Who in your organisation owns a new starter’s first month? Theo opened our TinQtafel on the first 90 days of new employees with that question. Day one is usually well taken care of. The manager is ready. The rota has been adjusted. The laptop is waiting. There might even be a goody bag. But then what?
Suddenly, things go a lot quieter. And that’s where it gets interesting.
Most onboarding programmes still plan around the first 90 days. The clock starts ticking much earlier, though. A BambooHR study of 1,565 employees found that 70% decide within the first month whether they want to stay. Almost 30% know within the first week.
So day 90 isn’t when someone makes up their mind. It’s when you see what happened in the weeks before. Did they feel welcome? Did they know what was expected of them? Was there someone to turn to? And could they see where this job might take them?
If those questions only get answered in week twelve, you’re already too late.
That was the thinking behind this TinQtafel: Day 91. Forget the finish line of onboarding and work back to the moments that count.
The numbers make those first weeks very concrete.
That last figure says the most. The promise was there, but the experience fell short. So your deadline is day 30. Getting fully up to speed may take longer, but the decision doesn’t.
And the costs add up quickly. Gallup estimates that replacing a frontline employee costs 40% of their annual salary. For managers, it can reach 200%. So there’s a lot to gain.
One of the best examples came from Isa Lucassen and Caterina Bierti of Hunkemöller. Their approach started on the shop floor. Talking to people there, they heard what new starters run into, where they get stuck and what they need. And they acted on it.
One way they do this is with Verified Skills, a feature in the Hunkemöller Academy. In their online learning environment, new starters work through situations they’ll also face in store. A tricky return. A complaint. An exception no rule covers.
That shifts the question from: has someone done this training?
To: can they actually apply it on the shop floor?
Each skill is made up of several badges. A badge unlocks once a manager has assessed the employee’s work. That shows which skills someone has already mastered and where they still need support.
There’s an important lesson here. If you want to know what people need, start by listening to what actually happens on the shop floor. Then make sure it doesn’t all fall to one person.
That last point came up again in the TinQtafel workshop. Day one tends to get plenty of attention. After that, new starters are expected to pull their weight straight away. That’s where it pinches. Staffing is already tight and everything needs doing, so the new person gets stuck in from the start.
Meanwhile, the manager has a lot on their plate. They explain the work and build trust at the same time. Share that role. A buddy helps. An experienced team member can work alongside them for a while. HR or head office can make a point of getting in touch or dropping by.
That way, more people help build a new colleague’s confidence. And the organisation gets a clearer view of how someone is developing. From the very first weeks, it’s a team effort.
Then it was the participants’ turn to get to work. They drew their own curve: how does a new starter’s motivation change between day 1 and day 91? They mapped out the timeline. What happens in which week? And who’s responsible? Then they took time out of the equation altogether: what needs to be in place, whenever someone starts?
One note stood out: ‘90-day onboarding is old hat’. That hit the nail on the head. The decision is made well before then.
Onboarding has no magic end date. Nor is there a one-size-fits-all playbook for every retailer. What does help: thinking much earlier about the moments that decide whether someone feels connected, becomes productive and wants to stay.
Another interesting discussion: should you make day one a party? Yes. But a brilliant first day can also set an expectation you can’t live up to afterwards. The balloons are gone. The goody bag has been unpacked. Colleagues are busy with their own work again. And week one has barely begun. That’s a risk.
Personal connection turns out to matter at least as much as the practicalities. People remember who helped them find their feet. A sorted rota and a working laptop matter, but they don’t make someone feel part of the team. Day one still needs to run smoothly, of course. The more practicalities you sort out in advance, the more room you have on day one for the person in front of you.
This may well be the manager’s most important role. In practice, it’s easier said than done. The diary is full. The shop has to keep running. A staffing problem quickly wins out over a calm onboarding chat.
This TinQtafel boils down to five points:
Every TinQtafel participant wrote one concrete step they want to take on a card. In a month’s time, we’ll check in with them. A good TinQtafel doesn’t end when everyone heads home.
The best insight of the afternoon came from a participant: ‘90-day onboarding is old hat’.
Stop fixating on what someone should be able to do after three months. Ask what they need to experience in week one to think: this is where I want to stay.
From day 31, you’re talking to someone who made up their mind long ago.
Got an onboarding question you haven’t cracked yet? Send it to us in one line. We’ll get back to you within a week.
The next TinQtafel is already lined up, with a fresh topic. Let us know if you’d like to join and we’ll save you a seat.