Onboarding

Belonging begins on day one

Create personalized onboarding experiences that help new hires feel welcome, valued, enthusiastic, and ready to contribute to a winning team.

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Recognition message showing Nicky Dolan from Sales & Marketing giving Gold recognition for reliable leadership that helped the team, with Like and Comment buttons.
‍FEATURES

All the onboarding touch points that matter most

Better welcomes
Leader tools
Added meaning
Early anniversaries

Welcomes made easy

Swag boxes, welcome cards, social shout-outs, gifs, and more make first days great days.

Belonging begins with leaders

Give leaders insights, tools, and nudges to help them recognize new hires early and often.

Make early months meaningful

Symbolic awards bring meaning to early milestones, helping new hires feel like part of something bigger.

Onboard all year

Build momentum by celebrating first-year milestones with symbols, Yearbooks, and awards they love.

89%
Decrease in likelihood of attrition when new hires receive recognition at 30 days.
Benefits

Create instant connections

Make new hires feel valued before day one

Pre-hire recognition gifts signal an enthusiastic welcome before the employee’s start date, setting a positive tone for their entire tenure.

Connect employee to purpose quickly

Early recognition reinforces values and shows employees how they can contribute to your organization’s mission and success.

Ensure a consistent onboarding experience

A unified recognition approach helps every new hire—across roles, locations, and shifts—feel supported from the start.

Strengthen belonging for remote and frontline workers

Digital tools keep frontline and remote employees included, connected, and engaged throughout the onboarding experience.

how it works

Build a unified team one new employee at a time

1

Design personal onboarding experiences aligned to your unique culture, values, and team spirit.

2

Embrace new employees with welcome kits, digital tools, leader visibility, and symbolic awards.

3

Measure engagement, participation, and impactto improve the new hire experience.

use case

Built for modern onboarding needs

Start every relationship out right

First impressions matter. We help leaders and team members welcome new employees with enthusiasm.

Welcome anyone, anywhere

Our digital tools, online media library, social feed, help far flung remote employees feel right at home.

Help your frontline feel seen from the start

We specialize at recognizing frontline employees from day one to retirement. Let us show you how.

Pro tip: Internal hires need belonging too

Departmental transfers are changing to a new team and a new life. We help you onboard them accordingly.

Help leaders lead the way 

When leaders say, “welcome to the team,” others follow. Tips and nudges help leaders build teams that care.  

Our clients share powerful onboarding tips

View All
St. Elizabeth
NFCU
St. Elizabeth Healthcare logo

“When you recognize people for the great work they are doing and the impact they have, they feel good about being part of the organization. And when people feel good and feel connected to the organization, they stay. We really do see that play out in our numbers.”

Peggy Essert
Manager of Human Resources
Group photo of smiling healthcare workers, with one woman holding a bouquet of flowers and a certificate in a medical center lobby.
Read Client Story

An onboarding kit with a custom card helps new hires feel part of the Navy Federal culture immediately. New hires are also given points to recognize others on their first day.

Navy Federal Credit Union welcome kit including a black backpack, welcome card, pins, notebook, and stainless steel tumbler.
Read Client Story

More client wisdom

“Leveraging the O.C. Tanner technology for recognition has more effectively engaged our younger new hires into our recognition programs.”

Compensation Manager
Medium Enterprise Healthcare Company

Frequently asked questions

How does onboarding recognition scale globally?
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Our onboarding recognition solution is built for global reach and consistency. It supports both digital and physical experiences across 150+ countries and adapts easily to regional and role-specific needs. Integrated recognition tools help reinforce key behaviors and outcomes, ensuring a unified experience worldwide.

Can onboarding experiences be customized by role or region?
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Yes. Our global onboarding framework supports customization by both role and region. Leaders can tailor welcome moments to reflect the responsibilities and culture of a specific job, local customs, operational practices, and regional holidays. The system supports onboarding in 150+ countries, enabling local flexibility while maintaining a consistent global experience.

How do leaders participate in onboarding recognition?
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Leaders onboard team members by planning pre-hire gifts, personally welcoming new hires in person and via the digital platform, recognizing performance early and often, participating in milestone celebrations, and setting the example for all team members to cultivate a feeling of belonging.

How does onboarding connect to ongoing recognition?
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Onboarding is the perfect time to introduce employees to your powerful O.C. Tanner recognition tools and encourage good recognition habits. Invite new hires to give, as well as receive, recognition. Give them a budget, training, and encouragement to notice, value, and recognize team members whenever they achieve.

Resources

Elevate your strategy with exclusive insights

Article

Integrating Recognition in the Flow of Work

When recognition tools are easy to access, employees will use them. Here are the ways you can integrate recognition seamlessly in daily work.
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Article

How Recognition Fits into the Employee Lifecycle

Design an intentional employee experience by incorporating employee recognition from hire to retire.
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White Paper
See 5 upcoming workplace culture trends for 2026 and learn how you can prepare to help your employees thrive.

Modern Employee Recognition Software | A Buyer’s Guide for HR and IT Decision Makers

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Article

How To Track the ROI of Employee Recognition

Is an employee recognition program really worth the investment? Here's how to measure the impact of employee recognition at your organization.
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Podcast

Getting Leaders to Care About Employee Recognition

We share how your organization can engage leaders in your employee recognition practices.
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Webinar

Mattering at Work: How ICF Integrates Meaningful Recognition Across the Employee Experience

Learn how integrated recognition drives results, with actionable advice and stories.
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Article

Investing in the Employee Experience During Uncertain Times

In uncertain or difficult times, it’s even more important for companies to step up for their employees.
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Article

Activate Employee Recognition with Internal Champions

See how an employee recognition champions network helps educate and inspire your people to share recognition.
Learn More
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Great culture begins at the beginning

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