20 Best Onboarding Software: Reviewed & Compared for 2024
10 Best Onboarding Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
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With an endless amount of onboarding software available, finding the right fit for your needs is time-consuming. You want software to help you integrate your new employees and manage paperwork, training, and initial tasks, but which tool is the best fit? As a former HR administrator who onboarded hundreds of new hires, I sympathize with your situation. In this article, I'll share my insights on the best onboarding software available for different use cases to help you find the best fit for you.
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Best Onboarding Software: Pricing Comparison Chart
This comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top onboarding software selections to help you find the best software for your budget and business needs.
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Deel | Flat rate user pricing, with a free version for businesses with up to 200 people | Website |
| GoCo | From $5/employee/month | Website |
| ClearCompany | Pricing upon request | Website |
| WorkBright | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Workable | From $149/month, with up to 20 seats | Website |
| Rippling | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Connecteam | From $29/user/month (billed annually, min 5 seats) | Website |
| BambooHR | From $6.19/user/month, (billed annually). | Website |
| iSpring Learn | From $2.87/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Guru | From $10/user/month | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare Software-
Deel
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
Rippling
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
ClearCompany
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6
Best Onboarding Software Reviews
In this section, I’ve included a brief description of each onboarding software system and explained what each does best to help you find the best system for you. I’ve also included a screenshot of each to show you their user interface too.
Deel is a full-scale HR platform that brings a global approach to onboarding, allowing HR teams to provide a seamless and unified experience to any worker, no matter their location. It offers a secure and compliant solution for businesses to manage employee data, automate workflows, and set up local benefits and payroll.
Why I picked Deel: Their employer of record service offers a simple and compliant way to hire and onboard employees using one of their 100+ local entities, while its contractor management service helps you collect necessary compliance paperwork and generate localized contractor agreements. In addition, Deel’s HR tools allow you to easily provision software access, send out company equipment, or initiate background checks too.
Deel Standout Features and Integrations:
Deel provides an easy-to-use interface that guides users through creating contracts, including a library of templates and clauses that you can pick from to customize your contracts and offer letters. Its employee onboarding tracker lets you add new employees to the system and track their progress throughout the orientation and onboarding process. Deel automatically keeps track of all documents and forms that need to be completed and allows users to securely sign and store compliance docs. The platform also offers free HR software for businesses to help automate admin and reporting for global workforces.
Integrations are available with Ashby, BambooHR, Expensify, Greenhouse, Hibob, Netsuite, Okta, OneLogin, Quickbooks, SCIM, Xero, Workday, and Workable, and more through the Deep API, allowing you to have a single source of truth for your workforce data.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Add-ons available for localized benefits and global payroll
- Knowledgeable support staff
- End-to-end global employee lifecycle management
Cons:
- Limited customization for some tools
- Contract templates could be simplified
GoCo is an all-in-one HR software that helps you automate your onboarding checklist and give new-hires a pre-boarding digital experience before their first day.
Why I picked GoCo: This tool belongs on this list because of its digital-centered approach to onboarding and everything else around it. The fact that you can reduce the headache of having papers lying around and finding where to keep them for years is huge in my opinion. Add to that the fact that once you are done with the onboarding part of the new employee's life, you still have a fully-fledged HR platform that can help with payroll, compliance, and performance management, among other services.
GoCo's onboarding module features e-signature in online offer letters, onboarding checklists, and a way for your employees to choose and enroll in their benefits package and easily set up their payroll information.
GoCo Standout Features & Integrations
Features include automated workflows and magic docs. These allow you to set up tasks and reminders for each step of the onboarding process, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. Magic docs is a proprietary technology that lets you turn documents into fillable forms with data fields you can store and report on.
Integrations include applicant tracking systems like JazzHR and Greenhouse so you can eliminate double entry and push over the candidate data collected during your interview process instead of starting from scratch. Other pre-built integrations include Notion, Basecamp, Zoom, QuickBooks, Checkr, and Twilio. Additionally, you can access thousands of other apps through a paid subscription to Zapier.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Ensures I-9 and W-4 onboarding compliance
- Great document management
- Up to 20% discount on multi-year contracts
Cons:
- Pricing is quoted depending on needs so it requires a sales call
Best for an adaptable, paperless & mobile-friendly onboarding experience
ClearCompany is a comprehensive talent management system with integrated modules that cover the full employee lifecycle, from applicant tracking to hiring and onboarding, employee engagement, performance management, and analytics. They're best for companies based in the U.S. and Canada.
Why I picked ClearCompany: Their modern system makes paperless onboarding simple with automated online delivery, tracking, collection, and storage of all forms and documents. You can save time and money while eliminating errors by using ClearCompany's smart forms, which put an end to redundant data entry by pre-filling previously entered information and validating data for formatting and accuracy.
ClearCompany Standout Features and Integrations:
Their integrated, behind-the-scenes compliance management tools also make their platform stand out. Without leaving their platform, you can check employment eligibility (for U.S. employees), run background checks, and verify tax forms like I-9's and W-4's. Their software also supports digital signatures, making the process of signing off on HR forms more user-friendly for your new staff.
Integrations are available with tools for background checks, skill assessments, calendars, job postings, payroll, benefits, and single sign-on (SSO) applications.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy to connect hired candidates into onboarding workflows
- Referral Management feature tracks internal employee referrals
- Recruiting and onboarding in the same platform
Cons:
- User interface is a little bit dated
- Pricing details are not transparent
WorkBright is an HR software solution designed to simplify the hiring and onboarding processes for businesses. It offers tools such as Smart I-9, HR onboarding, and an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to ensure compliance, enhance security, and support a fully remote process.
Why I picked WorkBright: One of its most notable features is its mobile-first design, which allows both hiring administrators and new employees to access all functionalities efficiently from any smart device. This includes handling complex documents like Form I-9, enabling new hires to fill out and upload identification documents directly from their smartphones. This is especially useful for remote hiring.
WorkBright Standout Features and Integrations:
The automated E-Verify feature eliminates the need for manual data entry by automatically creating cases upon completion of Section 2 of Form I-9. Additionally, WorkBright's Optical Character Recognition (OCR) allows employees to photograph and upload documents from their smartphones, reducing paperwork and minimizing data entry errors.
Integrations include ADP Workforce Now, E-Verify, iSolved, Netchex, ApplicantPRO, and Universal Background Screening.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Ensures compliance with legal requirements, such as I-9 verification
- Optimized for mobile use
- Users can customize forms and workflows
Cons:
- The system does not always notify users when tasks are completed
- Limited integrations
Workable is a recruiting software and hiring platform that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing the recruitment process, onboarding process, and ongoing HR procedures. The software allows users to onboard new hires, manage employee information, view organizational structure, and organize company documents in one place.
Why I picked Workable: I like that Workable can handle the entire hiring process, from sourcing candidates to their first day on the job, within a single platform. Additionally, Workable's employee onboarding module offers automated task management, customizable workflows, and personalized onboarding portals, which help new hires acclimate quickly and effectively. With features like e-signatures, document storage, and progress tracking, Workable not only simplifies compliance but also fosters a more organized and welcoming onboarding environment.
Workable Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include resume parsing, candidate assessment tools, collaborative hiring, AI-powered candidate recommendations, employee self-service portal, training and development tracking, performance management, custom reporting, compliance management, automated reminders, applicant tracking system, employee directory, and onboarding checklists.
Integrations include Indeed, BambooHR, HiBob, Checkr, Certn, ADP, Deel, Thomas Assessments, SoftOne, LinkedIn, G-Suite, Seek, Microsoft 365, Otta, and Spark Hire.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Ability to create onboarding templates
- Users can tailor workflows to meet specific recruitment needs
- Interface is intuitive and easy to navigate
Cons:
- Platform is only available in English
- Can be expensive for smaller operations
Rippling
Best workforce management platform built for onboarding and HR needs
Rippling is an employee management platform with onboarding tools for administrative data entry, payroll, benefits enrollment, and learning management modules to streamline the welcome process for new team members. Instead of needing to rely on traditional paperwork and signatures, Rippling sends e-documentation to employees that can be signed electronically on the spot.
Rippling has a full feature suite for managing employee device set-up, configuration, security, and monitoring. Their IT onboarding tools ensure all workplace apps and software are installed and password protected before the employee ever gets to their desk. You can even control team password management (with single sign-on and multi-factor authentication) to ensure no one’s password is left as “1234” or “password.”
Rippling integrates with over 400+ apps, including Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Asana, Zendesk, and more.
Rippling starts at $8/user/month and offers a free 30-minute demo.
Connecteam is an employee onboarding software solution that caters to remote workers and deskless teams. The software’s dynamic HR hub empowers HR departments to provide in-depth but straightforward onboarding experiences to their entire workforce, creating a good user experience from day one.
Why I picked Connecteam: The platform’s onboarding capabilities go beyond the employee training aspect. For instance, the software has a document feature that ensures total compliance from the beginning of each new hire’s employment journey. Connecteam also offers robust training and courses features. When employees join your company, these features enable HR or management to create custom training/courses for each employee to complete their onboarding workflow. They are mobile first and intuitive which makes it easy for employees from all industries to use.
Connecteam Standout Features and Integrations:
The software has all the essential features for streamlining every employee’s onboarding experience through its communications hub and employee timeline feature. For instance, HR teams can warmly welcome each new hire by making an announcement on the platform’s social feed. An employee directory is also available for users who want to find other employees in the company, and they can communicate with them directly via their team chat app.
Other useful features include time tracking, dynamic employee smart groups, checklists and forms, and interactive quizzes to measure knowledge comprehension.
Integrations include Paychex, Xero, Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll (online + desktop), Google Calendar and others.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Tracks training progress per employee
- Does not require technical expertise
- Keeps an updated database of all courses created
Cons:
- Complex pricing structure
- Integration details are limited
A staple in the startup world, BambooHR allows for a high level of customization for each new hire. This can be broken down by the job, the department, the location, and more. Onboarding tasks can be automated, with tasks assigned to the new hire, as well as to managers and other employees to help them on their way.
The simplicity and customization allows for a unique user experience for each hire. With the templates, you can make an onboarding guide aimed at specific roles, seniority, and departments for a better overall experience. Bamboo’s overall user experience makes it easy for the HR team to track progress and focus on the bigger picture of the onboarding process.
Bamboo has a number of common integrations that you see with other similar HR platforms, such as Workday, LinkedIn, Google, Slack, Microsoft, and other digital workplace apps.
Best for building customized new hire training in multiple languages
iSpring Learn is a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) from iSpring Solutions. It's designed to facilitate online corporate training, serving as a platform for companies of all sizes to create and launch eLearning content quickly.
Why I picked iSpring Learn: Their LMS system is a great choice for organizations that have a lot of training requirements built into their onboarding process, since you can easily customize their training portal to match your corporate identity. This includes adding corporate logos and favicons, and applying the desired color schemes.
There's also the localization aspect, which enables training managers to easily translate the user portal into any language to accommodate new learners. This can help organizations who are multinational train their workforce at scale. Using their localization feature, platform admins can assign a specific language version of the portal to every subsidiary or branch office around the globe.
iSpring Learn Standout Features and Integrations:
iSpring Learn features an intuitive user interface that’s easy to use for training managers as well as learners. One of their core features is the content management function, which allows you to either upload or create your own content right within the platform. You can upload content in various formats, including PowerPoint presentations (PPT), video tutorials (MP4 or FLV), audio lectures (WAV or MP3), and complete eLearning courses in SCORM. The LMS also supports Flash clips (SWF) as well as other supplementary document formats like XLS, DOC, and PDF.
Integrations are available natively with ADP, BambooHR, Salesforce, Workday, and Zoom. Or, additional integrations can be configured using their REST/SOAP API.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Works on mobile devices
- Easy to create onboarding workflows
- Creates a branded learning environment
Cons:
- More software integrations would be welcomed
- Convoluted pricing rubric (many add-on options)
Guru
Best for compiling information into digital onboarding checklists
Guru is an advanced search and knowledge management tool designed to streamline information flow and enhance team productivity. Its simple yet effective approach ensures that teams have access to the right information at the right time, making it particularly helpful for onboarding new employees and ensuring they quickly feel at home within their new roles.
Why I picked Guru: As onboarding software, Guru excels in fostering a culture of knowledge sharing. Its simplicity in design and operation removes barriers to information, making the onboarding process smoother and more efficient. You can use their platform to develop onboarding templates for each department or function, which you can further customize for each individual new hire depending on their needs.
Guru Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include artificial intelligence for real-time suggestions, knowledge verification processes to ensure the accuracy of information, knowledge triggers to proactively deliver context-specific information to users, and Collections and Boards to help users organize and structure their information.
Guru also supports syncing with external data sources, maintains robust security standards with features like SSO, and provides extensive support resources for users.
Integrations are available natively with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Outlook, Salesforce, Google Chrome, Zendesk, Chrome, Firefox, Asana, Trello, Jira, and Confluence.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Offers robust organizational capabilities for company information
- You can easily download card content to PDF for future reference
- The AI Suggest feature proactively aids in learning and problem-solving
Cons:
- Some limitations in handling large volumes of data
- Risk of information overload
Other Onboarding Software
Here are a few more worthwhile options that didn’t make the best onboarding software list:
- Absorb LMS
For engaging new employees through learning experiences
- SkyPrep
For streamlining the employee onboarding process
- eloomi
Preboarding processes
- Leapsome
To manage learning, performance, and engagement
- Looop
Learning management system (LMS) tools
- Enboarder
For onboarding, transitions, and reboarding
- IntelliHR
HR software for onboarding workflows and automation
- Qualtrics Employee Experience
Enterprise-grade onboarding software
- Eddy
For small, local businesses with deskless workers
- Kallidus Sapling
For creating engaging preboarding workflows
Related HR Software Reviews
If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these other related tools that we've tested and evaluated:
- Best HR software
- Payroll software
- Recruiting software
- Employer of Record services
- Applicant tracking systems
- Workforce management software
Selection Criteria for Onboarding Software
Selecting the best onboarding software for this list requires a deep understanding of the onboarding process and how common pain points can be alleviated by choosing the right tool. Drawing on my personal HR experience, including nine years of onboarding employees, I developed a comprehensive approach to evaluating onboarding software. My experience also made it easier to highlight each system's standout onboarding features — features I wish I'd had in the past!
Core Onboarding Software Functionalities (25% of total score): To create this list, I started out by evaluating and comparing a wide range of HR software systems with dedicated onboarding checklists and workflows. For a software system to land a spot on my long list, it needed to fulfill the following basic use cases:
- Automation tools for repetitive onboarding tasks
- Tools to support digital learning for in-office, hybrid, or fully remote employees
- Self-service access to essential information for new hires
- Progress tracking tools for both administrators and new hires
- Software integrations with HR database systems (or be a module within an existing HR system) to simplify data management
Additional Standout Features (25% of total score): To help me hone in on the best onboarding software available, I also took note of any unique features, including:
- Advanced AI-driven personalization options for learning paths based on roles
- Gamification tools for onboarding processes to maximize engagement
- Advanced analytics and predictive insights that monitor the success of individual onboarding components
- Robust integration capabilities that cut down on manual data entry and provide a better experience for HR administrators and new hires alike
Usability (10% of total score): To evaluate the usability of each onboarding tool, I considered the following:
- An intuitive design that simplifies complex processes
- A clean, user-friendly interface that you can customize with your company branding to enhance the user experience
- Quick access to essential features without overwhelming users
- Role-based access control that's straightforward to configure
- Administrative tools to ensure the day-one onboarding experience is intuitive, fun, logical, and well-paced
Customer Onboarding (10% of total score): To get a sense of each software provider's customer onboarding process, I considered the following factors:
- Quick setup processes and clear guidance for first-time users, including customizable templates
- The availability of training materials such as videos or interactive tutorials
- Support for migrating data from previous systems into the new platform
Customer Support (10% of total score): To evaluate the level of customer support each vendor offered, I considered the following:
- The availability of multiple support channels, including email, phone, and chat
- The existence of a self-service knowledge base or other self-help resources to speed up troubleshooting
- The overall quality, responsiveness, and helpfulness of the support team during customer onboarding and post-purchase, as inferred from customer reviews
Value for Price (10% of total score): To gauge the value of each software, I considered the following factors:
- The availability of free trials or demos to test the software before purchasing
- Transparent pricing models that clearly explain which features are included at each level
- Tiered pricing plans that cater to different business sizes, from small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) up to enterprise-level organizations
Customer Reviews (10% of total score): Evaluating customer reviews is the final element of my selection process, which helps me understand how well a product performs in the hands of real users. Here are the factors I considered:
- Whether a product has consistently high ratings across multiple review platforms, indicating a broad level of user satisfaction
- Specific praises, criticisms, or trends in customer feedback that indicate the software's strengths or areas for improvement
- Whether customer feedback specifically mentions issues with ease of use, customer support responsiveness, or lacking features
Using this assessment framework helped me identify the onboarding software that goes beyond basic requirements to offer additional value through unique features, intuitive usability, smooth onboarding, effective support, and overall value for price.
How to Choose Onboarding Software
Onboarding software can help you organize all elements of your orientation process for new employees, providing a smoother and better experience. To help you figure out which onboarding software best fits your needs, you need to pinpoint your key users and document their specific challenges first.
As you work through your own unique onboarding software selection process, keep the following points in mind:
- What problems are you trying to solve? Start by identifying the challenges you're trying to overcome. This will help you clarify the features and functionalities the onboarding software needs to provide. These challenges may include:
- Onboarding resources that are spread out across multiple locations, making it difficult for new hires to source the information easily,
- Onboarding processes that are inefficient, such as paper-based information,
- Improved consistency of onboarding processes across different employee groups and locations, or
- Difficulty tracking compliance requirements regarding onboarding tasks.
- Who are your main users? Consider who will use the software and how many licenses you'll need. Once that's clear, it's also useful to rank the needs of your different users to identify the key priorities for your power users, managers, and employees, to ensure they're all met.
- For onboarding software, you'll need basic access for your new hires, and admin-level access for your HR professionals and internal training, learning, or compliance specialists.
- What is your budget? To evaluate cost, estimate how many staff you expect to hire over the next few years. Since most onboarding software charges a monthly fee per employee, this will help you estimate your monthly costs.
- It's important to determine a realistic budget for your new employee onboarding software up-front, so you don't waste time considering software that's out of your price range.
- What outcomes are important? Review the capabilities you want to gain or improve, and how you will measure success. Being clear on your desired outcomes upfront is crucial to avoid wasting valuable time. Key outcomes you may want to measure include:
- The success of a fully digitized onboarding process that offers a consistent experience for in-office and remote employees,
- All your onboarding activities within one platform, creating a better employee experience for your new hires, and
- Improved compliance tracking and completeness scores due to the content being digitized and trackable in real-time.
- Do you require specific software integrations? Clarify whether your new onboarding system will replace any existing tools, or need to integrate with them. Important systems to integrate with include training management software, learning management systems, or your HR management system.
- Can you reduce your monthly SaaS overhead costs by replacing multiple tools with an all-in-one learning platform?
- Are all the software integrations you need available, or can they be custom-configured using an API?
- Does the new software satisfy your technical requirements? Consider the software selection alongside your existing workflows and systems. Evaluate what's working well, and any problem areas that need to be addressed.
- Does the new system integrate with your corporate workspace (Microsoft SharePoint, Google Workspace, etc.),
- Does the new system offer security features that meet your needs (e.g., two-factor authentication (2FA), etc.)?
Remember every business is different — don’t assume that an onboarding software system will work for your organization just because it's popular.
How to Implement Onboarding Software
Once you've chosen the winning onboarding system for your needs, you'll need to develop an implementation plan to integrate the software into your onboarding process.
Assuming your chosen onboarding software offers a deep set of features, here are some elements you'll need to incorporate into your implementation plan:
- An implementation strategy and timeline
- Feedback from recent new hires on their onboarding process (e.g., what worked well, what was confusing and could have been better, etc.)
- Feedback from key stakeholders that manage your internal training and learning and development processes (i.e., whoever is responsible for updating your onboarding materials)
- Internal training and support processes for your HR administrators or anyone else who will assist with employee onboarding (i.e., managers and team leads)
- Available software integrations or IT resources to set up custom configurations using an API
- A trial or test run process using a small group of new hires to gain initial feedback on the new system
- An internal implementation team that is responsible for maintaining the software and responding to questions or requests for improvements from staff
To point you in the right direction, I recommend reading our guide on HR software implementation next.
In addition, our podcast with Andrew Swiler, CEO of the HR software company Lanteria, is also full of solid advice on How to Build and Implement an HR Tech Stack.
Trends in Onboarding Software for 2024
Onboarding processes are always evolving, driven by advances in technology as well as shifting workplace structures. Here are some trends that are currently developing in the onboarding software space:
- Remote and Hybrid Onboarding Solutions: With remote and hybrid work arrangements continuing to dominate many industries, onboarding software has become more specialized for remote employees. These solutions have started incorporating more elements from employee engagement software, including tools to enhance team cohesion, culture, and communication, regardless of an employee's physical location.
Are you plugged into this trend? If you're not sure, these tips for effectively onboarding remote employees will bring you up to speed quickly. - AI and Automation: Using AI-driven onboarding software makes it easier to personalize the onboarding process for your new hires, and by personalize I don't just mean filling in a field with the new hire's name. A truly personalized onboarding process takes into account each person's role in the company and the specific set of skills they will need to acquire, and in which order. Using AI in this strategic way can enhance the efficiency of your onboarding process by focusing on the most important and foundational aspects of integrating each person into the team first.
- Data-Driven Onboarding Practices: As onboarding software becomes more specific, the data and analytics that these systems collect have increased in quality as well. Your HR professionals will be able to review their onboarding data to track, measure, and analyze all the key metrics that relate to their new hire orientation process. For example, they can dig into which onboarding items appear to take too long to complete or remain incomplete despite automatic reminders. This signals to your team that those items are likely confusing, or should be broken down into smaller tasks to make it more achievable.
- Increased Focus on Employee Well-Being: Some onboarding platforms have begun incorporating features to monitor new hires' mental and emotional health as part of the onboarding process, such as pulse check-in prompts that ask your employees how they're feeling at the start or end of each day, or requests for feedback at the end of each orientation training session. It may also include an increased focus on offering your new hires links to employee resources, such as an employee directory, a dynamic org chart, or a Frequently Asked Questions wiki to solve common issues.
If you're wondering how your most recent new hires feel about their orientation process, consider administering an onboarding survey. Not sure where to start? Read Onboarding Surveys: A Complete Guide With Questions. - Continuous Learning and Development: A proper onboarding period can last between 6 to 12 months, depending on the role requirements. Modern onboarding software has started to support a more continuous approach to employee learning and development, allowing managers to create 30-60-90 day plans, and beyond. Other features that support continuous learning include internal mentorship matches or onboarding buddies, task shadowing, and integrations with internal training or learning management systems.
If you need help expanding the reach of your onboarding program, this article might help: How to Write a 30 60 90 Day Plan for Your Org's Onboarding + Template.
Investing in onboarding software that leverages these trends — such as the systems in this list — will help you create a more welcoming, holistic, strategic, and far-reaching onboarding program. And doing so is sure to positively impact your employee retention in the long run.
What is Onboarding Software?
Onboarding software is a digital tool designed to efficiently manage and facilitate the process of welcoming and integrating new employees into an organization. Key features of onboarding software include automated paperwork processing, employee training modules, task assignment tracking, and tools for communication and information sharing.
The purpose of onboarding software is to efficiently integrate new employees into a company, ensuring a smooth transition and quick adaptation to their roles.
Features of Onboarding Software
The specific features included in each onboarding system will depend on the type of software you choose (a standalone tool versus a module within an HR management system or an L&D-focused system). However, these are the key features I assessed when selecting the best onboarding software for this list:
- Customizable Onboarding Checklists: Many systems offer the ability to tailor onboarding requirements for different roles using digital checklists. Doing so ensures that the hiring manager and new employee both have a transparent record of the tasks that need to be completed.
- Automated Workflows: The best employee onboarding software allows your power users (your HR team) to create criteria and triggers to automate HR processes across the employee lifecycle, eliminating repetitive tasks.
- Electronic Documents and e-signatures: Official papers can either be paperless through the onboarding system or scanned into the system for document management purposes. As well, many systems simplify the process by supporting electronic signatures on internal documents, avoiding the need to print documents out.
- Employee Self-Service Portal: Streamlining your onboarding tasks through a self-service portal allows your new hires to complete paperwork, access training materials, and find essential information independently, reducing the amount of assistance required to get your new staff on track.
- Training Modules: Onboarding includes a lot of process orientation and employee training; software can help organize, facilitate, and track learning initiatives and certifications on your behalf automatically.
- Social Integration Features: Onboarding tools should connect new employees to the names, faces, and contact information of the people who can help them, especially your core human resources staff and immediate team members.
- Company Wiki: Well-organized information and FAQs are extremely useful for any new employee needing basic how-to information, organizational charts, and company culture guidance.
- Self-service Benefits Administration: Onboarding software may include the ability to sign up for company benefits like health care, parking passes, and supply requests, which can all be done virtually.
- Employee Feedback: The ability to collect feedback and questions across the onboarding process helps ensure employees feel satisfied with the structure and pace of their onboarding tasks.
- Analytics & Reporting: You can gain insights into the effectiveness of your onboarding process with detailed analytics and reporting. This data helps identify areas for improvement and ensures the onboarding experience meets the needs of new hires and the organization.
By focusing on these features, companies can ensure their onboarding software provides a comprehensive, efficient, and engaging start for new employees. The right software not only simplifies administrative tasks but also plays a critical role in building a solid foundation for new hire success and long-term employee engagement.
Benefits of Onboarding Software
Onboarding software is designed to help organizations automate and optimize the onboarding process with the goal of enhancing both the employee experience and organizational efficiency.
By selecting the best onboarding software for your needs, you can expect to gain the following benefits:
- Streamlined Administrative Processes: Onboarding software reduces the time and effort required to complete paperwork and administrative tasks, minimizing the manual workload associated with new hire documentation and compliance.
- Improved New Hire Engagement: Onboarding software offers interactive and personalized learning paths that help new hires feel welcomed and valued from day one, increasing job satisfaction and morale.
- Consistency in Onboarding Experiences: By delivering a uniform onboarding experience, companies can maintain high standards of training and integration, regardless of department or location, ensuring every new hire receives the same level of information and support.
- Faster Time to Productivity: Through structured training modules and easy access to essential resources, employees can quickly learn about their roles and responsibilities, significantly reducing the time it takes for them to settle into their roles and contribute effectively to their teams.
- Data-Driven Insights & Reporting: With detailed analytics and reporting features, organizations can continuously improve their onboarding strategies based on real user data, uncovering areas that need future adjustments.
Investing in the right onboarding software can transform how organizations welcome new employees, laying the foundation for a successful and productive working relationship.
Costs & Pricing for Onboarding Software
Pricing for onboarding software varies widely due to the fact that there are different sub-types of onboarding software on the market. Some onboarding platforms are standalone tools, whereas others are integrated modules within an HR management system or onboarding-specific workflows with a learning management system.
Below, I've broken down the typical plan options you'll encounter, including a free option that's well-suited to small businesses looking to try out a software system before committing to a contract.
Plan Comparison Table for Onboarding Software
| Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features Included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic onboarding features, limited user access, and essential integrations |
| Basic | $4-7 per user/month | Automated workflows, electronic document management, and self-service portals |
| Standard | $8-15 per user/month | Customizable onboarding checklists, e-signature capability, and integration with HR systems |
| Premium | $16-30 per user/month | Advanced analytics and reporting, training and development tools, and performance tracking |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Custom integrations, advanced security features, dedicated support, and unlimited access |
When considering which plan to choose, it's essential to assess not only the immediate needs of your organization but also future requirements as you scale. Start with a plan that meets your current demands while keeping an eye on features that will support your growth. Remember, the best choice balances functionality, scalability, and cost.
While it's understandable that you may want to start with a free or basic plan initially, there are several reasons why you may want to opt for a more advanced plan, including:
- Enhanced Features: Basic plans often lack advanced features like e-signature capabilities, integrations with other HR systems, and advanced reporting. By upgrading your plan, you'll gain additional tools to help you streamline and optimize your onboarding process.
- Improved Compliance Management: Advanced plans offer more robust compliance tracking and documentation features, including automated reminders, to reduce any risk of non-compliance — definitely worth paying for.
- Customization: Basic plans often come with limited customization options. Upgrading allows you to tailor the onboarding process to fit your company's specific needs and culture. Higher-priced plans are also more likely to offer the option to incorporate your corporate branding materials into the user interface to create a more cohesive experience for your new employees.
- Integration Capabilities: If the free or basic plan doesn't integrate with the software your company uses, it makes sense to switch to a better plan. By connecting your onboarding software with your other key systems — such as your HRIS, training management, or safety management software — you'll improve your data management practices by removing manual data entry requirements.
- Support and Training: Advanced plans offer better customer support and additional training resources. If your onboarding process is complex and you need more help troubleshooting issues or creating workflows according to your needs, you may want to invest in a better plan with more robust support.
Ultimately, it's important to secure a plan that offers the features you require to satisfy your current needs and solve your challenges without exceeding your budget.
Onboarding Software: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions you may have about HR onboarding software and how it can help you create a positive employee experience for your new hires:
What is onboarding?
Onboarding is the process of bringing new employees up-to-speed as they get settled into their new roles with your company. This includes everything from meeting the team, accessing and learning the company’s technology, understanding their roles and responsibilities, completing any required internal or health & safety training, and more.
The onboarding timeframe can last anywhere from one day to one year, depending on the role. However, it is most commonly completed within 2 to 4 weeks. Even though it does cost time and resources to properly onboard new hires, it’s well worth the investment. Research has shown that a good onboarding experience can increase employee retention by up to 82% and productivity by 70%.
Why is onboarding important?
A well-designed and thoughtful onboarding process is important because it has lasting impacts on the way your new hires will feel towards your company. They’ll form their first impression quickly, and many research studies have shown the positive impacts a proper onboarding program can have.
Here are some key statistics to help me make my point:
- Employees who undergo extensive onboarding programs will become competent in their roles 34 times faster than colleagues with limited onboarding experiences.
- 92% of new employees credit an effective onboarding program to feeling productive and valued within their first month in a new role.
- Employee who participated in a structured and engaging onboarding program are 69% more likely to remain with a company for three years or longer.
- Other research has shown that positive onboarding processes can improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by 70%.
- Meanwhile, a poor onboarding experience makes an employee twice as likely to search for a new position.
I could go on and on (believe me), but I think you get my point. If you’re struggling with your employee retention, improving your onboarding experience could be a key piece in your puzzle. And, with the help of onboarding software, you’ll soon be welcoming your future new hires like a pro.
How long does onboarding take?
Employee onboarding generally takes between 2 weeks up to 6 months or even a year. It ultimately depends on factors like the role the employee is starting, the complexity of your business, the employee’s background and experience, and more. According to Gallup, it takes around 12 months for new hires to fully perform in their role.
The truth is, new employees continue to learn and adapt to your workplace over time. So encouraging employees to be learners from their first day onward is a key to their successful onboarding at your organization.
What are the phases of onboarding?
Generally there are considered to be 4 distinct phases of new employee onboarding. Here’s each one, and what it means:
- Pre-onboarding (or ‘preboarding‘): Preparing for your new hire to join the team. For example, getting their accounts and equipment set up, putting together a checklist or schedule for them, and getting documentation ready and completed.
- Onboarding: The period of time specifically set aside for a new employee to get their footing. This usually includes meet and greets; accessing technology; learning about the company’s mission, vision, and values; and gaining a deeper understanding of their role.
- Training: Once an employee is settled in, they’re ready for job-specific learning. This might include hands-on training, shadowing a peer, or working through a modular training program virtually or in-person.
- Transitioning: This is the phase where a new hire begins to embody their role. They’re ready to take on more complex tasks and managers can take a more hands-off approach. At this phase, an employee is an established member of the team and contributing consistent value in their day-to-day.
Are there different types of onboarding software?
There certainly are different subsets of onboarding software, and I’ve taken care to give you a blend of options within this list. The three main types of HR onboarding software are as follows:
- An integrated onboarding module or workflow that is part of a larger HR management system (e.g., a human resources information system [HRIS], human capital management [HCM] system, or human resource management system [HRMS])
- A software solution focused on employee training and learning & development (a great choice for onboarding processes that are very training-heavy, such as for safety-sensitive positions)
- A standalone workflow or task management software that functions as a virtual checklist for onboarding tasks (a great choice for small businesses wanting to improve their onboarding process without a large financial investment)
- While change management software is typically associated with managing organizational changes and transitions, it can also support the onboarding of new employees or team members
The best choice for you will depend on the nature of your business and the depth of your new hire orientation requirements.
Are there any free employee onboarding software systems?
Free-forever software is hard to come by, and I have to say, anything completely free isn’t going to offer you the benefits of the paid plans described above. However, if you really can’t afford to invest in HR onboarding software just yet, you can make improvements to your onboarding process using the tools you have.
In a previous role, I completely overhauled my company’s orientation process using a combination of onboarding checklists in Word and PDF documents, with hyperlinks to the employee training resources each person needed to complete. Once the documents came back to me, I updated the information in a massive Excel spreadsheet with formulas incorporated to help me track our training compliance.
Even though this got the job done, I had no way of monitoring where staff were in their onboarding tasks, and no means of automating reminders or collecting electronic signatures either. Instead, I had to send out individual emails to remind staff to return their forms to me. I would have absolutely preferred to have used one of the onboarding software systems mentioned above as it would have saved me countless hours of menial admin work!
If you’re in a similar situation, take a look at our Free New Hire Checklist Template for Employers to help you get started.
How do I onboard remote employees?
New hire onboarding can be tricky even when they’re in the office, surrounded by their new team members and peers. You want your new recruit to feel welcomed and prepared for their first day, and that can be tricky when they’re on the other side of a screen. Here are some tips to get remote employee onboarding right:
- Outline an onboarding workflow that’s specifically designed for remote employees. Include things like getting access to accounts, reading the employee handbook, and virtual meet and greets with team members.
- Give your new employee a list of all the SaaS tools and apps they’ll be using in their day-to-day. This includes project management software, time tracking apps, performance management tools, HR platforms, and communication software.
- Create interactive experiences for new hires. It could be fun quizzes about the company, a scavenger hunt to help them tick off their onboarding checklist, or social training through a learning management system (LMS).
- Keep a record for every new employee that includes their background check, offer letter, personal information, and other important paperwork. You might be able to do this with your applicant tracking system or onboarding platform.
How can you digitize and automate HR onboarding?
Today, making use of technology is a natural part of all stages of the employee lifecycle. Companies in all industries are seeking out ways of digitizing their processes and alleviating manual workloads. And this goes just as much for onboarding new employees as anything else.
Many of the HR onboarding software on this list have features and functionalities that help you digitize and automate your onboarding process. Here are some of the ways you can use technology to your advantage for employee onboarding:
- Digitizing documents like contracts and policies and using e-signatures.
- Using an employee database to manage contact and other important information.
- Creating virtual calendars for new hires to manage their tasks with.
- Giving new employees a digital checklist of items to complete in their first 30, 60, and 90 days.
- Providing a digital org chart that employees can easily refer to.
- Setting up automatic notifications for when onboarding tasks are completed, or when they need attention.
- Creating an automated workflow to streamline the onboarding process.
What is offboarding?
Offboarding covers the very end of the employee lifecycle. It’s the phase where an employee has decided to leave the company and you offboard them from your payroll and other related systems. While it follows a different process then onboarding, it’s actually just an altered workflow within the same type of system — either dedicated onboarding/offboarding software, or a module within an HR management system.
I’ve personally offboarded hundreds of employees myself. If you need extra help with your offboarding process, I’ve got several resources to help you. Here are my tips for how to nail your offboarding process, plus tips on how to conduct a proper exit interview with your departing staff.
What security features do these onboarding platforms offer?
Since onboarding platforms are designed to collect sensitive employee data, they need to have robust security and data protection mechanisms in place. They commonly offer features like end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and compliance with global data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA). These measures ensure that personal and financial information is stored and transmitted securely, minimizing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.
What is the typical learning curve for onboarding software?
The learning curve for new users can vary widely between onboarding systems. Solutions designed with user-friendliness in mind typically offer intuitive interfaces, comprehensive onboarding tutorials, and responsive customer support to facilitate a smoother transition. However, more complex systems with extensive customization options might require additional training. Choosing a system that aligns with the technical proficiency of your HR team and employees is essential.
Do onboarding solutions offer analytics or reporting features?
Yes, many onboarding solutions provide analytics and reporting features to help HR teams monitor the effectiveness of their onboarding processes. This includes tracking metrics such as time-to-productivity, completion rates of onboarding tasks, and new hire satisfaction levels. This data is crucial for identifying bottlenecks and areas for improvement in the onboarding experience.
Other Resources to Create a Top-Notch Onboarding Experience
Wondering what else you can do to create a better onboarding experience for your new staff? Don't sweat, we've got you covered! Here are a few other articles that will help you get the most out of your onboarding process:
- Top 8 Employee Onboarding Best Practices
- Ultimate New Hire Checklist: 10 Steps To Start Onboarding!
- The Case For A New Employee Handbook (And What To Include)
- How to Onboard the Right Way in a Remote Workplace, a podcast with Jordan Boogaard from EddyHR
- How to Improve the Onboarding Process Through Storytelling, a podcast with Jerome Deroy from Narativ
Final Thoughts
This list contains a number of software types you can use to onboard new hires. Whether you're a small business or a Fortune 500 company, I'm confident something here will work for you.
Looking for more insight into the world of onboarding and the employee experience? Be sure to sign up for our weekly People Managing People newsletter too.