The first 90 days determine whether someone stays

A standard orientation session provides new employees with information. An onboarding event gives them an experience. The difference is crucial. You forget information. You remember experiences.

At an onboarding event, connection is key. Connection to the organization—its culture, its values, its people. Connection to like-minded peers—other new employees going through the same experience. And connection to the future: what can I become here, what does the organization expect from me, and why would I want to spend my best years here?

That calls for a different format than a PowerPoint presentation in a conference room. It calls for a program full of energy, personal stories, interactive elements, and opportunities for informal interaction. An onboarding event is the start of a culture that keeps people engaged.

Read our article on employer branding events for a broader strategic perspective →

The venue for an onboarding event says something about the organization. An inspiring, modern venue says: we invest in our people. A cheap, run-of-the-mill room says the opposite. The choice makes a statement—even if the organizer doesn’t always realize it.

Choose a location that aligns with the organization’s culture and ambitions. A tech company with a casual culture will make different choices than a financial institution with a formal image. The location doesn’t have to be luxurious—but it must be a good fit.

Practical tip: Choose a location that’s easy to find for new employees who aren’t familiar with the area yet. Make sure the welcome immediately creates a warm atmosphere—a friendly face at the door, coffee ready, and name tags that offer a personal touch right away. The first five minutes set the tone for the rest of the day.

A good onboarding program has a clear structure: welcome, connection, content, and conclusion. Start with energy—not a dry corporate presentation, but a warm welcome that immediately conveys the organization’s atmosphere. Have a member of senior management share his or her personal story. That’s more effective than a corporate presentation.

Connection: Incorporate interactive elements that help new employees connect with one another. An icebreaker game, a group activity, or a breakout session for each team. People who work together get to know each other faster than those who simply sit next to one another.

Content: Provide insight into the organization’s culture, values, and expectations—not through a handbook, but through stories. When has the organization demonstrated its values? Who are the people behind the name? End on a high note: a moment of inspiration, a gift that reflects the culture, or an informal get-together where everyone can chat for a while.

The size of an onboarding event depends on the organization’s hiring volume. Small companies (up to 50 employees) sometimes organize a single large annual onboarding event. Medium-sized companies hold them quarterly, for all new employees hired that quarter. Large organizations with high hiring volumes work with monthly batches.

A group size of 10 to 40 people works best for an onboarding event. With fewer than 10 people, the group dynamics are lacking. With more than 50 people, it becomes harder to make personal connections. Whenever possible, mix participants from different departments and roles—diverse groups build internal networks more quickly.

Frequency: the more regular, the better. New employees who have to wait three months for an onboarding event will have already settled in (or left) by then. Organize it as soon as possible after the start date—ideally within the first two to four weeks.

Organizing an onboarding event in-house is possible—but it requires consistency and quality that can be difficult to maintain in practice when HR is busy. A set external program that you repeat every quarter, with a fixed structure but variable elements (a different speaker, a different team activity), yields the best results.

Live Impact helps organizations design a scalable onboarding event concept. We build the framework, fill in the variable elements, and ensure a consistent experience—whether it’s the fifth or the twentieth edition. This way, the welcoming experience becomes an integral part of the employer brand, not just a one-time gesture.

Learn more about boosting employee engagement through events →

You only get one chance to make a first impression. Make sure that impression is: I want to be here.

Send a briefing via live-impact.nl/briefing or contact us at live-impact.nl/contact. We’ll help you create an onboarding event that makes new employees feel right at home.

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