Creating a Successful Employee Onboarding Experience

Onboarding is a crucial but often overlooked step in the employee lifecycle. A successful onboarding process will make the new hire feel part of the team, provide further clarity around the role and responsibilities, and get them up to speed and performing fast. In this series, we are talking to prominent HR and business leaders about how they seek to create exemplary onboarding experiences. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan Englin.

Ryan Englin is the Founder and CEO of Core Matters, a company dedicated to helping small to medium-sized businesses build better teams by transforming their hiring processes. With over 20 years of experience in recruitment marketing and employee experience, Ryan has developed a unique approach that focuses on creating positive, long-lasting relationships between employers and employees from the moment they join the team. His expertise lies in understanding the emotional journey of new hires and ensuring that onboarding experiences set the stage for success, engagement, and retention. Ryan is passionate about providing blue-collar businesses with the tools they need to attract, hire, and retain top talent, which has earned him a reputation as a thought leader in the industry.

Igrew up in a blue collar household. The time I got to spend with my dad was dictated by the people on his team — or the lack of them. As an owner/operator, my dad would regularly miss my bedtime or tell me he couldn’t hang out on Saturday because he needed to go to the plant.

I witness the very same thing happening in blue-collar businesses today. I believe that service-based businesses are the lifeblood of the American economy. But, sadly, staff shortages cripple far too many of them.

I founded Core Matters to support thousands of American families just like mine. Those who got into business for a better life, time freedom, and to be around to see their kids grow up.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Core Matters solves labor problems by helping companies implement the Core Fit Hiring System. It’s the foundation of what we do.

A few years ago, I had someone helping me with my online brand — getting my social media accounts updated, adding content, etc. One day, someone on my internal team came to me to let me know our LinkedIn headline had been changed to say: Creator of the Core Fit Firing System. Firing, not Hiring. A simple mistake, but such a glaringly obvious one. To this day, I don’t know how long it was posted incorrectly.

I’m a stickler for precision and attention to detail. From that day on, I knew we had to have a better quality control process in place to show the world how much we care about our employer brand.

Since then, I’ve made an intentional effort to surround myself with people I trust to be my second set of eyes. It’s hard to proofread your own writing. When you’re emotionally attached, it’s easy to miss silly mistakes. My team is always there to review anything from a quick email to more in depth content.

As I realized this about myself, I made the connection to how this applies to our clients. Just like I need a second set of eyes on important work, so do they. Core Matters is that second set of eyes for our clients. We can see the things they can’t see. And I’m not just talking about writing. This applies to the innerworkings of a company too. There’s great value in finding an unbiased outside opinion to tell you what they see when you’re struggling.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

Absolutely. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the great mentors I’ve had along the way. One conversation in particular has really shaped the purpose of Core Matters.

Several years ago, I was sitting down with Mike Toney, a treasured mentor. He was doing what he does best — asking the hard questions that make you really stop and think. At some point, he asked me why I was putting so much of my effort into starting this business. I immediately answered: Money.

Mike looked me straight in the eyes and told me to dig deeper. After some back and forth, I realized the real reason I got into this very specific niche business was because of my dad. I watched people like my dad struggle to hit their goals and be disappointed by their business, all because they didn’t have the right people on their team. This was a problem I knew I could help them solve.

To this day, my vision is to create a positive work environment for 500,000 employees by helping small business owners hire and retain the right people. Even on the toughest days, working toward that purpose makes everything worth it.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“When you were born, you cried while the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries while you rejoice.”

This quote impacts every facet of my life. For me, it’s all about living a meaningful life that impacts others.

My personal mission is to make sure I live my life in such a way that my kids miss me when I’m gone. Just like I want to help blue-collar business owners free up their time to spend doing things they love, I started my own business to be able to spend quality time with my family. I want them to look back on their childhood and remember the long afternoons at the neighborhood pool and our impromptu trips to the lake.

Thinking back on your own career, what would you tell your younger self?

If I could rewind time and talk to my 20-year-old self, I would explain that how you receive and respond to information are some of the best skills you can have. You have to learn how to talk to people — this is beneficial at home, with friends, and at work.

When you learn how to take feedback in a constructive way, it’s infinitely more useful. Surround yourself with people who can help you grow, not just the people who tell you what you want to hear.

Let’s now move to the central part of our interview. What does the onboarding process consist of at your organization?

The onboarding process is all about helping the new team member navigate the uncertainty and the emotional rollercoaster that exists during the first few weeks on the job. During onboarding, everything we do needs to be about them. This isn’t the time to focus on the quality or quantity of work done. It’s a time to celebrate the journey they’re on and show them how excited we are to have them joining our team.

I talk about hiring rock star employees and people are always like “I love hiring rock stars!” And I say “Great! When was the last time you treated them like one?” This is usually met with blank stares.

But imagine how Taylor Swift would feel if she showed up in your town and the venue manager was like: Oh hey. I forgot you were coming tonight. Feel free to look around. The bathroom is down the hall and around the corner. You should have a green room backstage. If it’s not ready, just ask Johnny if he can get you what you need. Then after a few hours of wandering the halls, it’s time to go on stage. Only rather than cheering for her like the star she is, the crowd is mostly on their phones and muttering: I’m busy. Go ahead and start singing. We’ll check in with you soon.

Of course, Taylor Swift would never be treated like that. So why do we treat our new hires like a worthless afterthought?

How have your onboarding practices evolved over time and why?

Our onboarding practices have always been employee-first, but they’ve become even more so that way. Over the years, we’ve taken the time to really understand the journey someone goes through when they join our team. From highlighting the defining moments to setting up meaningful conversations to discuss fears, goals, and aspirations, we make sure to spend quality time with our new hires starting the first minutes on the job.

We want our new hires to know that they’re exactly where they should be. Taking the leap to start a new job is no small feat. We want them to feel like this is the team they’ve been wanting to join. At the end of the day, we want them to know they can finally stop looking for a new job. They’re right where they belong.

Could you share a successful onboarding story and what made it successful?

We know that starting a new job is a highly emotional journey for most new hires. We also know that most companies aren’t prepared to help them through it. To support our clients, we created a Turbulence Letter template. Basically, this document helps them set expectations and lets their new hires know they’re there for them and ready to support them during onboarding.

When it’s rolled out properly, employers set the stage for open communication. More importantly, new hires are comfortable asking questions and sharing how they feel without fear or embarrassment.

Recently, one of our clients updated the Turbulence Letter template to match their company’s needs. A little apprehensively, they shared it with their new hire. From first-day jitters (“I don’t feel like I fit in here.”) to performance expectations (“I don’t handle criticism well and my boss sure has a lot of it today.”), this document laid out all the issues that might come up during those first weeks.

The new hire had never seen anything like this. He started to read it, at first subtly nodding his head, then fully exclaiming “Yup, yup, yup!” He felt validated and understood. This simple step helped him get plugged in and feel like a part of the team so much faster. It also helped his manager know what hesitations or insecurities needed to be addressed to make him feel like a part of the team.

Based on your experience and success, what are your top five tips for a successful onboarding process? Please share a story or an example for each.

1. Build a process to stay connected with your new hire between their offer acceptance and the start date. While we typically don’t have control over how much resignation time someone gives their current employer, there are things we can do to keep them engaged during the wait. Communicating an onboarding timeline, expectations for the first day, and scheduling a welcome lunch are just a few examples of ways to remind your new hires that you’re excited for them to join your team.
2. Treat them like the rock star they are. Show your new hire how happy you are to have them join your team. Make time to introduce them to everyone and help them make connections. Celebrate your new hire.
3. Wait 90 days to question your hiring decision. If you did a good job interviewing, you owe your new hire at least 90 days on the job before you decide if you made the right choice. Hold your judgment and instead spend your energy coaching, nurturing, and supporting them.
4. Make this their best decision ever. Your goal at the end of their first week on the job is for them to tell their friends and family that working for you is the best decision they ever made. Create an onboarding process that encourages them to connect with your team and immerse themselves in your company culture.
5. Customize onboarding for each new hire. Your onboarding process must be designed for the employee. The goal is to foster connection, understanding, and commitment from day one. Unfortunately, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario. You have to take the time to align onboarding with each new hire’s needs. Some people will want to go fast. Others will take more time to feel comfortable. At the end of the day, when you customize onboarding your new hires will be more engaged, more comfortable, and more likely to stick around.

Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen businesses make during the onboarding process? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?

1. You’re not ready for them. Whether you don’t have an onboarding plan or your training program is a mess, a lack of clarity leaves new hires frustrated and confused. You might think they can jump right in because they’re experienced, but that’s simply not true. A chaotic plan tells your new hire you don’t value them. Expect them to continue looking for a new job.
2. Your team is unaware of the new hire. We’ve seen it too many times. The boss hires someone but forgets to let anyone else know. They show up for the first day and the receptionist doesn’t know to buzz them in. The manager doesn’t have time to train them. And the team is looking around asking each other if someone is going to get fired. In an effort to correct the chaos, the new hire is told to shadow people and learn the ropes on the job. If they’re like most people, they’ll immediately regret their choice to accept the job. There’s no connection. They don’t feel like a part of the team and most importantly, they don’t feel valued. It won’t be long before they quit.
3. You overwhelm them with a mountain of work. Often, when companies are hiring there are a few weeks (or sometimes a lot longer) where the job was vacant. Whether the tasks were shuffled between the rest of the team or ignored completely, a new hire walks into an overwhelming backlog of work. While many managers justify this as a great way to learn as they go, the truth is it’s frustrating and exhausting. Giving them a pile of work doesn’t mean they’ll learn your processes. Again, expect them to continue looking for a new job.

How does or how would your approach to onboarding remote hires differ from those who will work onsite?

At Core Matters, our team is entirely remote. When you have a remote team, you have to put intentional effort into the culture integration when someone starts. They need to know how people communicate, behave, and lead. You have to spend time with them on a personal level. Additionally, they need time to get to know the rest of the team in an informal way — think of it as remote “water cooler” time. These personal connections build trust and strengthen your company’s culture.

How do you measure the success of your onboarding program?

If someone leaves during the first 90 days, it’s a hiring issue. Something went wrong during the interview process and they weren’t the right fit for your company.

On the other hand, if someone leaves after 90 days, it’s a cultural issue. Onboarding success is based on retention past 90 days.

Which tools do you use or recommend for your onboarding?

We don’t have a specific onboarding tool. Rather we rely on a comprehensive job description to attract the right people, defined processes during onboarding, and clear communication throughout the lifecycle from interview until exit.

We are very blessed to have some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a private lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this.

If I could have lunch with anyone, I would choose Elon Musk. There’s just something about the way he thinks that would make even 15 minutes together so meaningful. I’d love to know what his process is for determining who’s the right leader to delegate his big decisions to. I’d love to talk to him about his interview process and what goes through his mind as he meets each new hire. I think the conversation would be inspiring and incredibly valuable. Plus, I imagine it would be fascinating to have a conversation with someone who has made countless innovations and disruptions in technology.