Disjointed onboarding costs more than you think—tech tools can bring order and lasting results
This article was produced in partnership with iSpring Solutions
Employee onboarding often resembles a partially assembled jigsaw puzzle—scattered pieces of information, disconnected processes, with new employees left to figure out where they fit in the bigger picture.
“Lack of a clear onboarding structure – unclear timelines, inconsistent experiences, missed milestones, or outdated materials [are common],” said Audrey Moore, account manager team lead at iSpring Solutions. “Onboarding often feels unstructured and uneven.”
Disjointed onboarding frustrates new hires and burdens organisations with serious costs—often up to twice an employee's salary in turnover and replacement expenses. Beyond the financial hit, these fragmented experiences disrupt productivity, morale, and cohesion. Despite the stakes, many companies still rely on inconsistent, ad-hoc processes. Increasingly, Learning Management Systems (LMS) are emerging as a scalable fix, offering the structure and automation needed to deliver consistent, trackable onboarding across teams and locations.
"On average, it costs between $1,400 and $3,000 to onboard a new hire," said Moore. The figures become more sobering when considering that companies typically need six months to break even on a new team member.
Moore explained that without proper investment in structured onboarding experiences, organisations face losing their new hires entirely. The ripple effects of turnover extend beyond immediate replacement costs, affecting team morale, project continuity, and client relationships.
Typical problems centre around manager disengagement or a lack of dedicated resources.
“When no one owns onboarding from start to finish, it quickly becomes a side task.”
This is particularly true for smaller organisations.
“There simply aren’t enough hands to give onboarding the attention it deserves. HR might be juggling recruitment, payroll, performance reviews, and more. This leaves little time to create a thoughtful, consistent onboarding experience,” Moore explained.
Not that larger companies automatically have a better track record – if sections are too disparate, the signal for new hires gets lost in the noise.
“Logistical constraints are one of the most common onboarding pain points, especially in organizations that operate across multiple offices, time zones, or countries.”
This patchwork approach leaves new employees feeling overwhelmed and managers struggling to maintain quality control.
The traditional employee journey encompasses six distinct phases: attraction, recruitment, onboarding, development, retention, and offboarding. While each stage carries weight, the onboarding phase stands as the make-or-break moment that determines whether a new hire becomes a productive team member or another turnover statistic.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) have emerged as powerful tools for standardising and streamlining the onboarding process. These platforms address the logistical constraints that plague organisations operating across multiple offices, time zones, or countries.
"The choice of online tools for onboarding can make or break the entire process," Moore noted. She emphasises that LMS platforms provide the structure, automation, and flexibility needed to support consistent onboarding across roles, teams, and locations without adding complexity for HR departments.
The automation capabilities transform traditionally manual processes into streamlined workflows. Tasks such as assigning onboarding courses, sending deadline reminders, enrolling new employees into learning paths, and tracking completions become automated, freeing HR professionals to focus on higher-value activities.
One of the most persistent challenges in employee onboarding is maintaining consistency across different departments, roles, and locations. Onboarding practices often differ dramatically depending on industry standards, organisational size, departmental structure, and available resources.
"One of the key aspects of an effective onboarding process is consistency and scale," Moore explained.
Recent developments in LMS technology have introduced Individual Development Plans (IDPs) as a bridge between initial onboarding and ongoing employee growth. These tools address the gap between one-time orientation programmes and continuous professional development.
"iSpring Learn takes the pressure off by automating repetitive onboarding tasks," Moore said. The platform eliminates the need for HR departments to create onboarding protocols from scratch, providing a structured environment where every element—from training modules to progress tracking—becomes organised, repeatable, and manageable.
The transparency that digital platforms bring to the onboarding process benefits all stakeholders. HR professionals, team leaders, and new hires can monitor completion status, upcoming tasks, and responsibility assignments, reducing confusion and maintaining alignment throughout the process.
The financial argument for structured onboarding becomes compelling when organisations examine the data. Effective onboarding programmes correlate with a 62% increase in productivity and significantly higher employee retention rates.
"With built-in analytics and intuitive reporting features, you can track onboarding completion rates, knowledge retention, and time to productivity across individuals, teams, and departments," Moore explained. These insights enable organisations to identify bottlenecks, refine processes, and demonstrate onboarding impact to leadership teams.
The measurable benefits extend across different business functions. Sales teams see reduced ramp-up times for new representatives, while frontline roles experience improved retention rates through consistent onboarding across locations. Technical and specialist positions benefit from early engagement strategies that improve long-term performance outcomes.
Modern LMS platforms recognise that one-size-fits-all approaches rarely succeed in diverse organisational environments. The ability to create role-specific learning paths, assign customised onboarding checklists, and develop targeted learning plans addresses the unique needs of different positions and departments.
"You can create role-specific learning paths, assign onboarding checklists, and use Development Plans to maintain and improve your onboarding templates based on new hires' needs," Moore noted. This customisation capability ensures that onboarding remains relevant and effective across various roles while maintaining overall consistency.
“With built-in analytics and intuitive reporting features, you can track onboarding completion rates, knowledge retention, and time to productivity across individuals, teams, and departments. These insights make it easier to spot bottlenecks, fine-tune your process, and show leadership where onboarding is making an impact,” she said.
Better transparency is the result.
“HR, team leads, and new hires can all see what's been completed, what’s coming next, and who’s responsible for each task. This helps reduce confusion and keep everyone aligned.”
The integration of technology into employee development continues expanding beyond traditional onboarding boundaries. Pre-boarding programmes allow candidates to learn about company culture, business operations, and job requirements before their official start date, creating smoother transitions and better-prepared new hires.
"With Development Plans, you can organically go from onboarding to continuous skill growth," Moore observed. The seamless transition from initial onboarding to ongoing development creates a continuous learning environment that benefits both new and experienced team members.
“This does wonders for employee satisfaction and long-term retention,” she said.
This approach addresses the growing expectation among employees for structured career development opportunities. Rather than treating onboarding as an isolated event, organisations can establish it as the foundation for long-term professional growth, significantly impacting employee satisfaction and retention rates.
Organisations that embrace structured, technology-supported onboarding programmes position themselves to attract, develop, and retain top talent. Those that do not will inevitably pay the price.
“Onboarding is the first impression that truly matters. It sets the tone for trust, clarity, and connection — or, if poorly executed, for confusion, inconsistency, and missed opportunities.”