Digital onboarding and employee outcomes: empirical evidence from the UK
ISSN: 0025-1747
Article publication date: 27 September 2022
Issue publication date: 17 March 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Given the sharp rise in the adoption of digital onboarding in employment relations and human resource management practices, largely caused by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores the impact of digital onboarding on employees' wellbeing, engagement level, performance, and overall outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses an interpretive qualitative research methodology, undertaking semi-structured interviews with 28 participants working in the UK services industry.
Findings
The study finds that digital onboarding has a significant impact on employee outcomes, following the perceptions of “dwindling social connectedness and personal wellbeing”, “meaningful and meaningless work”, and “poor employee relations” among employees and their employers in the workplace.
Practical implications
Due to the increased adoption of digital onboarding, human resources teams must focus on having considerable human interaction with new hires, even if this means adopting a hybrid approach to onboarding. Human resources teams must ensure that they work together with line managers to promote a welcoming culture for new hires and facilitate organisation-driven socialisation tactics and the “quality” information necessary for supporting new employees. For new employees, besides acquiring the digital skills that are essential in the workplace, they must accept the changing digital landscape in order to practice effective communication and align their goals and values with those of their organisation.
Originality/value
Qualitative research on the influence of digital onboarding on employee outcomes is limited, with much of the research yet to substantially consider the impact of digitalisation on the human resources function of onboarding employees as full members of an organisation.
Keywords
Citation
Sani, K.F., Adisa, T.A., Adekoya, O.D. and Oruh, E.S. (2023), "Digital onboarding and employee outcomes: empirical evidence from the UK", Management Decision, Vol. 61 No. 3, pp. 637-654. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2021-1528
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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