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In 2024, companies invested $98 billion in employee training.
Yet, the average retention rate from 2023 to 2024 remained stagnant.
The modern workplace is undergoing a transformation. As organizations invest more heavily in talent development and employee engagement, onboarding is no longer just about paperwork and compliance. Instead, it’s becoming a critical window to shape long-term success. One of the most impactful, yet underutilized strategies in this area is new employee coaching.
By incorporating corporate coaching into onboarding, companies can accelerate employee acclimation, reduce early turnover, and build stronger foundations for performance and growth. This article will explore what new employee coaching is, why it matters, and how you can integrate it into your onboarding process to unlock lasting value.
What is new employee coaching?
New employee coaching refers to a structured approach where newly hired employees are paired with coaches—either managers, experienced peers, or professional coaches—to support their transition into a new role. Unlike skill-based training, which often focuses on imparting skills and knowledge, coaching emphasizes development through reflection, goal-setting, and feedback.
Key elements of new employee coaching:
- One-on-one sessions: Personal guidance from a coach to help navigate the new environment.
- Goal setting and accountability: Creating early performance and development goals.
- Emotional support: Addressing uncertainty and boosting confidence.
- Cultural integration: Helping the new hire understand unwritten norms and values.
- Career orientation: Aligning personal aspirations with organizational pathways.
Coaching isn’t about telling new hires what to do—it’s about guiding them to discover how they can succeed.
Why coaching is a game-changing addition to your onboarding process
Integrating coaching into your onboarding process is more than an enhancement—it’s a transformative shift in how employees are welcomed, supported, and developed. By prioritizing human connection and personalized guidance from day one, coaching addresses key challenges that traditional onboarding often overlooks.
1. Accelerates integration
Traditional onboarding programs can often feel transactional. Coaching makes the experience relational. It provides a human connection that fosters faster acclimatization to new roles, teams, and company culture.
2. Boosts engagement and retention
According to Gallup, employees who feel supported and engaged are 59% less likely to look for a job elsewhere. New hires who receive coaching are more likely to feel valued and committed early on, reducing the risk of early turnover.
3. Builds confidence and clarity
Starting a new job can be overwhelming. Coaching gives employees the space to ask questions, reflect on their progress, and build confidence in a safe, non-judgmental environment.
4. Establishes developmental mindsets early
Embedding coaching from day one signals to new employees that growth is a priority. It reinforces a learning culture and helps employees embrace feedback and continuous improvement as part of their identity within the organization.
5. Aligns talent with organizational goals
Coaches can help new employees align their day-to-day tasks with the company’s broader mission. This alignment drives motivation and ensures that early efforts contribute meaningfully to business objectives.
How to get started with new employee coaching
While the benefits are compelling, the success of a coaching initiative depends on thoughtful implementation. Here are strategic steps to integrate coaching into your onboarding process.
Step 1: Define your coaching objectives
Start with a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. Are you aiming to accelerate productivity, reduce ramp-up time, or foster a sense of belonging? Set measurable goals that align with your company’s values and onboarding KPIs.
Step 2: Identify the right coaches
Not all great employees make great coaches. Look for individuals who demonstrate strong communication, empathy, and a commitment to mentoring. These could be:
- Direct managers
- Experienced team members
- Cross-functional leaders
- Professional coaches (internal or external)
Provide these coaches with training on how to guide conversations, deliver feedback, and encourage self-reflection.
Step 3: Build coaching into the onboarding timeline
Timing matters. Integrate coaching touchpoints throughout the onboarding journey. For example:
- Week 1: Introduction and goal-setting
- Month 1: Check-in on early progress and cultural acclimation
- Month 2–3: Deeper feedback and career trajectory discussions
- Quarterly: Continued development planning and career coaching
Use structured templates to guide coaching conversations, but leave room for flexibility and individual needs.
Step 4: Use technology to scale and track
For larger teams, manually coordinating coaching sessions can become a logistical challenge. Leverage a coaching and mentoring platform (like Together) to:
- Match new hires with suitable coaches
- Schedule and track coaching sessions
- Collect feedback and engagement data
- Monitor goal progress and milestones
Technology enables consistency and scalability without compromising the personal nature of coaching.
Step 5: Measure and Iterate
Effective programs rely on data. Track success metrics such as:
- Time-to-productivity
- New hire retention rates
- Feedback scores from coaching sessions
- Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)
Use insights from this data to refine your approach, improve coach training, and adapt to evolving employee needs.
How the Access Group uses coaching to integrate new employees
Looking for real-world insight on how to launch a new employee coaching program? Look no further than The Access Group.
The Access Group, a global provider of business management software, has effectively integrated new employees—particularly those joining through acquisitions—by transforming its traditional buddy program into a scalable, people-first onboarding experience. Recognizing the challenges faced by new hires transitioning from smaller companies into a large organization with over 8,000 employees worldwide, Access sought to create a more supportive and connected environment.
Partnering with Together, Access automated the matching process between new hires and seasoned employees, allowing participants to specify their preferences and expectations. This intelligent matching system not only saved the M&A team significant administrative time—reducing the effort to match 40 employees to just 30 minutes—but also fostered meaningful connections based on shared interests and goals. The result was a smoother integration process, enhanced employee experience, and a strengthened company culture that values inclusivity and continuous improvement. The success of this new employee coaching program has led to plans for expansion beyond acquisitions, aiming to further embed coaching and mentorship into the organization’s broader talent development strategy.
Want to learn more about how Access uses coaching to help colleagues make connections through integration? Read the full case study here.
Get your new employee coaching program started with Together
Implementing new employee coaching doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Together, a leading mentoring and coaching platform, simplifies the process through intuitive design and powerful features tailored for employee development.
Why Together?
- Smart matching: Custom algorithms pair new hires with the most relevant coaches based on skills, goals, and experience.
- Structured frameworks: Access ready-to-use session templates and development tracks that align with onboarding objectives.
- Integrated feedback: Real-time feedback and reporting dashboards help HR teams monitor progress and iterate with confidence.
- Scalability: Whether you’re onboarding 10 or 1,000 new employees, Together helps scale coaching programs efficiently and effectively.
By embedding coaching into your onboarding process with a platform like Together, you’re not only supporting new hires—you’re investing in future leaders.
Conclusion
New employee coaching is more than a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic imperative in a people-first workplace. As competition for talent intensifies and employee expectations evolve, organizations that prioritize coaching during onboarding will gain a significant edge.
By integrating structured coaching from day one, you help employees feel seen, supported, and set up for long-term success. It’s time to move beyond orientation checklists and welcome new hires with a developmental experience that inspires confidence and drives performance.
Are you ready to elevate your onboarding with coaching? Start your journey with Together today.
