Hooked From Day One: Building an Onboarding Experience That Drives Connection and Retention

Consider this scenario: After months of job searching and interviewing, Danielle found the job — her dream job. For a few weeks now, she has been in touch with the recruiter, but suddenly, it is the Sunday before her first day. Pre-occupied with wrapping up her previous job on Friday and with personal responsibilities on Saturday, she is just now starting to think about her first day on the new job.

Danielle starts to create a list in her head of all the unknowns:

Where am I going because I haven’t heard from the manager? Will orientation be on day 1 or week 2? Do I need to bring my lunch? What shall I wear? Did they email but maybe it went to my junk?

As the list grows, her heart rate increases and the anxiety surges. Prior to day one, the Sunday Scaries have officially set in and Danielle is already doubting her decision due to the institution’s lack of communication.

What’s at Play?

We have heard it before: “Employees leave because of managers.” We also know pay is often a factor in separations. We were taught at a young age that first impressions matter, so have you considered that employees may leave due to a poor experience? Let’s break it down…

Rethinking the Onboarding Experience

According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), onboarding can last for 12 months. It’s often confused with orientation (a one- or two-day training when employees begin the job). So, the question becomes: How do you hook employees from the beginning to support retention and a positive experience?

Sophia Petrillo told us in Golden Girls, “picture this…,” so picture this alternate scenario for Danielle: Immediately upon accepting the job, she received a welcome message from the Employee Experience team. The team is excited for her to start and invites her to complete a survey. The email includes zero information about policies and processes but instead focuses on information that will help the team get to know the new member. The survey collects information such as Danielle’s favorite items, recognition preference, dietary restrictions, interests in the employee resource groups, and professional development — all questions that can support building connections with the team.

Leading up to the first week, Danielle received an outline about her first day, where to park, who she should expect to meet, and most importantly, what is for lunch. Sharing this information in advance can prevent the Sunday Scaries and ensures that the institution, not the new hire, is leading the onboarding process.

The Hooked Cycle

To support this work, I developed a framework I call The Hooked Cycle. Designed to support connection-building and a positive employee experience, The Hooked Cycle begins with Ask, moves to Act, then finishes with Appreciate.

Ask

Ask employees what they need instead of assuming, or truthfully, waiting for them to ask. Employers should be utilizing surveys, polls, and stay interviews, as well as asking questions in 1:1 meetings. A powerful question every Monday morning, such as “how was your weekend?” can support a positive employee experience.

Act

The second piece of the cycle is Act. Employee experience dies when employees share feedback and never see change. You can ask, collect, and track as much as you want, but if you are not acting on the data, you are wasting your time.

When new hires share information in an onboarding survey, employers should do more than compile and store the information in an Excel sheet. I challenge HR to share this information with the hiring manager, team members, office suite mates, mentors, and most importantly, showcase it for the employee to see you also utilized it.

Acting on feedback isn’t always about large-scale changes — it can also mean using personal insights to build connection. For example, information gathered through onboarding — such as interests, preferences, or working styles — can be used to create an “About Me” card. Displaying this card outside of their workspace can further deepen connections. The About Me card allows employees to learn about the new hire prior to even asking or being forced to create small talk.

Appreciate

Last is the Appreciate piece of The Hooked Cycle. Respecting your employees means you appreciate them and vice versa. We can collect data and analyze the results, but once we act, we cannot forget to appreciate those providing insight into their experience. A simple way of doing so is expressing gratitude to employees who complete the onboarding survey and clearly explaining next steps. If the survey includes information related to their favorite snack or item, consider buying it and placing it on their desk for their first day along with a welcome card expressing your excitement. Although nonverbal, this gesture reinforces your message through action, shows appreciation, and creates a meaningful emotional connection. All of these actions are simple but can have a powerful impact on the employee experience.

Building a Culture of Belonging and Retention

Based on the 2025 CUPA-HR Retention Survey data, people want to feel recognized and connected to work. It is one of the leading reasons employees leave, aside from pay. This is a shift from considering people leaving due to their manager. If the data is shifting, so should your employee experience plan. Simple, micro-actions result in micro-culture moments that can build a place of connection, and as a result, people stay. You can utilize The Hooked Cycle to support that change.

According to Adam Grant, organizational psychologist at The Wharton School, “The strongest predictor of engagement isn’t satisfaction, it’s whether people feel they belong.” Foster a sense of belonging among your employees, new hires, candidates, and, of course, students, but be intentional about when that effort begins. It should start prior to day one. In the wise words of Brene Brown, “Connection is why we are here: it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.”