Rethinking Onboarding

Key Takeaways

• Retaining skilled workers: Professional onboarding increases the chances of long-term employee retention.
• Getting off to a positive start: Structured onboarding processes promote orientation, integration, and job satisfaction.
• Practical development: The online toolbox is being developed in collaboration with companies from the Lake Constance region.  

Attracting skilled workers is difficult; retaining them long-term is often even more challenging. This is precisely where the “LeBi” research project comes in. In light of the growing shortage of skilled workers, professional onboarding is becoming increasingly important, even for SMEs. A successful start provides orientation, strengthens the sense of belonging, and can play a key role in retaining employees within the company over the long term.

Online Toolbox for SMEs 

At the heart of the “LeBi” project is the development and testing of an innovative online toolbox. This toolbox is designed to help SMEs introduce structured and needs-based onboarding processes and professionalize existing procedures. The goal is to facilitate the integration of new employees, strengthen their commitment to the company, and reduce turnover during the initial phase of employment.

In addition to the various phases and levels of onboarding, the development of the online toolbox also takes various dimensions of diversity into account. This enables companies to design integration processes in a more targeted manner and to address the diverse life situations and needs of new employees, such as expats or individuals with caregiving responsibilities. The project employs both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

The online toolbox is being developed and tested in collaboration with pilot companies, service providers, and other stakeholders from Vorarlberg, Eastern Switzerland, and Southern Germany to ensure its scientific soundness and practical applicability. Initial findings from the analysis phase show that professional onboarding benefits both companies and new employees, for example by preventing early turnover and facilitating a faster onboarding process. A structured onboarding process is particularly crucial for SMEs, as challenges related to technical training or social integration are usually felt more immediately due to their smaller organizational structures than in large companies.  

A Strong Partnership for the Region

To ensure the practical development and sustainable implementation of the free online toolbox, the project is collaborating with more than 30 partners from Vorarlberg, Eastern Switzerland, and Southern Germany. In addition to the participating universities, pilot companies, service providers, and chambers of commerce and similar institutions are contributing their perspectives and experiences to the project.

The project thus makes an important contribution to the successful integration of new employees, to securing a skilled workforce in SMEs, and to strengthening the competitiveness of companies in the Lake Constance region.  

Contact:

Dr. Julia REINER, B.A. MA
Scientist
Research Group Empirical Social Sciences

+43 5572 792 2352
julia.reiner@fhv.at