When new employees quit in the first few weeks, missing information is often to blame. Learn what data needs to be available and when — from preboarding to week four.
The employment contract is signed, and excitement is high. But on the first day of work, the laptop login doesn’t work, the assigned buddy is on vacation, and HR has to ask for the tax ID for the third time.
This kind of information chaos is not just unprofessional; it is risky. Nearly a third of new hires quit within their first two years, often because their integration into the daily workflow was poorly managed. When HR, IT, and managers work in data silos, the new employee feels the friction the most.
In this post, we explain what data absolutely must be available in each phase of the onboarding process to prevent frustration, and how to digitize the process in a structured way.
The biggest mistake in onboarding is not a lack of friendliness, but asynchronous communication. Data is often scattered: IT uses a ticketing system, HR maintains an Excel spreadsheet, and the manager relies on their email inbox.
When there is no “Single Source of Truth,” three things happen:
Successful onboarding is therefore always a well-orchestrated data workflow.
Preboarding covers the time between signing the contract and the first day of work. The goal here is to provide security and remove administrative hurdles before the stress of the first day begins.
In this phase, the following information must flow to the employee:
At the same time, HR must collect the following data from the employee:
When HR collects this data structurally via a software solution like Personalrampe, it flows directly and error-free into the digital personnel file.
The first day of work should be dedicated to culture and getting to know the team, not filling out forms. For this to work, certain data and approvals must have already been orchestrated in the background.
For a smooth start, the following points must be resolved:
The secret here is that the manager should not have to figure out what the new colleague should do on the morning of their first day. The context must be provided automatically.
A good onboarding process feeds the digital personnel file almost by itself — provided the process is digitized. By the end of the first week, the following documents should be securely stored:
If you use HR software, these documents are no longer manually emailed back and forth but are handled via digital workflows and e-signatures.
Modern HR software solves the information problem through automation. As soon as a candidate’s status changes to “Hired,” a workflow is triggered:
This creates a “Single Source of Truth.” Everyone involved works from the same digital dataset, and HR shifts from being a “data chaser” to providing strategic guidance.
Onboarding without information chaos is not a coincidence; it is the result of structured data processes. Companies that manage to clear administrative data early (during preboarding) and automatically provide managers with the necessary context prevent early turnover and ensure new talent reaches full productivity quickly.
Say goodbye to Word document checklists and use the digital personnel file as the engine for smooth onboarding.
Preboarding is the phase between signing the contract and the first day of work, focusing on preparation and retention. Onboarding starts on the first day and focuses on professional and cultural integration.
The most important details are the schedule for the first day, organizational details (like dress code or parking), and a brief introduction to their future team.
By eliminating email chains and instead using centralized HR software where everyone involved (HR, IT, managers, the employee) works within a shared workflow.
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