Borrow a word from dating culture, and employee onboarding suddenly makes a lot more sense. An “ick” is that instant, gut-level turn-off, the small moment that quietly kills the spark before anyone says a word. New hires can experience the same thing during their first weeks at work. In fact, the onboarding icks they encounter are surprisingly consistent across industries.
Only 12% of employees believe their organisations excel at onboarding, according to Gallup. At the same time, organisations with effective onboarding can improve retention by 82%. That gap is not necessarily about effort. Most HR teams work hard to create a positive onboarding process. Instead, the problem often comes down to a handful of repeated mistakes that quietly undermine all that effort.
So, what are the biggest onboarding icks new hires experience? More importantly, what do these moments tell you about the employee experience your organisation is actually delivering?
Ick #1: The Day-One Information Dump
Nothing kills early enthusiasm faster than eight straight hours of policy explanations, system logins, compliance videos and administrative paperwork. New employees have a lot to learn, but giving them everything at once does not necessarily help them understand their new workplace.
Instead, information overload can make the first day feel exhausting. By lunchtime, a new hire may struggle to remember the benefits deadline they were told about that morning, the name of the person they should contact for IT support or even where to find an important document.
The problem is not the information itself. Rather, it is the assumption that cramming information into the first day equals effective employee onboarding.
A better approach is to spread information across the first few weeks. Introduce the most important policies and systems first, then provide additional information as the employee becomes more familiar with the organisation. This makes the onboarding process easier to understand and gives new hires time to absorb what they actually need.
Ick #2: Radio Silence Between the Offer and Start Date
The period between accepting a job offer and arriving for the first day should build excitement. Unfortunately, many organisations allow this period to become completely silent.
A new employee accepts the offer, says goodbye to their previous workplace and then hears almost nothing from their new employer until the first day. That silence can create unnecessary uncertainty. The candidate may start wondering whether they made the right decision or whether the organisation is as welcoming as it appeared during the recruitment process.
Preboarding communication can make a significant difference. A simple welcome email, a message from the hiring manager or information about what to expect on the first day can help maintain the connection.
In other words, new hire onboarding should begin before the employee walks through the door. Keeping communication open between offer acceptance and the start date helps new employees feel expected, valued and prepared.
Ick #3: Nobody Was Actually Ready for Them
The laptop has not arrived. The workspace is not ready. Nobody told reception that a new employee was starting. Meanwhile, the manager is stuck in back-to-back meetings and only manages a rushed greeting before disappearing for the rest of the day.
This onboarding ick can be particularly damaging because the message is difficult to miss: nobody planned for the new hire’s arrival.
After weeks of interviews and recruitment conversations, an employee expects their first day to feel organised. When basic preparations are missing, that excitement can quickly disappear.
Fortunately, this problem is relatively easy to fix. Before a new employee arrives, HR and the hiring manager should confirm that equipment is ready, access has been created, relevant colleagues have been informed and the manager has dedicated time for the new hire.
These simple preparations communicate something that even the most impressive onboarding presentation cannot: we were expecting you, and your arrival matters to us.
Ick #4: Outdated or Contradictory Information
Few things erode trust faster than receiving information that does not match reality.
Imagine a new employee reading an employee handbook that describes a policy nobody follows anymore. The next day, they ask a colleague about the same policy and receive a completely different answer. Suddenly, the new hire has no idea which information they can trust.
This is one of the most frustrating onboarding icks because new employees are already trying to understand how things work. Outdated documents and contradictory instructions only make that learning curve harder.
The solution is to regularly review onboarding materials. Employee handbooks, HR policies, training documents, benefits information and internal resources should reflect the way the organisation actually operates.
Consistency matters because the onboarding experience is also a trust-building exercise. When employees receive accurate and consistent information, they can focus on learning their role instead of trying to work out which version of the company’s rules is correct.
Ick #5: Treating Onboarding Like a One-Week Event
Perhaps the biggest onboarding ick is treating onboarding as something that ends on Friday of the first week.
A welcome meeting, office tour, employee handbook and a few introductions may be enough to get someone started. However, they are not enough to help a new employee become fully comfortable and productive in a new organisation.
The first 30, 60 and 90 days are often when employees form much stronger opinions about their new workplace. They are learning their responsibilities, building relationships, understanding company culture and discovering whether the reality of the job matches what they were promised during recruitment.
That is why effective employee onboarding should continue beyond the first week.
Regular check-ins can help managers identify problems before they become reasons for an employee to leave. A structured 30-60-90 day onboarding plan can also give new hires clear expectations while providing opportunities to ask questions and receive feedback.
When support disappears after the first week, employees can easily feel that the organisation’s interest in them disappeared too.
Why These Onboarding Icks Cost More Than They Seem
These onboarding problems may appear small, but their impact can be significant. Poor communication, inadequate preparation, information overload and a lack of follow-up can all contribute to a disappointing employee experience.
Eventually, that experience can influence whether a new hire decides to stay.
Replacing an employee can cost a significant portion of their annual salary, depending on the role, industry and circumstances. Therefore, improving the onboarding process is not simply an HR exercise. It can also be an important employee retention strategy.
The good news is that organisations do not always need a bigger onboarding budget to solve these problems. They need a more intentional process.
Instead of overwhelming employees on day one, spread information across their first few weeks. Instead of disappearing after the offer is accepted, maintain communication. Instead of waiting until the first morning to prepare, make sure everything is ready beforehand. Instead of relying on old documents, review onboarding materials regularly. Most importantly, continue supporting employees after their first week.
Why Onboarding Matters for African Employers
For employers in Kenya, Nigeria and other rapidly growing African markets, the quality of the employee experience is becoming increasingly important.
Competition for skilled professionals continues to grow, while employees have more opportunities to compare employers, workplace cultures and career experiences. A poor onboarding experience can therefore affect more than one employee. In tightly connected professional networks, workplace experiences can travel quickly through conversations and professional communities.
On the other hand, organisations that create a thoughtful new hire onboarding experience can build stronger relationships from the beginning. When employees feel welcomed, prepared and supported, they have a stronger foundation for engagement and long-term performance.
For African employers looking to attract and retain talent, onboarding should therefore be treated as part of the wider employee experience rather than a simple administrative process.
How Bliss HR Africa Can Help Fix Your Onboarding Icks
At Bliss HR Africa, we help organisations create structured onboarding experiences that support employees from offer acceptance through their first 90 days.
That can include developing preboarding communication, creating structured 30-60-90 day onboarding journeys, reviewing onboarding documentation and helping HR teams build a more consistent experience for new employees.
Effective onboarding is not about overwhelming new hires with more information or adding unnecessary processes. Instead, it is about giving employees the right information, support and communication at the right time.
When organisations get those basics right, the first few months can become more than an introduction to a new job. They can become the foundation for stronger engagement, better performance and longer employee retention.
Want to turn your onboarding process into an experience new hires actually appreciate? Talk to Bliss HR Africa about improving your employee onboarding journey from offer acceptance through the first 90 days.
Final Thoughts
Every organisation has an onboarding process, but not every organisation creates a great onboarding experience.
The five onboarding icks are easy to recognise: overwhelming new hires with information, going silent after the offer, failing to prepare for their arrival, providing outdated information and ending onboarding too soon.
The good news is that each problem can be fixed.
By creating a structured, consistent and supportive employee onboarding process, organisations can help new hires feel welcome from day one and supported long after their first week. And when employees start their journey with confidence rather than uncertainty, everyone benefits.
