50+ Important Employee Onboarding Statistics of 2025

We have compiled the latest employee onboarding statistics using research from trusted sources and publicly available data. All data points in this article come from verified studies, HR reports, and workplace surveys. You can find a full list of sources at the end of this page.

This listicle roundup helps HR teams, business owners, and people managers understand what is working in onboarding today. You will learn how onboarding affects employee experience, retention, productivity, and overall business outcomes in 2025.

Note: Scroll down to explore the statistics. All sources are listed at the end of the article. 

1. What Do Employees Think About the Onboarding Experience?

Many employees feel that onboarding lacks depth, structure, and clarity. While most organizations have a formal onboarding process in place, the quality of that experience often falls short. Short durations, unclear expectations, and paperwork-heavy approaches leave new hires feeling unengaged and unprepared.

Employee sentiment and experience data:

• 66% of employees say they had an official onboarding program, but only 12% believe their company does onboarding well.
• Only 31% of employees describe their onboarding as engaging.

• 52% of employees say their onboarding lasted less than a month, with 14% saying it ended within a week. Just 43% report that their onboarding lasted longer than a single day.
• 58% of companies still focus heavily on forms and paperwork during onboarding instead of interactive or helpful training.

• 74% of employees say their onboarding experience was not successful, and 32% found it confusing while 24% felt it was boring.
• About 1 in 5 employees report they had either a poor onboarding experience or none at all.
• 83% believe that having a well-structured onboarding program would be valuable.
• New hires are required to complete an average of 54 onboarding tasks, which can feel overwhelming without proper guidance.
• 60% of companies do not set clear goals or milestones for new hires.
• More than 25% of new employees want clearer explanations about their role and responsibilities during onboarding.

2. How Does Onboarding Impact Retention and Turnover?

A strong onboarding experience can significantly reduce early employee exits and improve long-term retention. Many employees decide whether to stay at a company within the first few weeks, making onboarding a critical factor in reducing turnover and improving job commitment.

Retention and turnover metrics:

• 70% of new hires decide within the first month whether the job is a good fit.
• Around 70% of employees say they are more likely to stay for 3+ years if onboarding is done well.
• 37.9% of employees leave the company within their first year.
• Out of these, two-thirds exit within the first six months.
• 20% of employees quit within the first 45 days of joining a new job.
• Employees who had a bad onboarding experience are twice as likely to look for another job soon after joining.
• Organizations with a formal onboarding process see 50% higher retention rates than those without.
• A strong onboarding experience during the first 90 days makes employees 10 times more likely to stay.
• Employees who feel engaged and supported during onboarding show 18 times more commitment to their company.
• When onboarding includes clear milestones and check-ins, the risk of early exits reduces significantly.

3. How Does Effective Onboarding Improve Productivity and Business Outcomes?

A well-structured onboarding process doesn’t just help new hires feel welcome; it directly boosts productivity, performance, and even company profits. When employees start strong, they contribute faster, stay longer, and deliver better results. Poor onboarding, on the other hand, causes costly delays and lost output.

Productivity and performance insights:

• Organizations with structured onboarding see a 50% increase in productivity among new hires.
• Companies that invest in strong onboarding report a 70% boost in new hire productivity.

• Effective onboarding programs can improve employee retention by 52%, productivity by 60%, and overall job satisfaction by 53%.
• A strong onboarding process helps companies achieve 2.5 times more revenue and 1.5 times more profit per employee.
• Businesses that retain top talent through onboarding see a 60% increase in revenue per full-time team member.
• Poor onboarding can lead to major losses, Salesforce estimated a $35 million productivity loss from a weak 5-day onboarding program.
• Companies with structured onboarding also experience a 63% year-over-year increase in customer satisfaction.

4. What Role Does Technology and Automation Play in Onboarding?

Technology helps streamline onboarding by reducing manual tasks, improving new hire experiences, and increasing retention. But many companies are still slow to adopt tools like automation, AI, and onboarding platforms, which limits their ability to create efficient and engaging processes.

Tech and automation adoption data:

• 92% of HR professionals are aware of AI automation in onboarding, and 45% already use it in their processes.
• 65% of HR leaders believe AI can help increase employee retention through smarter onboarding.
• 68% of HR teams plan to implement onboarding technology soon, but 58% still rely heavily on manual paperwork.
• Companies that automate onboarding tasks see up to a 16% increase in retention and can reduce the onboarding timeline by 5 days.
• Using e-signature tools can save 40 hours per month for companies with around 100 employees.
• Despite the benefits, 47% of HR teams do not evaluate the success of their onboarding process.
• Successful organizations are 35% more likely to begin onboarding before day one using digital workflows.
• The global onboarding software market is expected to reach $4.36 billion by 2029, growing at a rate of 19.7% per year.

5. What Are the Key Challenges in Remote and Virtual Onboarding?

Remote onboarding presents unique challenges such as poor tech setup, lack of face-to-face guidance, and unclear processes. Many remote employees report feeling lost, undertrained, or disconnected during their first few weeks. As more companies adopt hybrid or remote models, fixing these gaps is critical.

Remote onboarding challenges and statistics:

• 63% of remote employees say the training they received during onboarding was not enough.
• Up to 39% of remote employees report that their company did not set up their work tools or technology properly.
• 20% higher job satisfaction is reported by remote hires who received a complete and well-structured onboarding.
• 37.4% of HR professionals say remote onboarding is their top challenge when filling roles.
• 54% of companies switched to virtual onboarding after the COVID-19 pandemic, but many still struggle to make it effective.

• 60% of remote hires felt disoriented during their onboarding, and 36% said the process was confusing.
• Remote workers who experience poor onboarding are more likely to feel disconnected and less productive from the start.

6. How Important Are Managers and Culture in the Onboarding Journey?

Managers and team culture play a big role in how well new employees adjust. When managers are actively involved and the company promotes connection, onboarding becomes more effective. Without this support, new hires often feel lost or disengaged.

Manager involvement and culture insights:

• Onboarding is 3.5 times more effective when managers are actively involved in the process.
• 33% of new hires say they wanted more guidance from their manager during onboarding.
• 56% of new employees say having an onboarding buddy or mentor helped them settle in better.
• 79% of employees believe that onboarding helps them connect with company culture.
• 44% of employees who feel connected to their company are more likely to recommend it to others.

• Re-onboarding (for existing employees) helps boost engagement and increases retention by 43%.
• Failing to focus on culture and connection during onboarding often leads to confusion and low morale among new hires.

7. What Are the Costs and Budget Considerations for Onboarding?

Onboarding involves both direct and indirect costs, including time, tools, training, and productivity loss. While a poor onboarding process can be expensive due to turnover and inefficiency, well-planned onboarding offers strong returns by improving retention and performance.

Onboarding costs and investment figures:

• The average cost to onboard a new hire is about $1,830, but it can range from $600 to $3,000+, depending on company size.
• Replacing an employee costs about 21% of their annual salary, making retention through good onboarding more cost-effective.
• Hiring a new employee typically costs $4,425, not including onboarding and training expenses.
• Full onboarding costs, including systems, training, and time, can range from $7,500 to $28,000 per employee.
• Onboarding-related “soft costs” (like time lost) make up about 60% of the total, while “hard costs” (like tools and resources) account for 40%.
• Some companies invest up to 14% of their learning and development (L&D) budget into onboarding.
• Poor onboarding can lead to major revenue loss. For example, a weak 5-day onboarding program caused a $35 million productivity loss at Salesforce.
• Strong onboarding can deliver clear ROI, including a 60% increase in revenue per full-time employee and 1.5x growth in profit.

👉 Here are our other listicle roundup articles:

• Important Payroll Statistics You Need to Know
• HR Statistics That You Should Know

How Yomly Helps with Employee Onboarding

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New employees can access onboarding materials anytime, while HR teams save time and reduce manual work. Yomly also supports remote onboarding with self-paced learning, automated alerts, and real-time communication. This makes onboarding faster, more consistent, and more engaging.

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Final words

Employee onboarding is more than a first-day process—it shapes how new hires feel, perform, and grow in the long run. The statistics reveal clear areas for improvement, from simplifying the experience to using the right tools and setting clear goals.

Companies that invest in structured onboarding see higher retention, better productivity, and stronger employee engagement. The key is to move beyond checklists and create a welcoming, guided experience that supports employees from the very start.

FAQs

1. How long does onboarding typically last for new employees?

Most onboarding programs last under one month. According to our research data, 52% of employees report onboarding ends within a month, 14% say it ends in a week, and only 43% experience onboarding lasting more than one day.

2. How does poor onboarding affect retention?

Poor onboarding leads to high early turnover. 37.9% of employees leave in the first year, 20% quit within 45 days, and bad onboarding doubles the likelihood of job hunting. Good onboarding makes new hires 10 times more likely to stay.

3. What percentage of companies still use manual paperwork in onboarding?

58% of companies still rely on manual paperwork during onboarding instead of using automated or interactive tools, slowing the process and reducing engagement.

4. What is the cost of onboarding a new hire?

The average cost to onboard a new employee is $1,830, but full costs (including time, tools, and training) can range from $7,500 to $28,000 per employee. Poor onboarding also contributes to revenue losses. Poor onboarding adds revenue loss and reduces ROI.

5. How does AI and automation help onboarding?

AI and automation help onboarding by reducing tasks, shortening timelines by 5 days, and increasing retention by up to 16%. 45% of HR teams already use AI tools in their onboarding process.

6. What are the biggest challenges in remote onboarding?

The biggest challenges in remote onboarding are poor tech setup, unclear training, and employee disorientation. 63% of remote hires report insufficient training, 60% feel disoriented, and 37.4% of HR professionals cite remote onboarding as a top hiring difficulty.

Data Sources

• https://www.aihr.com/blog/employee-onboarding-statistics/
• https://www.gallup.com/workplace/235121/why-onboarding-experience-key-retention.aspx
• https://b2b-assets.glassdoor.com/the-true-cost-of-a-bad-hire.pdf
• https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005703/en/Sapling%E2%80%99s-5-Employee-Onboarding-Statistics-You-Must-Know-in-2019
• https://www.strongdm.com/discover/2022-the-year-of-access
• https://press.careerbuilder.com/2017-05-11-Thirty-Six-Percent-of-Employers-Lack-a-Structured-Onboarding-Process-for-New-Employees-According-to-New-CareerBuilder-Survey
• https://teamstage.io/training-statistics/
• https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/people-organisation/publications/workforce-of-the-future.html
• https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/dont-underestimate-the-importance-of-effective-onboarding.aspx
• https://www.octanner.com/content/dam/oc-tanner/images/v2/culture-report/2023/home/INT-GCR2023.pdf
• https://info.workinstitute.com/hubfs/2020%20Retention%20Report/Work%20Institutes%202020%20Retention%20Report.pdf
• https://www.talmundo.com/hubfs/X_Marketing-Sales_Content/Vlerick-Talmundo_Onboarding_Study.pdf
• https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/employee-onboarding-software-global-market-report
• https://workinstitute.com/engagement-retention-services/onboarding-studies/
• https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/amp/learning-solutions/images/workplace-learning-report-2019/pdf/workplace-learning-report-2019.pdf
• https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/4532585/Survey/Workable_TheNewWorldofWorld.pdf
• https://www.paychex.com/articles/human-resources/the-onboarding-crisis
• https://industrytoday.com/new-hire-onboarding-statistics-2022/
• https://leena.ai/state-of-employee-onboarding-united-states
• https://info.enboarder.com/hubfs/PDF/21th-century-onboarding.pdf
• https://www.teksystems.com/en/elements-of-onboarding
• https://559363.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/559363/Virtual%20Onboarding%20with%20a%20Human%20Touch%20-%20Creating%20Connection%20Culture%20and%20Community.pdf
• https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/talent-management/onboarding-remote-employees#0
• https://www.usebubbles.com/blog/employee-onboarding-process
• https://trainingmag.com/2024-training-industry-report/
• https://www.virtuallatinos.com/blog/cost-of-onboarding-a-new-employee/
• https://www.rootinc.com/pdfs/whitepapers/Onboarding_Whitepaper_082012.pd