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

This is opposed to Destiny 2’s exceptionally poor onboarding experience which has only gotten worse in time. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Then, a helpful onboarding checklist appears at the bottom-right of your screen that asks you to complete a few introductory tasks, such as integrating apps, learning how to navigate ClickUp, talking to ClickUp’s AI assistant, and more. —PC Magazine, 2 Sep. 2025

Some examples include using AI to do more intelligent onboarding, which allows for Cisco to more accurately assess exactly what tools or software are needed to support the role a new employee is hired for. —John Kell, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2025

This includes the costs of hiring, onboarding and training new employees. —Louis Tay, The Conversation, 15 Aug. 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