How to Evaluate and Improve Onboarding

Evaluating and refining your onboarding process is crucial for fostering employee satisfaction and organizational success. A well-structured onboarding program not only enhances new hire productivity but also significantly boosts retention rates. 

According to Gallup, only 29% of new hires say they feel fully prepared and supported to excel in their role after their onboarding experience. Since the majority of employee onboarding programs are missing the mark, it’s critical to regularly evaluate these processes and identify areas for improvement.

This article delves into the importance of assessing your onboarding programs, identifies key metrics for evaluation, and discusses effective methods for gathering feedback. By analyzing onboarding data and addressing common challenges, you can implement strategies for continuous improvement. 

Importance of Evaluating Onboarding Programs

A well-structured onboarding program is one of the most critical components of an organization’s success, particularly for IT and security teams where technical proficiency, compliance, and security awareness are essential from day one. 

However, without continuous evaluation and refinement, even the most well-intentioned onboarding programs can become ineffective, leading to disengaged employees, high turnover rates, and decreased productivity. Evaluating onboarding programs allows organizations to identify gaps, improve training efficiency, and create a seamless transition for new hires.

Why Assessing Your Onboarding Process Matters

A data-driven approach to onboarding evaluation is essential for improving employee engagement, boosting retention, and optimizing training strategies.

Impact on Employee Engagement and Retention

Research shows that organizations with a structured onboarding program improve new hire retention by 82%. When employees receive proper onboarding, they feel more supported, confident, and aligned with their job responsibilities. This leads to higher engagement, stronger team collaboration, and a greater likelihood of long-term retention—critical factors for IT and security teams that require continuity and expertise.

Refining Onboarding Strategies Through Data

Onboarding evaluation isn’t just about collecting feedback—it’s about leveraging real data to refine processes. Tracking metrics such as time-to-productivity, training completion rates, and employee satisfaction scores provides insight into whether new hires are receiving the necessary tools, knowledge, and support to succeed. Organizations that frequently assess and adjust their onboarding strategies are more likely to optimize performance and improve the overall employee experience.

The Risks of Neglecting Onboarding Evaluation

Without proper evaluation, onboarding programs can become stale, inconsistent, and ineffective. Some of the biggest risks include:

• High Turnover: Employees who don’t feel engaged or supported during onboarding are more likely to leave within the first year.
• Low Productivity: If training is poorly structured or overwhelming, new hires take longer to ramp up, delaying their contributions to the team.
• Disengagement: A lack of feedback loops results in employees feeling disconnected from leadership and company culture.

By routinely assessing onboarding programs, organizations can avoid these pitfalls and create an efficient, engaging, and retention-boosting process.

Common Onboarding Challenges

Even the most well-planned onboarding programs face challenges. Identifying and addressing these common issues ensures new hires have a smooth, structured, and positive experience.

Information Overload

One of the biggest challenges in onboarding—especially for IT and security roles—is overwhelming new hires with excessive information in a short time. Employees who receive too much training at once struggle with retention and often feel stressed. Spacing out training into digestible modules, incorporating hands-on learning, and using knowledge bases helps reinforce concepts gradually without overwhelming employees.

Lack of Role Clarity

Many new hires feel uncertain about their job responsibilities and performance expectations, leading to confusion and frustration. This is particularly problematic in IT roles, where technical responsibilities can be complex and cross-functional. Organizations can address this challenge by setting clear expectations from day one with detailed job descriptions, performance benchmarks, and structured training plans.

Cultural Integration Issues

Successful onboarding isn’t just about training—it’s about helping new employees feel connected to the company. When organizations fail to communicate mission, vision, and values, employees struggle to integrate into team dynamics and workplace culture. Introducing new hires to mentors, organizing team-building activities, and embedding company values into onboarding training can significantly improve cultural integration.

Insufficient Feedback Mechanisms

Many onboarding programs lack structured feedback loops, making it difficult to measure effectiveness or address new hire concerns. Without employee input, organizations risk repeating ineffective practices. Implementing structured onboarding evaluation templates, surveys, and one-on-one check-ins ensures that feedback is continuously gathered and applied to improve the onboarding experience.

Evaluating onboarding programs is not just an HR best practice—it’s a strategic necessity for IT and security leaders. A structured approach to assessment, data-driven refinements, and proactive problem-solving ensures that onboarding remains engaging, effective, and aligned with organizational goals. By addressing common challenges and continuously improving the process, companies can maximize employee success, strengthen retention, and build high-performing teams.

Key Metrics for Onboarding Evaluation

Evaluating the success of an onboarding program requires a data-driven approach, where KPIs help measure effectiveness, identify gaps, and refine the process. Onboarding evaluation metrics ensure that new hires transition smoothly, acquire necessary technical skills, and integrate into company culture while maintaining security and compliance standards. Below are the most critical metrics organizations should track to assess and improve their onboarding process.

• Performance and Productivity
• Time-to-Productivity
• New Hire Retention Rates
• Employee Satisfaction and Engagement
• Training Completion Rates
• Feedback from New Hires

Performance and Productivity

A key goal of onboarding is to ensure that new hires reach full productivity as quickly as possible. Measuring performance and efficiency during the first 30, 60, and 90 days helps organizations determine whether employees are on track or need additional support.

• 30-Day Check-In: At this stage, new hires should have completed introductory training, gained access to necessary systems, and started engaging with core responsibilities. Managers can evaluate early task completion rates and assess whether employees are meeting deadlines and grasping foundational concepts.
• 60-Day Evaluation: By this time, employees should be more independent, requiring less supervision and demonstrating improved efficiency in their role. Managers should assess problem-solving abilities, process adherence, and collaboration with teammates.
• 90-Day Performance Review: At this milestone, employees should be fully productive, handling tasks with confidence, and contributing to team goals. If performance lags, organizations may need to adjust their onboarding structure, training materials, or mentorship programs.

Time-to-Productivity

Time-to-productivity measures the average time it takes for a new hire to become independent and fully operational in their role. This metric is particularly crucial in IT and security roles, where employees need to quickly understand company systems, security protocols, and compliance measures.

To track time-to-productivity, organizations should:

• Define productivity milestones for different roles (e.g., an IT administrator setting up security protocols independently within 60 days).
• Measure how long it takes new hires to handle tasks without constant supervision.
• Compare individual results with historical onboarding data to identify delays or inefficiencies in training.

A shorter time-to-productivity means the onboarding process is effective and efficient, while longer ramp-up times may indicate training gaps or inadequate resources and need to find ways to accelerate onboarding.

New Hire Retention Rates

Retention is one of the strongest indicators of onboarding effectiveness. If employees leave within six to twelve months, it often signals onboarding-related issues such as unclear job expectations, lack of engagement, or inadequate support.

Organizations should:

• Monitor the percentage of new hires who stay beyond the first year.
• Conduct exit interviews with departing employees to determine if onboarding played a role in their decision to leave.
• Identify patterns in departments or roles with higher turnover rates and adjust onboarding strategies accordingly.

A strong onboarding program improves retention by aligning employees with company culture, setting clear expectations, and providing ongoing support.

Employee Satisfaction and Engagement

Engaged employees perform better, collaborate more effectively, and are less likely to leave. Measuring satisfaction and engagement levels during onboarding helps organizations understand how new hires perceive their experience.

To evaluate engagement:

• Use onboarding evaluation survey questions at 30, 60, and 90 days to gather insights on training effectiveness, company culture, and role clarity.
• Track participation rates in onboarding activities such as training sessions, mentorship programs, and team meetings.
• Identify areas where engagement drops and take corrective action, such as adding interactive training elements or improving communication with managers.

An engaged workforce is a productive workforce, and ensuring new hires feel supported from day one leads to higher job satisfaction and stronger long-term commitment.

Training Completion Rates

A structured onboarding process includes mandatory training modules covering company policies, role-specific skills, and security protocols. Tracking completion rates ensures that employees are engaging with the material and progressing through training as expected.

Key considerations:

• Assess how many new hires complete training on time. If completion rates are low, organizations should examine whether content is too dense, not engaging, or lacks clear guidance.
• Identify gaps in engagement with training materials by reviewing quiz scores, participation in hands-on exercises, and time spent on modules.
• If employees skip or struggle with critical training (e.g., security awareness or compliance modules), IT leaders should reinforce mandatory sessions and provide additional support.

A high training completion rate indicates that new hires are receiving the necessary knowledge, while low completion rates suggest a need for onboarding improvements.

Feedback from New Hires

Collecting qualitative feedback from new employees provides valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the onboarding program. Structured feedback loops ensure that onboarding remains effective, engaging, and aligned with employee needs.

Best practices for collecting feedback:

• Use onboarding evaluation questionnaires to gather structured responses on training quality, job expectations, and cultural integration.
• Implement onboarding evaluation templates that track progress and satisfaction across multiple touchpoints (e.g., first week, first month, and first quarter).
• Conduct one-on-one check-ins with HR, managers, and IT teams to address concerns in real-time.

By continuously analyzing feedback and making data-driven adjustments, organizations can refine their onboarding strategies and create a seamless experience for future hires.

Tracking the right onboarding evaluation metrics ensures that new hires transition smoothly, reach full productivity, and stay engaged long-term.

Methods for Gathering Feedback

Gathering feedback is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of an onboarding program. Without structured feedback, organizations risk repeating ineffective practices, leading to disengaged employees and high turnover rates. Below are the most effective methods for collecting feedback to improve onboarding processes.

• Employee Onboarding Surveys
• One-on-One Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Performance-Based Assessments

Employee Onboarding Surveys

Onboarding surveys provide a structured way to measure the success of training, cultural integration, and overall employee experience. Crafting an effective survey requires asking specific, actionable questions that go beyond generic satisfaction ratings. Instead of broad questions like "Did you enjoy onboarding?" companies should ask, "Do you feel prepared to complete your job responsibilities after the onboarding process?" or "What areas of onboarding were most beneficial, and what could be improved?"

Another key decision is whether to conduct surveys anonymously or personalize them. Anonymous surveys encourage more honest responses, particularly if employees are reluctant to share critical feedback directly with management. However, personalized surveys allow HR teams to follow up on individual concerns and provide targeted support. A combination of both methods—anonymous surveys for candid feedback and personalized follow-ups for deeper discussions—often yields the best insights.

One-on-One Interviews

While surveys provide quantitative data, one-on-one interviews offer qualitative insights into a new hire’s onboarding experience. Conducting structured check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days allows organizations to track how employees are adjusting over time. These conversations should mirror exit interviews, giving employees the opportunity to share their experiences and voice any concerns before they become disengaged.

A successful interview encourages open dialogue, meaning managers should ask open-ended questions like, "What challenges have you faced in your first 30 days?" or "Do you feel you have the necessary support and resources?" IT and security professionals, in particular, may need additional technical support or clearer security guidelines, and one-on-one interviews can help identify these gaps.

Focus Groups

Focus groups bring new hires together in a group setting to discuss their onboarding experiences. These discussions help identify common pain points, such as difficulties with software access, unclear job expectations, or gaps in security training. By gathering multiple perspectives, organizations can spot recurring issues and make informed improvements.

Another advantage of focus groups is the ability to collect insights from different departments. IT and security professionals may have very different onboarding experiences compared to HR or marketing teams. By facilitating cross-departmental discussions, companies can determine whether onboarding is consistent across all teams or if certain areas need additional attention.

For best results, focus groups should be kept small, ideally between five to ten participants, to encourage more meaningful discussions. A structured agenda with key discussion topics—such as onboarding resources, cultural integration, and technical training—keeps the conversation focused and productive.

Performance-Based Assessments

Onboarding isn’t just about making employees feel welcome—it’s also about ensuring they can perform their job effectively. Performance-based assessments allow organizations to measure onboarding effectiveness through job-related tasks and skill evaluations.

For IT and security teams, this might include knowledge checks on cybersecurity protocols, hands-on troubleshooting exercises, or simulations of common security incidents. Tracking technical skill development ensures that employees are not only completing onboarding training but also applying what they’ve learned in real-world scenarios.

Regular assessments can highlight gaps in training materials or areas where new hires need additional support. If employees struggle with specific tasks, it may indicate that onboarding needs to provide more hands-on practice or include additional role-specific training.

Gathering feedback through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and performance-based assessments ensures that onboarding programs remain effective and continuously improve. 

Analyzing Onboarding Data

Collecting feedback and tracking key onboarding metrics are only the first steps in evaluating an onboarding program. The real value comes from analyzing that data to identify trends, benchmark against industry standards, and ensure alignment with company goals. Below are key strategies for making data-driven improvements to onboarding.

• Identifying Trends and Patterns
• Benchmarking Against Industry Standards
• Assessing Alignment with Company Goals

Identifying Trends and Patterns

A well-structured onboarding evaluation process generates valuable data points, but without proper analysis, those insights remain underutilized. Recognizing recurring trends and patterns helps organizations identify onboarding challenges before they impact retention and productivity.

One way to uncover trends is to analyze survey responses and training completion rates over time. If multiple new hires report similar difficulties accessing systems, confusion about job expectations, or dissatisfaction with training materials, these patterns indicate areas that require immediate attention. Similarly, low completion rates for onboarding modules may suggest that training content is either too dense, not engaging enough, or misaligned with job requirements.

To get the most value from onboarding data, organizations should:

• Segment feedback by role and department to identify whether specific teams face unique challenges.
• Compare data across onboarding cycles to track whether improvements are leading to better outcomes.
• Use sentiment analysis in survey responses to detect trends in employee satisfaction and engagement.

By actively spotting and addressing recurring onboarding roadblocks, IT and security teams can enhance the process and create a more effective transition for new employees.

Benchmarking Against Industry Standards

Comparing onboarding performance against industry benchmarks helps organizations gauge the effectiveness of their program relative to competitors and best-in-class companies. Without external comparisons, it’s difficult to determine whether onboarding is meeting expectations or falling short.

One way to benchmark effectively is by tracking standard onboarding evaluation metrics such as:

• Time-to-productivity: how quickly employees become independent in their roles.
• New hire retention rates: percentage of employees who stay beyond 6–12 months.
• Training completion rates: how many employees fully engage with onboarding materials.

HR analytics tools and platforms allow organizations to track internal data and compare results with industry averages. Additionally, professional organizations like SHRM and Gartner regularly publish onboarding benchmarks that companies can use as reference points.

IT and security leaders should also assess whether technical training programs align with industry certifications and best practices. Comparing onboarding effectiveness against organizations with strong security training programs ensures new hires are meeting compliance standards and learning industry-relevant skills.

By benchmarking against external data, organizations gain a clearer perspective on where their onboarding process excels and where it needs refinement.

Assessing Alignment with Company Goals

An effective onboarding program should do more than train employees—it should reinforce company culture, policies, and business objectives. If onboarding data reveals a disconnect between training content and organizational priorities, adjustments are necessary.

To assess alignment, organizations should:

• Review onboarding survey feedback to gauge whether employees understand company mission and values.
• Ensure IT and security onboarding includes compliance training that meets internal policy standards.
• Measure how well onboarding prepares employees to contribute to key business initiatives.

For example, if an organization is prioritizing cloud security initiatives, onboarding for IT professionals should include hands-on training in cloud governance, compliance frameworks like SOC 2, and secure infrastructure management. If automation and DevOps practices are a business priority, new IT hires should receive targeted onboarding in CI/CD pipelines and security automation tools.

Adjusting onboarding programs to reflect company goals ensures that new hires are not only prepared for their roles but also positioned to support the organization’s long-term strategy.

By tracking trends, benchmarking against industry standards, and refining onboarding processes based on company objectives, organizations can create a data-driven approach to onboarding that enhances engagement, retention, and long-term success.

Strategies for Onboarding Improvement

Effective onboarding is not a one-time initiative—it requires continuous refinement and adaptation to ensure new hires integrate successfully into their roles. Improving onboarding involves enhancing training materials, leveraging technology, fostering mentorship, and ensuring alignment with company goals. 

Enhancing Training Materials

An outdated or one-size-fits-all approach to training can lead to poor engagement and slow learning curves. Organizations should focus on creating interactive, digital training resources to enhance comprehension and retention.

• Interactive training: Using gamification, quizzes, and scenario-based exercises makes learning more engaging. IT and security professionals benefit from virtual labs, cybersecurity simulations, and hands-on troubleshooting exercises to reinforce technical concepts.
• Regular content updates: Training materials should evolve based on new industry trends, compliance regulations, and technology updates. Gathering employee feedback helps identify gaps in existing content and ensures onboarding remains relevant.
• Adaptive learning platforms: AI-driven onboarding with agentic learning management systems (LMS) can personalize training modules based on individual progress, ensuring employees receive content that matches their expertise level.

Keeping training materials dynamic and tailored to evolving industry standards ensures that employees remain well-informed, skilled, and compliant in their roles.

Implementing Mentorship Programs

Onboarding shouldn’t be an isolated experience—mentorship programs provide peer guidance, making the transition smoother for new hires.

• Assigning peer mentors: Pairing new hires with experienced team members helps them navigate company culture, understand role expectations, and develop confidence in their responsibilities.
• Fostering collaboration: Encouraging mentor-mentee relationships increases engagement and helps build strong workplace connections early on. Regular one-on-one meetings, group discussions, and knowledge-sharing sessions reinforce learning and make new hires feel supported.
• Integrating mentorship into onboarding: Mentorship should be structured and goal-oriented, with defined milestones to ensure that new employees gain essential knowledge while also building long-term relationships within the company.

By incorporating mentorship as a core part of onboarding, organizations enhance engagement, retention, and job satisfaction for new hires.

Utilizing Digital Tools and Platforms

Digital tools simplify onboarding by automating administrative tasks, tracking progress, and evaluating training effectiveness.

• Onboarding evaluation software: allow HR and IT teams to monitor onboarding completion rates, collect feedback, and analyze engagement metrics.
• Automated access provisioning: IT teams can use identity and access management (IAM) tools to automatically assign necessary software, security credentials, and system permissions, ensuring that new hires are set up from day one.
• Centralized learning portals: Providing a self-service knowledge base with recorded training sessions, security protocols, and troubleshooting guides enables employees to access information anytime.

Leveraging digital platforms reduces manual workload, improves consistency, and enhances the overall onboarding experience.

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Personalizing the Onboarding Experience

A customized onboarding process improves engagement by addressing role-specific needs, department goals, and individual learning styles.

• Tailored onboarding paths: IT professionals may need cybersecurity training, while HR hires may require compliance workshops. Personalizing content ensures relevance and prevents unnecessary information overload.
• Flexible learning options: Offering a mix of self-paced modules, instructor-led training, and interactive workshops allows employees to learn at their own speed while reinforcing key concepts.
• Adaptive onboarding workflows: Using data-driven insights from past hires, companies can adjust content, pacing, and engagement strategies based on job function and seniority level.

A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works—customizing onboarding ensures employees feel supported, engaged, and prepared for success.

Incorporating Feedback Loops

Continuous feedback helps organizations refine onboarding by identifying strengths and addressing weaknesses.

• Onboarding evaluation surveys: Conducting structured assessments at 30, 60, and 90 days captures real-time employee sentiment and helps measure program effectiveness.
• Real-time adjustments: If new hires report challenges, quick course corrections can be made to improve onboarding for future employees.
• Iterative improvements: Using performance data, employee feedback, and training engagement metrics, organizations should update onboarding materials regularly to ensure ongoing relevance.

An effective onboarding program evolves based on insights, creating a more efficient, employee-centric experience over time.

Aligning Onboarding with Organizational Changes

As companies scale, adopt new technologies, or shift business priorities, onboarding must adapt to reflect these changes.

• Supporting company growth: When organizations expand, onboarding programs should be updated to accommodate larger hiring classes, remote employees, and global teams.
• Adjusting for restructuring: If teams are reorganized, onboarding must introduce new reporting structures, workflows, and leadership expectations.
• Keeping up with technology: IT and security leaders must incorporate emerging technologies, compliance updates, and security best practices into onboarding to keep new hires up to speed.

Ensuring onboarding remains aligned with organizational priorities guarantees that employees receive the right training and context for their roles.

Improving onboarding requires a commitment to continuous learning, personalization, and technology-driven solutions. 

Support Onboarding Improvement with Lumos

An effective onboarding program is more than just an introduction to company policies—it is a strategic process that directly impacts employee engagement, productivity, and retention. By evaluating onboarding programs, tracking key performance metrics, and continuously refining the process through data analysis and employee feedback, organizations can create a more efficient and engaging experience for new hires. Identifying common onboarding challenges, implementing structured improvement strategies, and leveraging best practices ensures that new employees are set up for long-term success.

A structured approach to onboarding evaluation and improvement allows businesses to optimize their processes, ensuring that every new hire is equipped with the right tools, knowledge, and access controls from day one. However, manual onboarding processes often lead to inefficiencies, delays, and security vulnerabilities, making it essential to leverage technology-driven solutions.

This is where Lumos can help streamline and enhance employee onboarding and evaluation. Lumos automates account provisioning and access management, ensuring that new hires receive secure, role-based access to necessary tools without bottlenecks.

Traditional onboarding methods often lack visibility into access permissions, role-specific training requirements, and compliance adherence. Lumos eliminates these challenges by providing centralized oversight, automated workflows, and intelligent access governance. Whether onboarding remote employees, IT professionals, or security teams, Lumos ensures that onboarding is seamless, secure, and scalable.

Ready to transform your onboarding process? Book a demo with Lumos today and discover how automated onboarding evaluation and access management can improve efficiency, security, and employee experience from day one.