4 Strategies To Improve Employee Integration Forbes

Matthew Reeves is the CEO of Together, a mentorship platform that empowers organizations to pair every employee with a relevant mentor. In 2024, companies invested $98 billion in employee training, yet many struggle to keep employees engaged beyond the first few months. Too often, organizations treat onboarding as a one-time event rather than the foundation for long-term employee integration. Onboarding sets the stage by covering initial logistics, but true integration is what drives long-term success by fostering engagement, connection and ongoing support. Without it, employees check out, productivity drops and turnover rises—costly consequences for any business. When employees don’t feel like they belong, they disengage.

And disengagement leads to early exits. Given the high cost of replacing a single employee—often three to four times the position’s salary—poor integration becomes a financial liability. But a lack of engagement doesn’t just affect retention. It’s also a costly productivity drain. Research from McKinsey found that a midsize S&P 500 company could lose around $480 million a year due to skill gaps, disengagement, inefficient use of time, costly attrition and vacancies. Without a structured way to build relationships and learn the nuances of company culture, new employees ramp up slowly, delaying productivity.

This is especially challenging for fast-growing companies or those integrating new hires from acquisitions. Chris Dyer- Leadership Speaker, Bestselling Author on High Performing Culture, CEO. Employee engagement matters more than you may think. It is a critical driver of business success, influencing everything from job satisfaction and turnover rates to performance outcomes and profitability. Employee engagement is on the decline, hitting an 11-year low in Q1 2024. And this downward trajectory is likely to continue if companies don’t start taking proactive measures to address the issue.

To combat this continued decline in engagement, companies need to focus on effective, sustainable strategies. It’s natural to look for someone or something to blame, and remote work often becomes the scapegoat for declining engagement. Shawn Pierce is president of the Strategic Events, Meetings & Incentives (SEM&I) division at MCI USA. With teams spread across time zones and office setups, leaders face a new critical challenge: How do you build connections, inspire innovative thinking and keep people aligned when they rarely share the same room? The answer is strategic, experience-forward internal events. But these aren’t your staid, predictable annual corporate meetings of 10 years ago.

Instead, think creative, immersive experiences that engage, empower and excite your most valuable asset: Your people. Engagement—the central goal of all internal gatherings—can be elusive because it involves both the head and the heart. That’s why the most powerful internal events go beyond information sharing to create emotional connections among employees and between employees and your organization’s purpose. Just as we’ve had to rethink what workplace arrangements look like, our environment requires us to reimagine what internal events can be and what they should include. The marathon PowerPoint presentations of yesterday are out. We need to design internal events that truly involve participants in not just listening but doing—events that recognize the most valuable interactions at meetings and events often happen between agenda items, not during them.

Matthew Reeves is the CEO of Together, a mentorship platform that empowers organizations to pair every employee with a relevant mentor. Read Matthew Reeves' full executive profile here. With these integration strategies, organizations can ensure new hires are committed and engaged from the beginning. There are four top trends that will likely impact turnover in 2025, and organizations will need clear measures for facing these challenges head on. If organizations want to keep their top talent around for the foreseeable future, they need to provide adequate career development. Organizations may be overlooking the positive impact that mentorship can have on employees' well-being.

With all the changes in work and life—including hybrid and remote work—employee engagement is a significant concern. And the bad news is that is has hit an historically low level. Apparently, the shifts in the landscape of work aren’t working for people—and this had negative implications for companies as well. Workforce engagement really matters, because it is linked with effort, innovation, productivity and retention—and in a competitive landscape with a shortage of talent, it can make or break a company, its culture, its performance... But there are ways to boost engagement and create the conditions for people to bring their best, have a positive work experience and contribute to organizational results. But what is employee engagement, really?

Fundamentally, it is commitment, dedication and the energy people put into their work. It is related to the emotional connection employees feel—and the effort they invest as a result. Engagement is evident through the outcomes it produces—like productivity, innovation and retention—but engagement is also evident through the behaviors people demonstrate—individually, as teams and within the organization overall. According to a Gallup poll published in January, employee engagement in the U.S. dropped significantly in 2024, to the lowest point it’s seen in nearly a decade, with only 31% of employees engaged. Furthermore, actively disengaged employees rose to 17%, reflecting a return to 2014 levels, according to the same survey.

Each one-point drop in engagement equates to roughly 1.6 million workers, amounting to the loss of engagement across 8 million employees since 2020, including 3.2 million since 2023 alone. This decline has real consequences including lower productivity, high turnover, and weakened organizational culture. As the workplace evolves faster than traditional HR strategies can keep up, the need for more responsive, real-time solutions has become urgent. This is where artificial intelligence enters the conversation, not as a silver bullet, but as a powerful set of tools reshaping how companies understand, support, and engage their people. The future of work as we know it is changing faster than many companies can adapt, and traditional management systems are struggling to keep up. For years, organizations relied on outdated tools built for a different era.

Tools designed for hiring, feedback, and development in more static, in-person environments. As organizations deal with the challenges of remote work, hybrid models and shifting priorities, the quest to maintain and enhance employee satisfaction has taken on new dimensions. Beyond the occasional team-building retreat or office party, today's leaders are exploring innovative ways to sustain a culture of positivity and motivation throughout the year. Here, Forbes Human Resources Council members recommend 20 creative ideas that go beyond the conventional playbook, offering fresh insights into how companies can keep their workforce engaged and enthusiastic, fostering a productive and harmonious... You can create positive employee experiences by ensuring the work they do is meaningful to them, building trust between employees and the leadership, having robust communication and implementing social reward mechanisms. This way employees remain invested and emotionally attached to the business.

- Modiri Nlanda, Orange Botswana The strongest way to maintain high morale is to have a clear mission that employees emotionally connect to. And it is important to reinforce how all of their work is contributing to that mission through the success stories they're creating for customers. Emotional connection is the best driver of intrinsic motivation and it carries employees through tough work or challenges a company may face. - Michael DeAngelo, Bill.com To keep up morale and engagement, employees must be recognized for their contributions and accomplishments in real time.

Introducing continuous recognition through continuous feedback and performance-based rewards gives employees a clear understanding of their professional development and makes them feel more valued for their work and effort, which helps them stay motivated... - Tanya Jansen, beqom Integrating new employees effectively is more than just onboarding — it's about connection, clarity, and culture. Forbes shares 4 powerful strategies to improve employee integration: from mentorship and social engagement to clear goals and meaningful orientation. A well-integrated team is a stronger, more productive team. 💼✨ Contact us📩: salestalent@metova.com Visit our website 💻:https://lnkd.in/dHDc2yZa https://lnkd.in/gTS5tZFq #RecruitmentSuccess #TalentAcquisition #RRHH #MetovaTalent

Senior Vice President, Employee Benefits Onboarding is just the beginning, but integration is what drives long-term engagement, retention, and performance. In this new Forbes article, Matthew Reeves outlines 4 strategies every HR leader should consider to improve employee integration: ✅ Structured mentorship or buddy programs ✅ Informal social connection opportunities ✅ Cross-team job shadowing... ✨ 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Effective onboarding is more than a checklist — it's the critical first step in shaping employee engagement, retention, and productivity. For employers, delivering an impactful onboarding experience not only accelerates integration, but also fosters a culture of trust and belonging that resonates across the organisation. 💡 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?

A strong onboarding process lays a solid foundation for new team members, reducing turnover and boosting morale. When managers embrace their role as onboarding champions, they empower individuals to perform at their best and contribute to organisational goals from day one. 📌 𝟱 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗢𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 1️⃣ Start Before Day One – Prepare resources, set clear expectations, and connect early to ensure new hires feel welcomed before they even arrive. 2️⃣ Set Clear Goals and Milestones – Outline objectives and key deliverables, providing a structured roadmap for success in the early months. 3️⃣ Foster Meaningful Connections – Facilitate introductions with key team members and encourage mentorship opportunities to help new hires build their network. 4️⃣ Personalise the Experience – Recognise individual strengths and tailor onboarding activities to roles and aspirations to drive engagement.

5️⃣ Act on Feedback – Create regular check-ins and feedback loops to adapt the onboarding journey in real time for continuous improvement. Onboarding is a journey 🚀 — done well, it fosters a sense of belonging and long-term success. 👉 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀? 🎯 At 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, we partner with organisations to create and implement seamless onboarding experiences. From structured induction plans to compliance and policy guidance and training, we help ensure your new hires feel confident, engaged, and ready to contribute from day one. Contact us today https://lnkd.in/eSiAKvnd #Onboarding #Leadership #EmployeeExperience #ManagerTips #BusinessSuccess #InductionProcess #Team #AllenPeopleSolutions

#Workplace | A seamless onboarding experience isn’t just a welcome; it’s a retention strategy. Data shows poor onboarding drives early exits, while structured programs accelerate productivity, boost engagement, and strengthen loyalty. Read this feature by Rajika Manbansh that explores how HR leaders can implement effective onboarding practices to retain top talent and foster high-performing teams. #Onboarding #EmployeeExperience #Retention #Talent #Engagement #Loyalty #Productivity 81% of employees felt overwhelmed during the onboarding process, whilst 42% found their experience to be inconsistent. If this statistic tells us anything, it's that first impressions matter.

A well-designed onboarding program is the foundation of employee engagement and retention. It shows new starters what kind of organisational culture they're joining, what to expect in their role, and sets them up for long-term success. Forbes article 'Why better onboarding is key to improved productivity' and Glean's 'A Workforce that Thrives' report reinforce that: 🟢 First impressions set the tone: A strong start improves engagement and helps new hires... 🟢 Consistent and robust onboarding is key: Employees who go through structured onboarding make fewer mistakes, start contributing sooner, and require less follow-up or correction. 🟢 Culture & connection are critical: Introducing new hires to company values, cultural norms, and social connections helps them feel part of the team faster 🟢 Continuous support & feedback: Regular check-ins, feedback loops,... 🟢 Measuring outcomes matters: Organisations that track onboarding success can see what works, what doesn’t, and continuously improve the process.

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