Are you watching talented people walk out the door before they've truly settled in?
The average turnover rate for UK workers sits at 34%, with more than a quarter moving to new employers each year [1]. There’s a clear disconnect where companies invest thousands in recruiting the right people, only to rush onboarding or sideline retention altogether. The result? Turnover, disengagement, and wasted effort that costs far more than the initial hire.
Understanding how to retain employees starts the moment someone accepts your offer, not months down the line. In this blog, we break down the practical strategies that bridge onboarding and retention, helping you build teams that stick around and succeed. When retaining top talent becomes part of your culture from day one, everyone wins.
Preboarding isn't a nice-to-have anymore; it's one of those essential onboarding best practices that set the tone for everything that follows. Over a quarter of UK employers have experienced new starters failing to show up on their first day, often because there was radio silence between offer acceptance and start date [2].
Send welcome emails that outline what to expect and prepare welcome packs with company swag, login details, and a clear first-week agenda. Also, set up their workspace, technology, and accounts before they arrive, as these actions signal that you're ready for them and that they're joining an organised, professional team.
Wondering how to retain employees? Start by making them feel expected, valued, and prepared from the moment they say yes. Poor preboarding creates doubt; great preboarding builds confidence and commitment.
The first week is your chance to either cement excitement or trigger regret, and it directly influences your new hire onboarding process success. Research shows that over half of UK office workers are dissatisfied with their onboarding, citing a lack of structure, confusion about tasks, and role mismatches [3].
A structured schedule beats winging it every time, so map out introductions with key team members, set clear short-term goals, and provide consistent support. Assign a buddy or mentor who can answer questions, reduce isolation, and help them navigate unwritten rules.
You’re not just ticking boxes; the purpose of satisfying onboarding best practices is to accelerate integration and performance. Remember that when you nail the first week, you're laying the foundation for strong onboarding and retention outcomes that extend well beyond the probation period.
When considering how to retain employees, transparency goes a long way as ambiguity is the enemy of engagement, making it one of the biggest barriers to long-term retention. Don't assume new hires will "figure it out" through osmosis or observation. Be explicit about what success looks like in their role, what tools they'll use daily, and how the team operates.
Consider providing clarity on:
Managers must check in frequently during those critical early weeks, not just on day one. Regular touchpoints help surface confusion, provide reassurance, and build trust that keeps people engaged and committed.
Your company culture won't magically seep into new employees through the office walls or Slack channels. Integrating new employees requires deliberate effort, transparency, and consistency. Be explicit about your values, ways of working, tone, and rituals from the outset, and show them how things really get done, not just what's written in the handbook.
Onboarding best practices include pairing cultural messaging with visible behaviour; if collaboration is a value, demonstrate it through cross-team introductions and joint projects early on. If transparency matters, involve new hires in relevant meetings and decisions from week one.
These employee retention strategies don't just help people fit in faster; they help them feel aligned with your mission and motivated to contribute. Culture isn't something people absorb; it's something you actively teach and model every single day.
One of the most underused onboarding best practices is asking new hires how the process is actually going for them. Regular check-ins at the 30-, 60-, and 90-day mark provide structured opportunities to address concerns, celebrate progress, and refine your approach.
These aren't just about assessing their performance; they're about improving employee experience in real time. Ask what's working, what's confusing, and what would make their integration smoother. When you act on their feedback, you signal that their opinion matters and that you're committed to continuous improvement.
This two-way dialogue is critical for those wondering how to retain employees, because it builds trust, surfaces issues before they become resignation triggers, and creates a culture where people feel heard. Exit interviews come far too late; stay interviews and early feedback loops are where real retention happens.
Retention doesn't start when someone's been with you for a year; it starts on day one. The answer to how to retain employees effectively boils down to thinking beyond onboarding checklists and into long-term development.
Discuss growth paths, training opportunities, and career progression early in their tenure, and recognise wins frequently, even small ones, to reinforce that their contributions are noticed and valued.
Employee retention strategies that work are built on purpose, not just perks. People don't stay because there's free coffee or a ping pong table; they stay because they see a future, feel challenged, and believe their work matters.
Onboarding and retention are two sides of the same coin. When you invest in development plans from the start and show genuine interest in their aspirations, you're not just filling a role; you're building lasting partnerships that drive your business forward.
Even with strong onboarding, some new hires will struggle, disengage, or consider leaving. The key to retaining top talent is spotting the red flags early and addressing them proactively. Disengagement, increased absenteeism, or unusual silence in meetings can all signal that something's off, so train your managers to notice these shifts and respond with empathy and action.
Consider watching for:
Don't wait for exit interviews to learn what went wrong. Use stay interviews to understand how to retain employees before they start looking elsewhere. These conversations uncover what's working, what's not, and what would make them more committed to staying and succeeding with you.
Onboarding isn't admin; it's strategy. Retention doesn't come from perks; it comes from purpose, support, and consistent experience that makes people feel valued from the start. At Arden White, we specialise in connecting world-class candidates with world-leading organisations, and we understand that hiring is only half the equation.
Our team combines over 50 years of direct engineering experience with over 75 years of recruitment expertise, giving us unique insight into what makes people stay. If you want to build teams that thrive and reduce costly turnover, onboarding and retention must work hand in hand.
If you’re committed to strengthening your approach, call us on +44 (0) 1202 862777 or complete our contact form to discuss how our personalised recruitment services can support your long-term success.
[2] + [3] https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/over-half-of-employees-are-dissatisfied-with-onboarding
