Don’t Just Onboard, Give People a Reason to Stay

When I spoke with Kristaps Vergins from Ervy about onboarding, his first point was simple: “Good onboarding improves retention, but only if it’s done right.”

We didn’t talk about theory for long. He’s seen first-hand how well-structured onboarding can help people ramp faster, stay longer, and feel more connected and how a bad first week can make them leave just as quickly.

Below are Kristaps’ top recommendations for making onboarding truly work.

1. Treat recruitment and onboarding as one journey

"Recruiting works so hard to sell the mission, the culture, the role and then onboarding drops the ball with a generic experience," Kristaps explained.

At Tech Recruitment we strongly believe that if you’re a recruiter or HR professional, the process doesn’t end once the offer is signed. Here’s what we recommend:

• Keep candidates engaged before day one. While they’re finishing their previous role, maintain communication, outline the steps ahead, and make them feel part of the team already.
  
  
• Set up check-ins during the first month. Weekly follow-ups help answer questions, address early challenges, and show support.
  
  
• Ensure role clarity. Hiring managers should share clear short-term goals and expectations right away.
  
  
• Ask for feedback early. Invite honest input on the onboarding process and fix issues immediately.

As Kristaps added, “If you want to automate parts of this and save time, that’s where Ervy can help”.

2. Focus on clarity, not checklists

Too many companies hand over endless documents, scattered links, and outdated PDFs, expecting new hires to figure it out.

"That first week sets the tone," Kristaps said. "If it feels disorganized, that’s how people will start to see your company."

Instead of overwhelming people on day one, give them the right information at the right time. Make sure each step builds on the last so they feel progress, not confusion.

3. Build connection, not just compliance

People don’t stay because they’ve read a policy document, they stay because they feel they belong.

Ervy includes social learning features like challenges, leaderboards, and shared activities that make the first week interactive and human. “That connection is what brings the experience to life,” Kristaps noted.

4. Personalize the experience

One-size-fits-all onboarding doesn’t work, especially in high-growth companies. AI can now tailor learning paths based on a person’s role, goals, and prior knowledge, ensuring everyone gets what they actually need.

"In the end, people won’t remember every module," Kristaps concluded. "They’ll remember how the first week felt and whether it made them feel like they belonged."

Onboarding isn’t just an HR task. Done well, it builds trust. Done poorly, it leaves new hires questioning their decision before they have even had a chance to contribute. The companies that get it right are the ones who see onboarding as more than a week of training. They see it as the start of a long-term relationship and they design it to make people want to stay.

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