A CIPD report highlights a concerning trend: over a quarter of employers have been 'ghosted' by new recruits who don't show up on their first day and almost half have seen new staff resign within weeks.
Key pre-boarding statistics
- 50% of respondents who accepted job offers subsequently backed out before their scheduled start dates (Gartner)
- 35% of candidates reported receiving four or more job offers during their last job search (Gartner)
- 47% of candidates remained open to other offers even after accepting the job (Gartner)
- 42% believe they could find a better job if they continued their search (Gartner)
- 4 out of 5 newly hired professionals feel worried in the days and weeks before starting (LinkedIn)
The benefits of a pre-boarding process
Standard recruitment costs: ~£3,000 (up to ~£30,000 for C-Suite). A strong pre-boarding process can increase new hire retention by up to 82% (AIHR).
- Builds loyalty — personalised communications and access to resources create a sense of belonging early
- Reduces turnover — up to 82% improvement in new hire retention
- Faster speed to competency — access to training materials before day one means hitting the ground running
- Predicting employee no-shows — allows HR to spot red flags like disengagement before the first day
- Reduces anxiety — employees arrive on their first day with confidence rather than confusion
Top 10 pre-boarding best practices
- Personalise communications — generic system-generated emails make new hires feel alienated
- Send a company welcome gift — branded notebooks, mugs, t-shirts, party games, stress balls
- Provide access to company resources — employee handbook, FAQs before start date
- Start paperwork early — employment contracts, tax forms, benefits information; allows new hires to ask questions at their own pace
- Schedule informal team intros — virtual or in-person meet-and-greets; pair with a 'buddy' as a go-to resource
- Build a sense of community — share their profile in internal newsletter or channels
- Create an onboarding schedule — helps them organise personal logistics and prepare for training; a key productivity booster
- Send a reminder email or text the night before day one — include arrival time, security procedures, entry points; ensure remote workers have all tech tools and login instructions
- Conduct a survey prior to and after day one — assess readiness, identify concerns; follow-up post-day-one survey to get feedback on the pre-boarding and onboarding process
- Reinforce your EVP — remind them why they decided to accept the job
Digital pre-boarding in a mobile world
Cognexo offers: mobile-first approach; personalised daily bite-sized e-learning on policies, company values, mission and culture; data security protection.
