Endless documents, policies that no longer exist and a rigid schedule: that's still how many companies welcome new people. In this episode of Jugando en Serio (in Spanish), Iria, HR director at Game Strategies, and Samuel Prado, gamification consultant, look at how to improve onboarding and how to prove that it works.
What's wrong with traditional onboarding
For Iria, traditional onboarding is becoming obsolete: highly standardized activities that are never updated, to the point that some new hires end up reading policies that no longer exist. Admin takes up too much room, there's little focus on employee experience and no personalization by role or location, which weakens belonging.
Add outdated technology, little social interaction (after the pandemic and with remote work, we still need human warmth) and very tight deadlines. The result: onboarding that feels boring and a first contact that falls short of what the person expected.
What younger generations expect
Millennials and Gen Z have forced HR to rethink the welcome, which Iria sees as a good thing because it prevents stagnation. They want their work to have a social impact, not just pay a salary, and a company whose values represent them: for them, this weighs as much as money, or more.
They also want immediacy: knowing from the start what's expected of them and what their purpose is, not finding out six months later. They expect agile, easy-to-use tools, which they already see as part of the compensation package; ongoing feedback instead of a once-a-year review; and social interaction despite the flexibility of remote work.
Three levers for a welcome that hooks people
Iria's proposal is to turn those pain points around. First, more interactive learning, with missions and quizzes to convey the mission, the values or the tools. Second, autonomous exploration: a roadmap each person adapts to their schedule, unlocking levels at their own pace. Third, social integration: challenges and friendly competitions that help people get to know colleagues and learn from veterans.
And one role she recommends beyond gamification: the buddy, a go-to person outside your direct team who gets you back on track if you're lost. Prado had one from another department when he joined, and it helped him connect with more people.
First of all, make learning more interactive. These generations ask for more social interaction and more fun, but without it ceasing to be professional.
Benefits and metrics: how to tell if your onboarding works
According to Iria, employees gain engagement from the very start (key, since the first 6 to 12 months drive short-term turnover), learn faster, know whether they're on the right track and build soft skills such as teamwork or conflict management. The company gains productivity, lower turnover, a stronger culture and better employer branding.
To measure it, she groups metrics into pillars: participation (how many people complete each stage), learning (success in challenges, speed, manager feedback, self-assessment), integration (satisfaction with the culture and values) and satisfaction and performance (turnover at 6–12 months, probation passed, NPS). All of it to prove the return on investment to leadership.
For me it's very important that today we can prove our work both qualitatively and quantitatively. Data is essential to know how to steer the strategy: whether we're doing it right or wrong, or whether we need to make changes.
How to get started without hitting resistance to change
The big obstacle is fear of the unknown, especially in traditional companies where you hear «we've always done it this way». But if you want to attract international talent and everything is only in Spanish, that no longer works.
The steps Iria recommends: backing from the leadership team and the CEO; data and a benchmark on the table, because this is an investment and a change of strategy; identifying the skills your workforce needs; a partner who understands you; and embracing technology: 200-page Word documents no longer cut it.
Resistance is often lower than it seems. Prado describes a heavy-industry company whose factory workers, far from rejecting a customized video game for their onboarding, were the most enthusiastic: they played it on their phones and asked for more training like it. There are also screen-free options, such as simulations, in-person role plays or scavenger hunts.
