Inefficient onboarding is costing businesses time, money, and customers.
Here’s what you need to know:
The solution lies in identifying bottlenecks, prioritizing fixes, and implementing automation. By doing this, companies have achieved:
Automation improves accuracy, saves time, and enhances customer retention. This article explains how to map workflows, identify inefficiencies, and use automation tools to transform onboarding into a smoother, faster process while boosting results.
Pinpointing bottlenecks in your onboarding process requires a mix of data analysis and firsthand observations. This step is critical for identifying the root causes slowing things down, setting the stage for targeted improvements through automation.
Onboarding bottlenecks can often go unnoticed until they start causing delays or frustration. Richard Thoeny, VP of Product Management at Docupace, explains:
"One of the biggest signs that your onboarding process isn't effective is that it takes too long or often hits delays. Bottlenecks or extra steps can create frustration and hurt a new client's first impression of their advisor."
Here are some common red flags to watch for:
The stakes are high - poor onboarding is responsible for 52% of customers leaving within their first 90 days.
Mapping out your onboarding process can bring hidden inefficiencies to light. Thomas Kohlenbach, Senior Product Specialist at Nintex, emphasizes the importance of this approach:
"Process mapping keeps you agile in the fast-moving world."
Visualizing workflows helps simplify complex processes and makes bottlenecks easier to spot. In fact, 69% of HR professionals believe process mapping significantly boosts clarity and efficiency.
Start by collaborating with the employees directly involved in onboarding. Together, outline every step from the first customer interaction to full activation. Include details like task responsibilities, expected durations, and handoffs between team members.
Pay close attention to points of delay, unnecessary waiting times, or redundant steps. For example, a finance team discovered their supplier invoice payments required three separate approvals. By cutting it down to one approval, they sped up the process dramatically.
Pair your visual map with analytics - such as cycle times, error rates, and completion rates - to identify where breakdowns occur. This combination of mapping and data will help you zero in on the most critical issues affecting your onboarding.
Once you've identified bottlenecks, the next step is prioritizing them. Not all bottlenecks are equally urgent, and focusing on the most impactful ones ensures your resources are used wisely.
Start by evaluating how each bottleneck affects the customer experience. Delays that slow time-to-value, pose compliance risks, or block access to essential features are often the most pressing. Also, prioritize issues that affect a majority of onboarding cases over isolated problems.
The data underscores why this matters: 31% of employees have quit within six months due to poor onboarding, and 80% of undertrained hires plan to leave their employers. As the Harvard Business Review points out:
"Failure to onboard correctly can result in difficulty motivating the new employee and, in the worst-case scenario, seeing them decide not to stay."
Finally, weigh the effort required for each fix. Start with quick, low-cost adjustments before tackling more resource-intensive changes. Companies with well-structured onboarding processes see 62% higher productivity among new hires and 50% better retention rates. Addressing these bottlenecks doesn’t just smooth the process - it delivers measurable benefits for your business.
Once you’ve identified the bottlenecks in your process, the next step is to use automation to address these inefficiencies. The key is to focus on specific pain points and ensure the automation integrates smoothly with your existing systems. Moving from identifying problems to implementing targeted automation can significantly improve your onboarding process.
To successfully automate, start with a solid plan and involve key stakeholders. Review your onboarding workflow to pinpoint tasks that are ideal for automation. Take the example of an international hotel group managing 50 properties. In early 2024, they faced several hurdles: manual data entry across multiple systems, reliance on paper documents, and a lengthy 21-day onboarding process. Their planning process brought together IT, HR, and department heads to identify three areas for automation: document management, form processing, and approval workflows. They also realized the importance of API-based integrations to connect their various systems effectively.
To minimize risks, consider piloting the automation in one department or for a single role. Use an onboarding checklist to ensure a smooth rollout.
Bill Gates once said:
"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."
This quote highlights why it’s essential to optimize your processes before diving into automation.
Focus on tools that handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks effectively. Features like automated data entry, CRM updates, task notifications, and document processing can make an immediate difference. For instance, in the hotel group example, automating form processing reduced data entry errors, while streamlining approval workflows sped up decision-making.
When selecting an automation platform, evaluate factors such as user-friendliness, functionality, security, reporting capabilities, and scalability. Growth Process Automation, for example, offers solutions for automated data entry, CRM updates, customer onboarding workflows, and more, all aimed at improving efficiency and reducing errors. Before full deployment, a thorough testing phase is critical. The hotel group adopted a phased approach, blending automation with manual oversight to address integration challenges and ease the transition for experienced HR staff.
Integrating automation with your current tools is essential to minimize disruptions and encourage adoption. Many modern platforms can connect with popular tools like Slack, Airtable, and Webflow through no-code triggers and actions. For instance, updating a record in Airtable can automatically sync with Webflow to keep your online inventory accurate. IT teams can link Airtable databases with Webflow CMS, while marketing teams can transfer new Airtable entries directly into Webflow collections. Airtable’s integration with Slack can even send real-time updates whenever database changes occur.
The hotel group faced integration challenges with legacy systems in certain regions. They overcame these by creating custom adapters, using temporary middleware, and implementing a rules engine to handle location-specific workflow adjustments for regional compliance. Involving regional stakeholders early on was crucial to ensuring these solutions worked across different areas.
Platforms like Zapier offer connections to over 1,000 apps through APIs, enabling seamless automation across your tech stack. Similarly, Growth Process Automation integrates with tools like Slack, Airtable, and Webflow, helping you build a streamlined and efficient onboarding system.
Automation brought immediate, measurable improvements that highlight its impact across various areas.
The introduction of automation led to significant performance gains. For instance, XYZ Software achieved a 90% onboarding completion rate and a 75% satisfaction score after rolling out their automated onboarding system. This shift directly contributed to better retention rates. Research further supports this, showing that effective onboarding automation can improve user retention by 50% and boost customer satisfaction scores by 30%.
The administrative benefits were just as impressive. One company reported a 70% reduction in administrative workload and a 40% increase in new hire productivity within the first 90 days after automating their onboarding process. Additionally, managers saved up to 30 hours per new hire by automating repetitive tasks.
| Metric | Before Automation | After Automation | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onboarding Completion Rate | 60–70% | 90% | Increase of 20–30% |
| Customer Satisfaction Score | 45–55% | 75% | Increase of 20–30% |
| Administrative Workload | 100% | 30% | –70% |
| New Hire Productivity (90 days) | Baseline | +40% | 40% increase |
| Manager Time per New Hire | 40+ hours | 10 hours | 30 hours saved |
The WGBH Educational Foundation offers a real-world example of how automation can transform processes. Their Member Services and Operations division struggled with inconsistent onboarding due to unclear policies. By integrating automation through WalkMe, which helped new hires quickly adapt to Salesforce, their onboarding completion rate increased to 48%.
Similarly, Sked Social tackled a major issue with customers abandoning the onboarding process mid-way. By implementing an automated solution that provided either one-on-one walkthroughs or a checklist system, they tripled their conversions.
Beyond metrics, automation brought operational and employee-focused benefits. For instance, HR teams were freed from manual, repetitive tasks like switching between apps to set up tools for new hires. This allowed them to focus on more strategic and impactful work.
Automation not only reduces HR workloads but also minimizes IT administrative burdens, enabling teams to concentrate on high-value tasks. This shift leads to fewer errors, improved job satisfaction, and better overall outcomes. In particular, customer onboarding automation enhances user satisfaction, shortens time-to-value, and strengthens customer retention and loyalty.
Additionally, automating onboarding processes helps businesses scale efficiently while still delivering personalized experiences. On a psychological level, automation relieves employees of mundane tasks, boosting job satisfaction and freeing them to focus on problem-solving and strategic initiatives.
Cutting onboarding time from 3–4 hours down to just 1.5–2 hours reveals some valuable lessons that any organization can apply. This case study shows that reducing inefficiencies isn’t just about using technology - it’s about fully understanding your processes and refining them over time.
The foundation of this success was built on employee interviews and detailed process mapping. During the discovery phase, over 175 individual steps in the onboarding process were identified. By standardizing how data was collected and removing duplicate requests, the team ensured that automation tackled real inefficiencies instead of simply replicating flawed workflows.
The technical side of the project involved tools like Microsoft Forms, Flow, and SharePoint lists, which were seamlessly integrated into existing systems. A smart email workflow gave multiple departments easy access to the information they needed, while a dedicated SharePoint list clarified accountability for managing both onboarding and offboarding tasks. Giving HR and IT clear roles not only lightened their workload but also increased visibility and ownership of the process.
While these changes were impactful, keeping the system running smoothly requires ongoing effort.
Automation isn’t a "set it and forget it" solution - it requires regular attention. Structured onboarding systems can make employees 50% more productive, but only if organizations actively maintain and evolve these systems. Monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and collecting feedback from new hires are essential steps to ensure the process stays effective. By analyzing workflow data and listening to employee input, organizations can quickly spot and fix new inefficiencies.
Kaylee Collins, an HR Analyst at Osmose, highlights the ongoing benefits:
"Our hiring managers now have a reliable system that is easy to navigate. Our HR team can actively monitor the process, and assist if needed, but Onboard has helped them save so much valuable time and effort while increasing data accuracy."
Regularly reviewing templates and automation rules is also critical, especially as business needs shift or compliance requirements change. For example, The Joint Industry Board’s Q1 2024 rollout of Gyrus LMS included a thorough discovery phase and precise data import, which not only streamlined onboarding but also maintained certification standards. Similarly, Bethpage Federal Credit Union expanded their training options to over 70 courses with a system designed to grow alongside their needs.
Keeping stakeholders informed about updates is another important step. Clear communication ensures everyone understands the benefits of process changes, which helps sustain engagement and sets the stage for continuous improvement. The takeaway? Effective automation isn’t static - it evolves alongside your organization through consistent feedback, monitoring, and strategic updates.
By breaking down processes step-by-step and addressing critical bottlenecks, automation has proven to be a game-changer for onboarding. It turns a traditionally lengthy and error-prone process into a smooth, efficient operation, saving time and resources while driving real results.
Take the example of an international hotel group that partnered with Beecker in early 2024. They implemented an automated onboarding workflow and saw dramatic improvements: processing times dropped by 68%, documentation errors (previously affecting 22% of new hire paperwork) were eliminated, and over 200 hours of executive time were saved every month. Similarly, Streak's adoption of OneSchema led to a 50% increase in new users completing the import process and a 110% jump in the number of users running imports within their first week.
"Our new users are completing the import process 50% more of the time, increasing our activation rates."
– Jasen Kim, Head of Growth at Streak
These operational improvements didn’t just save time - they delivered substantial financial benefits. The hotel group reduced annual administrative labor costs by $175,000 and unlocked $420,000 in value from faster employee productivity activation. They recouped their investment in just 7.5 months, and new hires reached performance benchmarks 15 days faster on average.
But the impact of automation extends beyond the numbers. Employee satisfaction with onboarding rose by 31%, and 90-day turnover rates dropped by 17%. Management teams also gained 27% more time to focus on strategic planning, shifting their energy away from repetitive tasks to higher-value priorities. On top of that, the hotel group scaled its onboarding capacity by 215% without needing to expand its workforce, showcasing how automation supports growth without inflating costs.
The lessons are clear: start by mapping out your processes, pinpoint the most pressing challenges, and adopt automation tools that fit seamlessly into your existing systems. Whether it's reducing manual data entry errors, improving interdepartmental communication, or speeding up approval workflows, automation can tackle these issues head-on while delivering a measurable return on investment.
To tackle bottlenecks in your customer onboarding process, begin by collecting customer feedback through surveys or interviews. This will give you insight into the specific challenges they face. Next, dive into onboarding metrics - look at completion rates and the time spent at each step to pinpoint where delays or drop-offs happen.
Creating a detailed map of the customer journey can make it easier to spot areas of friction. Once you've identified the trouble spots, focus on the ones that most impact the customer experience. Implementing solutions like workflow automation can help simplify repetitive tasks, making the process faster and more seamless. The result? A more efficient and enjoyable onboarding journey for your customers.
To make automation work effectively in onboarding, begin with small, manageable updates. This approach helps ease the transition while keeping a personal touch that strengthens customer relationships. Focus on the 4 C's - compliance, clarity, culture, and connection - to craft an onboarding experience that feels complete and thoughtful.
Start by reviewing your existing workflows to spot problem areas. Choose tools that work well with your current systems, and make it a priority to collect regular feedback for ongoing improvements. The goal is to boost efficiency through automation while preserving the human element, striking the right balance between speed and customer satisfaction.
Process mapping plays a key role in improving customer onboarding by visually identifying bottlenecks, clarifying responsibilities, and streamlining workflows. The result? Greater efficiency, fewer mistakes, and a smoother process for both your team and your customers.
To build effective process maps, consider using tools like diagramming software with drag-and-drop functionality or workflow-specific apps. Focus on breaking the process into clear, manageable steps, pinpointing critical decision points, and outlining who is responsible for each task. These strategies make the onboarding workflow easier to understand and refine. With the right tools and approach, businesses can improve operational clarity and create a seamless onboarding experience.