7 Reasons Why On-boarding Programs Fail
(excerpt taken from the article Why On-boarding Fails by Prem Rao)

1. Lack of co-ordination between functions and people concerned make the new hire wander around unattended or pushed from pillar to post. Each thinks it is the other’s responsibility.
2. Existing employees do not support the program simply because nothing similar was done for them. They leave it to the new hire to “sink or swim”.
3. The new employee, especially the lateral hire, thinks he/she knows everything and does not give the program the attention it deserves. They miss out on issues of culture to their detriment later.
4. Managers are too “busy” and do not give the program the priority it deserves. They are quick to delegate the task to someone else.
5. Key elements of on-boarding are delegated to those who are not competent enough to do it effectively
6. Too much information is loaded on to the new hire making them groan under the weight of all that detail, much of which is not needed for their own work.
7. The program is largely impersonal and the employee feels processed like a widget in an assembly line.

Generally On-boarding is intended to:
(from www.Money-Zine.com)

• Make employees feel welcome
• Minimize the learning curve
• Help the employee to identify with the new employer
• Allow the employee to understand some of the companies values and priorities
• Build an optimistic attitude towards the company
• Avoid misunderstandings
• Help the employee feel valued
• Encourage socialization and creating a sense of belonging
• Reduce new employee anxiety
• Set performance Expectations
• Decrease the learning curve