The True Indicators of Company Culture: Why Onboarding and Exits Matter
When it comes to defining company culture, many businesses focus on the obvious—like mission statements, perks, and team-building events. While those elements can certainly contribute, the real indicators of a company’s culture are often found in the bookends of an employee’s journey: the onboarding process and the way employees are treated on their way out.
How you welcome new hires and how you bid farewell to departing employees speak volumes about your company’s true values. Let’s dig into why these two moments matter so much and what they reveal about your organizational culture.
Onboarding: The First Impression of Your Culture
Onboarding isn’t just about filling out paperwork and running through checklists; it’s the first deep dive into what working at your company is really like. Here’s why a strong onboarding process is crucial:
Setting the Tone for Expectations:
Onboarding is where employees first learn about what’s expected of them, not just in terms of job duties but also in behavior, collaboration, and overall work ethic. If you emphasize open communication, transparency, and support from day one, that sets the stage for a positive work environment.
Introducing the Unwritten Rules:
Beyond the employee handbook, onboarding is where new hires pick up on the "unwritten rules" of your workplace. Are team members encouraged to speak up in meetings? Is there flexibility in work hours, or is there a rigid 9-to-5 mentality? New employees learn these cultural nuances from their managers, peers, and even their onboarding materials.
Building Connections:
The onboarding process is a prime time to connect new hires with their teams, mentors, and the company’s mission. Companies with strong cultures focus on fostering relationships right from the start, making new employees feel welcome, valued, and integrated.
Reflecting Company Values:
If your company claims to value diversity, innovation, or collaboration, your onboarding process should reflect these values. This isn't just about ticking boxes; it’s about truly embodying what you stand for from the moment someone joins the team.
Impact on Retention:
Research shows that a positive onboarding experience can significantly increase employee retention. Employees who feel welcomed and well-prepared are more likely to stay engaged, reducing turnover and increasing overall morale.
Exits: The Lasting Impression of Your Culture
Just as onboarding sets the tone for an employee’s journey, how you handle exits can leave a lasting impression—not just on the departing employee but on the entire team. Here’s why the exit process is just as critical:
Reputation Management:
In today’s digital world, departing employees have platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed to share their experiences—good or bad. A poorly managed exit can lead to negative reviews and comments that can tarnish your employer brand, while a respectful, well-handled exit can reinforce a positive company reputation.
Maintaining Relationships:
Employees leaving on good terms are more likely to speak positively about your company and even recommend it to others. They might even become “boomerang” employees who return after gaining experience elsewhere. Burning bridges during the exit process is not just shortsighted—it’s bad for business.
Impact on Remaining Employees:
How you handle a team member’s departure sends a strong message to those who remain. If they see that their colleague is treated poorly, it creates anxiety and uncertainty. They may start wondering, "Is this how I’ll be treated if I decide to leave?" On the other hand, a supportive and professional exit process reinforces trust and confidence in the leadership team.
Learning Opportunities:
Exit interviews can provide valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not. It’s an opportunity to learn about areas that may need improvement—whether it’s management style, workload, or company policies. Ignoring this feedback can be a missed opportunity to make positive changes.
Closing the Loop:
A well-structured exit process includes clear communication about responsibilities, transitions, and knowledge transfer. This ensures that the team can continue functioning smoothly, and it shows respect for both the departing employee and their colleagues.
Why Both Onboarding and Exits Need Attention
When onboarding and exits are done right, they create a consistent narrative about what your company stands for—both to the people joining and those leaving. Here’s why both matter:
Consistency Is Key: If there’s a significant disconnect between how employees are welcomed and how they are treated when they leave, it shows inconsistency in your culture. That can make your company appear inauthentic.
Culture as a Continuum: Culture isn’t just a “welcome aboard” and “goodbye” gesture; it’s the sum of every experience, every interaction, and every decision. Onboarding and exits are simply the bookends that frame the ongoing story of your workplace.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words: You can talk all day about your values, but if your actions don’t match up—especially during the onboarding and exit phases—employees will notice. If the onboarding process is warm and welcoming, but exits are cold and abrupt, people will remember the latter.
Actionable Tips to Improve Onboarding and Exits
For Onboarding:
Develop a comprehensive onboarding plan that includes cultural integration, not just job training.
Assign mentors or buddies to new hires to help them navigate their new environment.
Regularly solicit feedback from new employees to continuously improve the onboarding experience.
For Exits:
Conduct exit interviews and actually listen to the feedback—use it as a tool for growth.
Communicate openly with the remaining team about departures and any changes that will affect them.
Celebrate contributions and offer a genuine thank-you to departing employees to maintain goodwill.
Final Thoughts
Onboarding and exits are more than just processes—they are key indicators of your company culture. They offer a real, unfiltered look at what it’s like to work for you, beyond the polished mission statements and brand marketing. By paying attention to these two critical points, you can build a stronger, more authentic employer brand that attracts, retains, and respects top talent.