How company culture influences onboarding

How company culture influences onboarding

The first day at work. A new face at the coffee machine. A fresh perspective on existing processes. For many organizations, the arrival of new employees is a moment of energy and renewal. But what determines whether that energy translates into long-term engagement and performance? The answer lies deeper than a well-designed onboarding program. Company culture, that often intangible mix of values, behavior, and unwritten rules, guides the onboarding experience from the first minute. And that influence is measurable: organizations that place culture at the center of their onboarding see retention improve by 82% and productivity increase by more than 70%. Yet culture remains a side issue in many onboarding programs. A slide in the welcome presentation, a paragraph in the employee handbook. While it’s precisely that culture that determines whether new employees feel at home, understand the core values, and quickly become productive.

Why culture makes the difference in the first weeks

New employees form their impression of an organization incredibly quickly. Research shows that the first impression crystallizes within a few days, often before the formal onboarding program has properly begun. That first impression is not determined by what’s in the welcome package, but by what employees experience. Is time made for them? Do they feel welcome at lunch? Do they dare to ask questions? These are all expressions of company culture that directly influence how quickly someone feels connected. A strong company culture creates psychological safety from day one. New employees feel they can make mistakes, ask questions, and be themselves. That safety is essential for learning and development. Without that foundation, people remain cautious, hesitant, and less productive. Organizations with a consciously shaped culture integrate these values directly into the onboarding process. They don’t just show what the culture is, but let new employees experience it. That makes the difference between knowing and feeling.

The four pillars of culture-driven onboarding

Successful onboarding rests on four foundations, often referred to as the four C’s: Compliance, Clarification, Culture, and Connection. Each element plays a role, but culture and connection determine whether someone stays and grows. Compliance is about the formal side: contracts, safety regulations, systems. Clarification clarifies the role, expectations, and goals. These two are necessary but not sufficient. They ensure someone can function, but not that someone wants to stay. Culture brings new employees into contact with the values, norms, and behaviors that shape the organization. This doesn’t happen through a presentation, but through stories, examples, and daily interactions. When a manager takes time for a personal conversation, when colleagues spontaneously offer help, when mistakes are seen as learning moments, then culture becomes tangible. Connection is about relationships. Research shows that new employees who build strong work relationships within the first months stay significantly longer and are more engaged. A culture that values collaboration creates natural moments for those connections. Think of team lunches, introductory conversations, or a buddy system that goes beyond just answering practical questions.

What a strong company culture concretely delivers

The impact of a good company culture extends beyond a pleasant work atmosphere. It directly influences the business outcomes that HR professionals and executives care about. Retention improves dramatically when culture and onboarding align. Employees who feel from the beginning that they fit with the organization leave less quickly. This not only saves recruitment costs but also retains valuable knowledge and continuity in teams. Productivity increases because new employees understand more quickly how things work. Not just the formal processes, but also the informal ones: who can you turn to for which question, how are decisions made, what is acceptable and what isn’t. This cultural knowledge significantly accelerates time-to-productivity. Employee engagement benefits enormously from a strong cultural foundation. Employees who share the organization’s values and feel connected to colleagues are more motivated and engaged. They think along, take initiative, and contribute to innovation. Employer brand gets a boost when new employees share positive experiences. In times of labor market scarcity, this is worth its weight in gold. Satisfied employees are the best ambassadors for your organization.

Factors that shape your company culture

Company culture doesn’t emerge spontaneously and isn’t static either. Various factors determine how culture develops and how strong it is. Leadership comes first. The values and behavior of leaders set the tone for the entire organization. If leaders say that feedback is important but never ask for feedback themselves, that becomes the real culture. New employees pick up these signals incredibly quickly. Communication forms the veins of your culture. How is communication conducted, both formally and informally? Is communication transparent or closed? Are employees informed or involved? These patterns determine whether people feel heard and valued. Structure and processes reflect cultural priorities. An organization that preaches innovation but has bureaucratic processes sends contradictory signals. The way work is organized says more about the culture than any mission statement. Recognition and appreciation show what the organization truly values. Are only results rewarded or also behavior and collaboration? Do people get recognition for helping colleagues? These signals shape culture just as strongly as formal policy. Diversity and inclusion determine whether everyone feels welcome. A culture that values different perspectives not only attracts diverse talent but also retains it. For new employees, this is immediately visible in who’s at the table and whose voice is heard.

Making culture measurable during onboarding

Many organizations struggle with making culture tangible. How do you know if new employees understand and embrace the culture? How do you measure whether your onboarding is culturally effective? Employee surveys are a powerful tool to make this visible. By asking targeted questions at fixed moments during onboarding, you gain insight into how new employees experience the culture. Do they feel welcome? Do they understand the values? Do they experience psychological safety? At Deepler, we see that organizations that conduct these measurements structurally can adjust much more quickly. If it turns out that new employees don’t yet dare to speak up in week two, you can take immediate action. This prevents people from walking around for months with questions or doubts. The power lies in the combination of quantitative and qualitative data. Scores provide direction, but the stories behind them provide context. Why does someone feel at home or not? What makes someone understand the values or not? These insights are invaluable for refining your onboarding. Regular measurements also create a culture of continuous improvement. The signal to new employees is clear: your opinion matters, we want to learn and improve. That in itself is already a powerful cultural message.

From insight to action: strengthening culture in your onboarding

The question is not whether culture is important for onboarding, but how you concretely shape this. A number of practical steps help to make culture more central in your onboarding process. Start with the basics: make explicit which culture you want to convey. What are the core values? How do they manifest in daily behavior? Ensure that your onboarding team and managers can clearly articulate this and, above all, demonstrate it. Integrate culture into every touchpoint. From the first recruitment interview to the evaluation meeting after three months. Let candidates experience how you work during the application process. In the first week, discuss not only what someone needs to do, but also how you do things and why. Create space for connection. Ensure that new employees get to know different people, not just their immediate team. Organize informal moments where culture naturally comes to the fore. Think of team lunches, coffee moments, or brief introductory conversations with colleagues from other departments. Make managers owners of cultural onboarding. They are the most important role models and culture carriers. Train them in how they can convey and discuss culture. Give them time and tools to do this well. Measure and improve continuously. Use employee surveys to check how new employees experience the culture. Analyze the data, discuss the insights, and adjust your approach. Make this a cyclical process, not a one-time action.

The investment that pays for itself

Culture-driven onboarding requires investment. Time from managers, attention from colleagues, structural follow-up. But that investment pays for itself many times over. Organizations that take culture seriously in their onboarding see new employees become productive faster, stay longer, and contribute more. They build teams that don’t just function but flourish. They create an environment where people want to work and stay. The question is not whether you can afford to invest in culture-driven onboarding. The question is whether you can afford not to. In a labor market where talent is scarce and expectations are high, culture makes the difference between employees who stay and grow, and employees who leave again after a year. Start by measuring where you stand now. Ask new employees how they experience the culture. Analyze where the gaps are between what you want to project and what people actually experience. Those insights form the basis for targeted improvements that truly impact your organization.