Why onboarding is mission-critical for IT companies

In the IT business — especially in outsourcing and outstaffing models — speed is everything. A new hire needs to get up to speed as quickly as possible, not only in terms of tasks but also in understanding the company’s culture, values, and standards. However, without a structured onboarding system, this stage often looks more like chaos than integration: dozens of scattered emails, fragmented Slack messages, missing documents, and uncertainty around first assignments.

That’s why onboarding in IT should never be seen as just a “nice to have.” It’s not about sending a welcome email and hoping for the best — it’s a strategic process. A strong onboarding program helps companies retain talent, reduce the risk of early resignations in the first few months, and accelerate the team’s time to productivity.

In this article, we’ll break down:

• what onboarding is and why it’s critical for IT companies;

• how to structure a step-by-step process for new hire adaptation;

• how HR automation with an HRM system eliminates chaos and saves your HR team’s time.

What onboarding actually is — and why it matters

Onboarding is the structured adaptation process that starts from the very first interaction with HR and continues until the new hire is fully integrated into the team.

The main goals of onboarding are:

• to help new hires quickly understand the company’s culture and organizational structure;

• to reduce stress during the first weeks of work;

• to increase engagement and motivation;

• to accelerate the employee’s journey to full productivity.

In other words: quality onboarding = lower turnover + higher team efficiency.

How to Build an Effective Onboarding Process — HR Checklist

Pre-boarding: what to do before the first working day

Onboarding starts long before a new hire sits at their desk. Pre-boarding shapes the very first impression of the company and determines whether the candidate feels cared for and confident in their choice.

What HR and managers should do:

✔️ Legal and administrative formalities. Make sure all documents — the contract, NDA, and company policies — are signed, approved, and stored in a centralized place (e.g., in your HRM system). This prevents unnecessary bureaucracy on Day 1.

✔️ Welcome email and video. Send a warm welcome message with basic info about the role: the onboarding plan, HR and manager contacts. A short welcome video from the team or CEO works perfectly to build a sense of belonging from the start.

✔️ Introduce the new colleague to the team. Share an intro message in Slack or via email: who’s joining, their role, and a few fun “about me” facts. This makes the introduction warmer and more personal.

✔️ Individual onboarding plan. Create a 30-60-90 day plan: key tasks, expectations, and adaptation stages. This roadmap helps new hires navigate faster and achieve full productivity sooner.

Work environment and equipment

Few things are worse for a new hire than showing up on their first day without a laptop, access to systems, or clear instructions. HR and operations must make sure everything is ready in advance.

What HR and managers should do:

✔️ Hardware and equipment. Prepare a laptop, monitor, accessories, and anything required for the role (vital in remote teams — ensure timely delivery).

✔️ Access and accounts. Set up corporate email, Slack, Jira, CRM, or other work systems. Add their profile into your HRM system to immediately sync data on leave policies, tasks, and roles.

✔️ Digital presence. Add the new hire to Slack channels, your LinkedIn company page, and internal wiki or knowledge base. This speeds up immersion into culture and workflows.

✔️ Welcome kit. Prepare a branded starter kit: company swag (t-shirt, mug), system instructions, and contact lists. Small gestures create a powerful first “wow”-impression.

Day 1: creating the right start

The first day is the moment of truth. It shapes up to 80% of the new hire’s first impression, and it’s critical that they feel supported and engaged from the start.

What HR and managers should do:

✔️ Company presentation. Deliver a short onboarding briefing: mission, values, org structure, key policies, and main tools. This eliminates confusion and provides a complete picture.

✔️ Warm welcome. Arrange a meet-and-greet with the team (online or offline). Even a short conversation reduces tension and builds trust.

✔️ Manager 1:1. Align on expectations, share a short first-week plan, and assign simple but meaningful tasks to help the new hire get into the workflow.

✔️ Walkthrough of the 30-60-90 day plan. Show the adaptation roadmap with stages, deadlines, and expectations. This creates transparency and confidence in the future.

💡 Pro tip: Don’t overload the first day. The goal is to keep it structured, positive, and welcoming.

Week 1: building a foundation of trust

The first week determines whether expectations match reality. If the process is chaotic, the risk of early resignation increases significantly.

What HR and managers should do:

✔️ 1:1 meetings with the team. Organize introductions with key colleagues and stakeholders. This builds internal networks and speeds up integration.

✔️ First onboarding survey. Ask the new hire: what went well, what needs improvement. This signals care and provides useful HR insights.

✔️ Planned meetings and trainings. Ensure all scheduled sessions from the onboarding plan happen on time. Consistency here is critical.

✔️ Progress and small wins. Assign tasks that allow the employee to see results quickly. Quick wins strongly boost motivation.

The first 90 days: adaptation and first results

The first three months are a critical period. This is when employees build a sense of belonging, learn workflows, and demonstrate their first results. Without consistent support, the risk of losing them is much higher.

What HR and managers should do:

✔️ Regular 1:1s (at least bi-weekly). Discuss progress, challenges, and expectations openly.

✔️ Clear development plan. Use the 30-60-90 day framework to give visibility into progress and growth.

✔️ Midpoint onboarding survey. Ask what’s working and what isn’t — and adjust the process accordingly.

✔️ Performance check-in. Review early results with KPI or OKR. This isn’t a formal performance review yet, but rather a tool to confirm that the employee is on the right path.

6 months: retention and development

Six months is the milestone when the employee is fully integrated, understands expectations, and delivers at full productivity. At this stage, it’s crucial to go beyond “adaptation” and focus on development and retention.

What to include:

✔️ Final onboarding interview. HR collects detailed feedback about the onboarding journey to improve the process for future hires.

✔️ First performance review. A full assessment using KPI, OKR, or SMART goals. (👉 Read our performance review guide).

✔️ Learning & Development (L&D) plan. Align on skills to improve, courses, or training opportunities.

✔️ Career pathing. Show clear growth opportunities within the company. This strengthens motivation and employee loyalty.

Automating onboarding: how HRM systems remove chaos

In most IT companies, onboarding still looks like a chaotic puzzle: Excel spreadsheets to track tasks, Google Docs with instructions, and dozens of Slack or email threads. This approach overloads HR, increases the risk of lost data, missed deadlines, and lowers engagement among new hires.

An HRM system transforms onboarding from manual chaos into a structured, transparent, and fully controlled process. It allows HR teams to:

• Create custom onboarding workflows — based on role, location, project, or employee type. For example, in Tallenta HRM you can set different flows for developers in Kyiv and designers in Kraków.

• Auto-assign tasks to responsible people — HR, manager, or onboarding buddy. No more manual tracking of who does what.

• Send reminders and track deadlines — the system automatically notifies about overdue or upcoming steps, reducing risks of delays.

• Centralize documents and employee data — contract, NDA, policies, and checklists all stored in one place, with no duplication across systems.

• Collect feedback after onboarding — by automating engagement surveys and scheduling performance reviews.

In Tallenta, this is powered by a no-code business process builder: HR managers can set up onboarding workflows for a specific role, team, or location in just a few minutes — adding tasks and reminders with zero coding. The result: structured, predictable onboarding that saves HR time while giving new employees a positive experience from day one.

Wrapping up

Onboarding in IT companies is not just paperwork — it’s a strategic investment in employee productivity and retention. A structured onboarding process reduces stress for newcomers, boosts engagement, and speeds up time-to-productivity.

And with a modern HRM system like Tallenta, onboarding becomes automated, transparent, and fully controlled.

💡 Ready to see automated onboarding in action?

Book a free intro call with our team. We’ll analyze your HR processes and show you how to make them more effective, transparent, and engaging.

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