New hires walk through the door, excited and ready to get started.
Then, the onboarding begins.
Endless documents, training sessions that drag on, and information overload.
By the time they actually get to work, most of what they learned is already forgotten.
Some employees take weeks, even months, to fully settle in.
Others hit the ground running.
It’s not just about experience or skills.
It’s about how they’re trained.
Good onboarding doesn’t throw a pile of information at people and expect them to figure it out.
It’s structured, clear, and practical.
That’s where instructional design makes a difference.
Why Most Onboarding Fails
A lot of onboarding programs overwhelm new hires with too much information at once.
They sit through long presentations, read pages of company policies, and try to absorb everything in a short amount of time.
Most of it won’t stick.
People forget about 50% of what they learn within an hour if they don’t apply it.
By the end of their first week, they barely remember anything from day one.
Without structured training, new hires rely on guesswork, asking colleagues for help, or learning through trial and error.
That slows everything down.
They waste time figuring things out instead of getting work done.
It’s frustrating for both employees and managers.
How Instructional Design Fixes This
Good training isn’t about dumping information on people.
It’s about delivering the right information at the right time in a way that makes sense.
Instructional designers focus on how people learn best.
They design training that is clear, structured, and easy to follow.
This means breaking down onboarding into smaller steps, using different formats, and making sure new hires actually apply what they learn.
Here’s how it works.
1. Spaced Learning Instead of Information Overload
Instead of overwhelming new hires on day one, good training spreads information out over time.
People retain more when they learn in smaller chunks and revisit key concepts.
This means:
- Shorter training sessions instead of full-day workshops.
- Follow-up materials like videos or job aids.
- Quick refresher quizzes to reinforce learning.
When employees get information when they need it, they remember it better.
2. Training That Matches Real Work
Too many onboarding programs focus on what the company does instead of how the employee actually does their job.
New hires don’t need a deep history lesson about the company in their first week.
They need to know what tools to use, who to go to for help, and how to complete key tasks.
Instructional design focuses on job-specific training first.
This means:
- Hands-on practice with real tasks.
- Role-based training instead of generic sessions.
- Shadowing experienced employees to see workflows in action.
When training is practical and relevant, employees get productive faster.
3. Interactive Learning Instead of Passive Training
People don’t learn by sitting through long PowerPoint presentations.
They learn by doing.
Instructional designers make training interactive by using:
- Scenario-based learning (solving real problems instead of reading about them).
- Videos and simulations to demonstrate tasks.
- Step-by-step guides with hands-on practice.
The more engaged employees are, the faster they learn.
4. On-Demand Resources for Support
No one remembers everything from training.
New hires need quick access to information when they get stuck.
Good onboarding includes:
- Knowledge bases with FAQs and how-to guides.
- Short explainer videos instead of long manuals.
- Chat support or mentors to answer quick questions.
When employees don’t have to search for answers, they can focus on their work.
5. Measuring and Improving Training Over Time
Good training is never “one and done”.
Instructional designers track what’s working and what’s not by:
- Checking how long it takes for new hires to be fully productive.
- Asking employees what training was helpful and what wasn’t.
- Reviewing common mistakes or gaps in knowledge.
Adjusting training based on feedback ensures it keeps getting better.
The Results of Better Onboarding
Companies that use structured training programs see higher productivity, lower turnover, and fewer mistakes.
Employees feel more confident because they know what they’re doing.
They don’t waste time figuring things out on their own.
Managers spend less time answering the same questions over and over.
New hires get up to speed faster and start contributing sooner.
Instructional design doesn’t just improve training.
It makes onboarding faster, easier, and more effective for everyone.
Takeaway
Most onboarding fails because it throws too much information at new hires without a clear plan.
Instructional design fixes this by making training structured, practical, and engaging.
It breaks learning into smaller steps, focuses on real job tasks, and ensures employees have support when they need it.
Companies that get onboarding right don’t just train employees.
They set them up for long-term success.
