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Onboarding

lastmod 2026-04-16created 2026-03-0214 edits

Onboarding, or organizational socialization, is an American term for the mechanism through which new employees acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to become effective organizational members and insiders. In standard English this is called "induction". In the United States, up to 25% of workers are new employees in organizations going through an onboarding process.

Tactics used in this process include formal meetings, lectures, videos, printed materials, or computer-based orientations that outline the operations and culture of the organization the employee is joining. In other parts of the world this process is known as 'induction' or training.

Research shows that the onboarding process is important for strengthening employee retention, improving productivity, and fostering a positive organizational culture. Socialization techniques such as onboarding bring positive outcomes for new hires. These include higher job satisfaction, better job performance, greater organizational commitment, and reduced occupational stress and intention to quit.

The term "onboarding" is management jargon coined in the 1970s.

Why the onboarding process matters

A great onboarding process improves new-hire retention by 82%. - Everything is decided within the first 3 months after joining.

Sharing values

  • The key value is building trust.
  • Take notes <- if you don't want to hear "I told you so" or "How many times do I have to tell you" ...
    • Go back and review your notes (in language you can understand)
    • Then have what you reviewed checked (verified)
  • Keep memos/TODOs (something like a Wiki)
  • Read the atmosphere around you (no earphones in your ears)
  • Read the room when you need to.
    • Don't ask things like "Why do I have to?" <- the situation in question is a gray area, so it's not the view that "today's culture isn't like that"... rather ...
      • People think, "As long as I do my job well and don't bother anyone, why should I have to read the room about things like that?" and complain that the company's preconceptions and customs are wrong... They see it as a human rights violation and think it should be abolished or overhauled ...
      • It's a question of whether you can understand and accept the nature of a group called a company as it is, regardless of your feelings or your own internal standards.
    • What matters is not whether the preconception is justified (right vs wrong ❌️), but that the preconception exists and can't be changed (exists vs doesn't exist ✅). And since that perception exists, I'm the one who has to adjust.
  • Always meet schedules and deliverables.
    • Meeting a deadline doesn't mean "submitted" your work by then; it's the deadline for "completing" the final deliverable agreed on by both the "team lead" and the "employee".
    • The worst is rambling on about why you couldn't finish the work after the deadline has passed.

General

  • Fingerprint registration
  • Fill out the personnel record card - ask the management team
  • Sign the annual salary contract - ask the management team
  • All certificates listed on the résumé
  • Explain working hours - flexible working hours (arrive 8–10 / leave 5–7)
    • How to use the attendance system
  • Getting to work - explain how to use the shuttle bus
  • Explain lunch hours - 12–1
  • Create a company email account
  • Check the org chart carefully (share the team's position and role)
  • How to write an Email
  • How to write a proposal draft (share the company's common forms)
  • Explain how to use the break room
  • Share the payday
  • Introduce the assigned mentor (sasu)
  • Opinions on smoke breaks
  • Check the list of personal equipment issued (computer, keyboard, mouse, monitor)
  • Share how to procure office supplies - ask the management team
  • Use a knowledge repository (Wiki, Obsidian, Notion, etc ...)
  • How to report daily work

From the company's perspective

  • This is why everyone quits - YouTube
  • Vision and mission
  • Org chart & team introduction
  • Business introduction
  • Brand identity guide
  • Business registration information
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Commuting & working hours guide
  • Service regulations
  • Annual leave/vacation policy
  • Employee benefits
  • Take the Biznoseon onboarding training
  • Office usage guide
  • Company mail setup
  • Internet/WI-FI, printer setup, security settings
  • Shared accounts and program installation guide

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

In short, make a manual. When you first start a repetitive task, start by making a "manual".

History

A history must exist.

Programmers

How to estimate schedules

  • If you can't produce an accurate schedule (within the margin of error), break the task down into small pieces. -> Then estimate the schedule again (repeat)

How to write emails

How to write documents

  • If there is a template, use it.
  • If there is no template, search for the most similar template and present it as a sample. (Research time: about 4 hours)
  • Don't use sentences that are ambiguous, open to interpretation, or can't be quantified/formalized.
  • Always specify the conditions for the deliverable in a document, and share it equally with all stakeholders.
  • There must always be a completion date for the deliverable.
    • Staff- and associate-level employees must show the direction and interim results before half of the schedule has passed.
      • Only when the schedule is 2 days or longer
  • Schedules must always be met. -> No "Korean time" (running late)!!!!
    • "Met the schedule" doesn't mean you shared the work done up to the deadline; it means "the agreed deliverable was completed".
  • Before presenting results, send the result files by email.
    • Deliverables sent by email must not be a LINK. They must be files that can be viewed offline. (At least PDF)
    • For external mail or recipients at manager level or above, always attach [original document] + [PDF].
  • After sending the results by email, "come over to give a verbal report".
  • For enumerated values such as "yes/no" in the document body, use emoji (✅,⚠️,❌) or the like so they can be judged at a glance.

Development result reporting guide

  • The reviewer needs a list of what to review.
  • Provide an easy way to review.
  • If there is a milestone, book a meeting room and present with a scenario in which the results can be reviewed within 5–15 minutes.

Memo/meeting minutes guide

  • Always bring something to write with to every meeting/conversation, no exceptions
  • Write down the meeting date/time
  • Right after the meeting ends, have your action items checked

See also

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