onboarding

noun

on·​board·​ing ˈȯn-ˌbȯr-diŋ 

ˈän-

1

: the act or process of orienting and training a new employee

… good onboarding leads to higher employee engagement and greater retention rates.

—Joyce E. A. Russell

2

: the act or process of familiarizing a new customer with one's products or services

Customer onboarding primarily involves answering customers' questions and addressing their concerns so they have a smooth, positive experience with your product or service.

—Aaron Agius

3

: the act or process of converting data to digital form

While many retailers are coming to terms with the need for data onboarding and management, there is still a massive chasm between collecting data and using it to the fullest advantage.

—Larisa Bedgood

onboard

ˈȯn-ˌbȯrd 

ˈän-

transitive verb

onboarded; onboarding

The workflow chart that was pinned to the wall was an excellent orientation for me, as a new employee, and anyone else being onboarded.

—Jill Duffy

It's easy to forget how difficult hiring people is and getting them onboarded and effective in their job.

—Sue Gilbert

Once a customer is onboarded, they can immediately start using the account for remittance payments …

—Richard Gluyas

Examples of onboarding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, does the onboarding process require a mentor to help individuals understand the culture? —Dewayne Hart, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

While the district provides basic onboarding for board members, the challenges ahead demand far more. —Sendhil Revuluri, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025

Additionally, focusing on seamless customer onboarding and retention strategies helped minimize churn and maximize lifetime value. Subscription models are particularly effective at relieving pressure from frontline sales teams by creating predictable, recurring revenue streams. —Joshua Adragna, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2025

There will be no extra onboarding or cleaning fees. —Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for onboarding

• according
• affording
• awarding
• keyboarding
• recording
• rewarding
• skateboarding
• snowboarding
• boarding
• cording
• fording
• hoarding