Striking the right balance between standardised processes and tailored, empathetic experiences is vital to successful global onboarding. This challenge is compounded by legal complexities, such as immigration rules, labour laws that vary in different countries, and tax compliance.
Read more: Over half of employees are dissatisfied with onboarding
In our latest HR lunchtime debate, sponsored by the global HR platform Remote, 81% of audience poll respondents said that their onboarding process could be improved, and 71% take a tailored approach to onboarding. Panellists agreed that leveraging technology, especially AI, enhances employee onboarding experiences. But above all, panellists highlighted the importance of the human touch, understanding unique needs specific to different countries, and ensuring that technology aligns with company values.
1 Prepare, plan and make adjustments
Christina Daly, head of people experience at Zoom, outlined the pitfalls of global onboarding: “In global companies, we may have situations where a lot of standards and practices don’t necessarily resonate with employees in different locations internationally.”
HR professionals must avoid assuming global practices mirror those of their home country. Fiona Mackie, senior solutions consultant for Remote, added that common mistakes include not mapping out the full employee lifecycle when onboarding – including offboarding and “everything in the middle” – and not understanding the nuances of hiring people in countries with different regulations.
“It might seem counterintuitive to think about what it would look like if this person decided to exit an organisation, but you should have everything mapped out from the get-go, for the company and for the country where you’re hiring,” Mackie explained. “Contracts are different, probation periods are different, termination rules and regulations are very different.”
A global onboarding strategy can benefit from applying the ‘80/20 rule’, according to Mackie, where 80% of the process is standardised and 20% is tailored. She said that Remote’s universal onboarding programme is adjusted for country- and team-specific nuances, for an employee experience that is consistent yet adaptable.
2 Be aware of local regulations
Managing compliance within a range of different legal frameworks can create headaches for HR professionals hoping for a smooth cross-border onboarding experience. This can be further complicated if a company is onboarding an employee who is working from home in another country.
Caitlin Pyett, consulting lead for Crown World Mobility, said that immigration and tax compliance are the two main challenges affecting companies and employees. “If you’re onboarding someone who’s working remotely, and you don’t have an office in the location where they are, you may run into problems with corporation tax,” said Pyett. “But from a slightly broader perspective, it’s easy for employers to lose sight of what their new employees might not know.”
Pyett recommended that HR leaders talk through the basics, such as maternity and paternity leave rights, annual leave and notice periods. She described these policies and processes as easily overlooked by the employer, "but a big thing for a new person they’ve brought in”.
3 Make friends with technology
Onboarding should blend the human touch with automation, particularly as personalisation functions are improving in AI applications. For a seamless, culturally aligned employee experience, people should work with technology to integrate processes and reflect company values.
Dan Buckley, CEO of software platform Cognexo, said: “Person plus machine is the best approach. It doesn’t make sense for a human to poll people and measure and test, if you can get technology to do that.
“Where the human comes in is in the action. What really matters is how you action the change off the back of those measurements and the responses to whatever you’re asking.”
Buckley added that effective technology provides actionable insights, not just metrics. He continued to explain that business intelligence tools help identify areas for improvement or replication, helping people leaders to focus on achieving clear, attainable goals through insights, not just track KPIs.
Daly predicted the rise of location-focused AI agents to personalise onboarding and provide immediate support for employees. Another technology that HR professionals should investigate, especially when onboarding Gen Z employees, is gamification. Pyett suggested that this technology will continue to grow in the years to come, especially as more Gen Z employees move into management roles.
“Gamification of onboarding really speaks to Gen Zs when they’re going through personalised onboarding,” she explained. “[Whether it’s] getting virtual rewards, virtual recognition or virtual badging by completing different modules and tasks, it’s an interactive way of engaging that seems to be gaining a lot of traction.”
4 Don’t forget the “human” in HR
The human touch is essential to global onboarding as this gives employees a sense of belonging, no matter where they are in the world. “It’s about making sure the employee feels their onboarding process is personalised, they’re being listened to and there’s an empathetic ear from the powers-that-be that’s always there if they need any assistance,” said Buckley.
Pyett added: “Anything to do with HR is people business. I don’t think we should lose sight of that, particularly when you’re talking about people who have just done an international move – it’s tremendously stressful when starting a new job as well.”
This article was published in the March/April 2025 edition of HR magazine. To rewatch the webinar, click this link.
Subscribe today to have our latest articles delivered to your desk.
