Digital onboarding and employee outcomes: empirical evidence from the UK

SANI, Kareem, ADISA, Toyin, ADEKOYA, Olatunji and ORUH, Emeka (2022). Digital onboarding and employee outcomes: empirical evidence from the UK. Management Decision.

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	The article publication date is listed as the 27 September 2022 but it was discovered live on the journal website on the 26 September 2022.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Business & Management; 1503 Business and Management; 1505 Marketing; 2202 History and Philosophy of Specific Fields
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2021-1528
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Elements
Depositing User:	Symplectic Elements
Date Deposited:	21 Sep 2022 15:43
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2023 10:00
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/30719

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