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

The Financial Impact Of Getting It Wrong When onboarding fails, the costs are significant. —Shaun Arora, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

This includes the costs of hiring, onboarding and training new employees. —Louis Tay, The Conversation, 15 Aug. 2025

Hamilton has never appeared so low since his Ferrari onboarding in January 2025. —Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025

Yet many leaders fail to set clear communication norms, resulting in burnout, inefficient onboarding, wasted time, and reduced productivity. —Charles Dorison, Harvard Business Review, 6 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