Effortlessly Streamline Onboarding with Technology: A Must-Have Guide for Growing Businesses

Onboarding can be the make-or-break moment for your new hires—it can either inspire them with a sense of belonging and purpose or leave them feeling lost and overwhelmed. And if you’re a small business owner or solo HR practitioner at a startup, you’re likely juggling a lot with few resources. You want a seamless onboarding experience that makes new hires feel welcomed and productive without drowning in paperwork. But how can you make that happen, especially with limited time and budget?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to use technology to streamline onboarding, automate repetitive tasks, and create an engaging experience for your new employees. We’ll cover the best tools, why they’re worth your attention, and how you can implement them easily—all without the corporate jargon. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to make your onboarding process smoother and more efficient, setting your new hires up for long-term success.

For many small businesses, onboarding is a manual and time-consuming process. This often means delays, paperwork headaches, and lots of admin work that pulls you away from what really matters—helping new employees integrate successfully. Manual processes can also lead to inconsistencies, with some employees missing out on key information or steps simply because they weren’t documented properly or got lost in the shuffle.

Using the right technology changes that. It can automate paperwork, send timely reminders, track the onboarding progress of each new hire, and ensure a consistent experience for everyone—whether they’re joining remotely or in person. By simplifying onboarding, you free up time to focus on what makes your company unique. Instead of being bogged down by repetitive administrative tasks, you can concentrate on making new hires feel like part of the team, training them effectively, and ensuring they have everything they need to hit the ground running.

• Efficiency: Save time by automating forms, tracking tasks, and sending reminders. Automation reduces manual work, allowing HR to focus on more strategic tasks that add value to the business.
• Consistency: Every employee receives the same experience, regardless of role or location. Consistent onboarding helps ensure that no important steps are missed and that all new hires have the same foundational knowledge.
• Improved Employee Experience: New hires are more likely to feel supported and prepared, which sets a positive tone for their future with your company. A smooth onboarding process helps employees feel welcomed and valued, increasing their likelihood of staying long-term.
• Compliance: Technology can also help ensure compliance by tracking that all necessary documents are completed and stored properly, reducing the risk of errors or missed paperwork.
• Better Team Dynamics: By automating the administrative aspects of onboarding, you have more time to focus on building relationships between new hires and their teams. This leads to better integration and stronger team dynamics.

An HRIS is an all-in-one platform that can streamline many aspects of your HR process, including onboarding. It centralizes all the employee information, tracks compliance, and ensures that forms are completed on time. With an HRIS, you can automate repetitive tasks like sending out onboarding documents, collecting electronic signatures, and ensuring that each new hire completes mandatory training sessions.

• BambooHR: A user-friendly platform perfect for small businesses. It covers everything from hiring to onboarding and ongoing employee management. BambooHR offers a smooth and intuitive experience, allowing new hires to complete paperwork online, which saves time and reduces errors.
• Gusto: Well-known for payroll, Gusto also automates onboarding steps like benefits enrollment and managing new hire paperwork. It’s an excellent choice for small businesses that need a combination of payroll, benefits management, and onboarding in one platform.
• Rippling: Rippling provides an all-in-one HR solution that combines payroll, benefits, and onboarding. It’s especially useful for small businesses looking for an integrated platform that grows with them, offering automation for repetitive tasks and ensuring compliance.
• HiBob: HiBob is designed with growing companies in mind. It offers a modern and engaging user experience for new hires and is particularly good for businesses looking to create a positive onboarding journey with minimal manual effort.

Notion: A Flexible Platform for Onboarding #

Notion is a powerful, customizable tool that combines project management, knowledge sharing, and collaboration features, making it an excellent option for streamlining your onboarding process. Its flexibility allows businesses to create tailored onboarding systems that cater to their specific needs without requiring advanced technical skills or significant investment.

Here’s how small businesses can use Notion for onboarding:

• Centralized Onboarding Hub: Create a single dashboard where new hires can access everything they need, including checklists, training materials, and key resources like company policies or team directories.
• Onboarding Checklists: Design detailed task lists for each stage of the onboarding process. These lists ensure that new hires complete all necessary steps, from filling out paperwork to setting up software accounts.
• Knowledge Bases: Build a repository of onboarding documents, such as employee handbooks, company policies, and role-specific guides. Notion’s database features make it easy to organize and search for relevant information.
• Collaboration Features: Assign tasks to team members, provide real-time feedback, and track progress through shared pages. New hires and team leads can collaborate seamlessly to complete onboarding steps efficiently.
• Custom Templates: Use Notion’s templates to save time and standardize the onboarding experience. You can quickly duplicate templates for new hires, ensuring consistency across your process.
• Integration with Tools: Notion integrates with platforms like Slack, Google Workspace, and Zapier, allowing you to sync onboarding workflows with other systems. This makes it easier to automate reminders, schedule training sessions, and share updates.

Why Choose Notion for Onboarding?

• Customizable: Adapt Notion’s flexible structure to meet your specific onboarding needs.
• Affordable: An economical choice for small businesses looking to manage onboarding without investing in larger HR platforms.
• Scalable: Ideal for teams of any size, growing with your business as your onboarding needs evolve.
• User-Friendly: Notion’s intuitive interface makes it easy for both HR teams and new hires to navigate.

Whether you’re introducing one hire or onboarding an entire team, Notion offers a practical, scalable solution to keep the process organized and engaging. Its flexibility and affordability make it a top choice for small businesses aiming to streamline onboarding with minimal effort.

If you prefer something more adaptable, Airtable might be the answer. Airtable is a cloud-based tool that combines the features of a spreadsheet and a database, allowing you to create a completely customized onboarding system tailored to your needs. This is a good option if you already have an HRIS or are not ready to implement a large system. Small businesses often use Airtable to create organized onboarding workflows, track employee progress, and store important documents in a visual and user-friendly way. Airtable allows you to create a completely customized onboarding system where you can:

• Create an onboarding checklist for every new hire: Set up a detailed checklist that outlines each step in the onboarding process, from paperwork to training sessions, ensuring nothing is overlooked.
• Assign responsibilities to different team members: Clearly delegate tasks such as preparing equipment, providing training, or setting up software accounts, so every team member knows what they are responsible for.
• Track the progress of each new employee in real time: Use Airtable’s visual dashboards to monitor the progress of new hires. This helps you quickly identify if there are any delays or bottlenecks in the onboarding process and address them promptly.
• Store important documents and easily share them with new hires: Keep all relevant onboarding documents—such as tax forms, contracts, and employee handbooks—in one central location. You can share access with new hires, allowing them to complete paperwork digitally and refer back to documents as needed.

You can integrate Airtable with other tools you’re already using, like Google Workspace or Slack, to keep everyone in sync. Airtable’s flexibility makes it ideal for small businesses that need to adapt their onboarding processes as they grow. The visual nature of Airtable, with its easy-to-use grids and checklists, makes it straightforward to see at a glance where each new hire is in their onboarding journey.

If you’re using several tools or systems, such as Google Workspace, Slack, Trello, your HRIS, or even customer relationship management (CRM) systems like Salesforce, automation platforms like Zapier or Make.com are game-changers. These automation platforms connect your existing apps and automatically handle repetitive tasks, such as data entry, task reminders, and file synchronization, reducing your manual workload and ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks. By creating workflows, you can ensure all onboarding tasks are streamlined, including syncing data between Google Sheets, sending follow-up emails in Slack, or creating tasks in Trello—all without manual intervention. Automation not only saves time but also reduces the risk of human error, ensuring your onboarding process is efficient and consistent.

• Send a welcome email immediately after a new hire signs their offer: Include all the information they need for their first day, such as their start date, who they will meet, and what they should bring.
• Automatically send a Slack notification to your team when a new employee is about to start: This keeps everyone in the loop and helps the team prepare to welcome the new hire.
• Sync onboarding documents from Google Drive to your HRIS for easy access and compliance tracking: Automatically upload signed documents and completed forms to your HR system, ensuring they are stored securely and are easy to retrieve.
• Set up automated reminders for new hires to complete necessary forms or training modules: Schedule reminders to ensure new hires don’t miss critical deadlines for paperwork or mandatory training.
• Automatically schedule new hire orientation sessions in Google Calendar based on the start date: Sync new hire start dates with your calendar to automatically schedule orientations, training sessions, or one-on-one meetings.
• Trigger a notification to IT to set up necessary hardware and software for new hires: Ensure that the IT department is notified as soon as an offer is accepted, so they can prepare any necessary equipment or software licenses.
• Generate personalized onboarding task lists for each new hire and share them through a project management tool like Asana or Monday.com: Create individualized onboarding plans that are automatically assigned to the relevant people and tracked in real time.

By automating these repetitive tasks, you ensure that nothing gets missed and your new hires feel informed and supported from day one.

Onboarding isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about helping your new hire feel comfortable and confident in their role. Proper training is a key part of this process, and there are several platforms that can help you provide structured, engaging training programs.

• TalentLMS: TalentLMS offers an easy way to create training programs that new hires can complete as part of their onboarding. The platform includes quizzes and progress tracking to ensure that new hires understand key concepts. It’s a great option for small businesses looking for an affordable and user-friendly LMS (Learning Management System) to onboard and train new employees.
• Trello: Using boards and checklists, you can break down training into manageable steps and keep track of what’s done. Trello’s visual approach makes it easy for new hires to see what they’ve completed and what’s next.
• Notion: Notion is a versatile tool that combines note-taking, project management, and knowledge sharing. It’s perfect for creating onboarding guides, storing important training materials, and collaborating with new hires in real time. Notion’s flexibility makes it easy to structure training content in a way that’s intuitive and engaging for new employees.

Training tools like these ensure that new hires are well-prepared and feel confident in their roles, which leads to better productivity and satisfaction.

One of the most time-consuming aspects of onboarding is the paperwork. Electronic form tools help digitize this process, allowing new hires to fill out forms online, sign documents electronically, and streamline compliance. This reduces the need for physical paperwork and makes it easier to track completed forms and follow up on missing information.

• AirSlate: AirSlate is a robust workflow automation platform that includes electronic forms and document generation. It’s perfect for automating complex onboarding paperwork, allowing you to create, send, and track forms without manual intervention. AirSlate also integrates with other tools, making it easier to connect your onboarding processes.
• JotForm: JotForm is an easy-to-use form builder that allows you to create custom forms for collecting new hire information. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can quickly build forms for tax documents, employee information, and direct deposit setup. JotForm also offers electronic signature capabilities, which makes it convenient for onboarding documents that require approval.
• PandaDoc: PandaDoc is an all-in-one document automation tool that helps you create, send, and e-sign onboarding documents. It’s particularly useful for sending out employment agreements and collecting electronic signatures. PandaDoc also offers real-time tracking, so you know exactly when documents are viewed and signed.

• Reduce Paperwork: Digitizing forms means no more printing, scanning, or filing. This saves time and reduces the risk of lost paperwork.
• Improved Compliance: Electronic forms ensure that all required information is collected accurately and that forms are stored securely, which is crucial for compliance.
• Convenience for New Hires: New hires can complete forms at their convenience from any device, making the onboarding process smoother and less stressful.
• Tracking and Automation: These tools allow you to track the progress of each form, send reminders for incomplete forms, and automatically store completed documents in your HR system.

Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular for onboarding because they can provide instant support and answers to new hires’ questions, without requiring HR to be available 24/7. By using AI-driven chatbots, you can enhance the onboarding experience, providing consistent information and making new hires feel supported.

• CustomGPT.ai: CustomGPT.ai offers an AI-powered chatbot tailored to your business needs. It can answer specific onboarding questions, provide resources, and guide new hires through various tasks. This customization ensures that new hires get accurate and company-specific information, reducing confusion and enhancing the onboarding experience.
• Landbot: Landbot is a user-friendly chatbot platform that helps automate the onboarding process by creating conversational workflows. It can guide new hires through paperwork, provide essential information, and keep them engaged throughout the onboarding journey. Landbot’s customizable chatbot allows you to design an onboarding flow that suits your specific needs.
• Leena AI: Leena AI is an AI-powered employee experience platform that can automate much of the onboarding process. It can answer questions, provide documentation, and guide new hires through tasks like setting up direct deposit or completing training modules.
• LiveChat: LiveChat is a versatile chatbot solution that helps streamline the onboarding process by providing real-time assistance to new hires. It can answer frequently asked questions, guide employees through onboarding steps, and ensure they receive consistent information, making onboarding smoother and more interactive.

• 24/7 Availability: Chatbots can answer questions anytime, which is especially helpful for new hires who may need assistance outside regular office hours.
• Instant Responses: Instead of waiting for an HR representative to get back to them, new hires can get immediate answers to their questions, reducing anxiety and making them feel more supported.
• Scalability: Chatbots can handle multiple inquiries simultaneously, making them ideal for businesses that are scaling and have several new hires starting at the same time.
• Consistent Information: Chatbots provide consistent answers to common questions, ensuring that all new hires receive the same information, which reduces the likelihood of confusion or errors.

Creating engaging training content can be a challenge, especially for small businesses with limited resources. AI-powered video tools can help by automating the creation of training videos that are personalized and effective. These tools can produce professional-quality training videos without needing expensive equipment or a large production budget.

• HourOne.ai: HourOne.ai uses AI to create realistic video presentations with virtual presenters. You can quickly turn text into engaging videos for training purposes, helping new hires understand company policies, workflows, and expectations in an interactive format. It’s an excellent way to add a human touch to onboarding without needing to record videos yourself.
• Synthesia: Synthesia allows you to create AI-driven training videos with avatars that can speak multiple languages. This tool is perfect for creating personalized video content that can be used during onboarding to welcome new hires, guide them through processes, and provide crucial training without needing a human presenter.
• Veed.io: Veed.io is an online video editing tool that also offers AI capabilities for generating subtitles, transcribing spoken content, and enhancing video quality. It can be used to edit and refine onboarding videos, making them more accessible and professional.

• Cost-Effective: AI training videos eliminate the need for expensive video equipment and production teams, making it an affordable solution for small businesses.
• Consistency: Videos ensure that every new hire receives the same information, presented in the same way, reducing inconsistencies in training.
• Engaging Content: Videos are more engaging compared to traditional text-based training materials. They help maintain the attention of new hires and make the content more memorable.
• Scalable: Once created, training videos can be used repeatedly, making them ideal for companies that are scaling and hiring new employees frequently.
• Language Support: Tools like Synthesia can create videos in multiple languages, making them ideal for diverse teams or international hires.

It’s important to keep track of how new hires are doing from day one. Monday.com and Asana let you set goals, track onboarding tasks, and provide feedback to new employees as they progress through their onboarding journey.

• Monday.com: Create checklists to make sure nothing gets missed during onboarding. You can assign tasks to different departments and track the progress in real-time, ensuring accountability.
• Asana: Use task boards to track the progress of each new hire. Managers can easily see which tasks are completed and where there might be bottlenecks, allowing them to step in and provide support when needed.
• Airtable: Airtable can also be used for performance tracking, allowing managers to set onboarding milestones and track whether new hires are meeting their goals.

Selecting the right onboarding technology for your business can feel overwhelming, but it helps to focus on a few key considerations:

• Budget: How much are you able to spend? Will the tool grow with your company? Consider both the upfront costs and any ongoing subscription fees.
• Ease of Use: Does the tool require a lot of training, or is it intuitive for everyone to use? A tool that’s difficult to use can end up creating more problems than it solves.
• Integration: Will the tool integrate well with your current software setup? Seamless integration ensures that your onboarding process is efficient and doesn’t require duplicate data entry.
• Customization: Can you adapt the tool to meet your unique needs? Every business has different onboarding requirements, and a customizable tool can help ensure your specific needs are met.

If onboarding still feels overwhelming, it’s time to take advantage of the right tools. Visit our Onboarding page for more resources that will help you make your process smoother, faster, and more engaging for new employees. By leveraging the power of technology, you can create an onboarding experience that not only saves time but also sets your new hires up for success from day one.