone: offer acceptance.
But the data tells a different story.
Research shared by the Havard Business Review shows that up to 20% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days, and nearly 1 in 3 new hires leave within the first 90 days.
In many cases, it’s not because the hire was wrong – but because the onboarding didn’t set them up to succeed.
In engineering and technical hiring, we see this regularly. Strong candidates join good businesses, but the first few months lack structure, clarity and consistent communication.
From the outside, it can look like a performance issue. In reality, it’s often a process issue.
The businesses that retain their best people treat onboarding as part of the hiring process, not an afterthought.
And the impact is measurable. Companies with a structured onboarding process improve new hire retention by up to 82% and productivity by over 70%.
They define early success clearly, build in regular touchpoints, and ensure there is ownership of the onboarding experience.
What strong onboarding processes include:
• A defined plan for the first 30, 60 and 90 days
• Clear ownership of the onboarding experience
• Regular check-ins to track progress and confidence
• Early alignment on expectations and success metrics
If you’re investing in recruitment this year, it’s worth asking whether your onboarding is strong enough to protect that investment.
If you’d like to sense-check your current approach or talk through what strong onboarding looks like in your market, we’re always happy to have a conversation.
