If you’ve ever worked in onboarding, either for clients or for new employees, you’ll no doubt appreciate the potential for things to get chaotic. This is especially the case if multiple people or departments are involved. 

Emails can get scattered and lost. Documents can go missing. Reminders can go ignored. 

If things aren’t done to a professional standard, it could cost the company money in the form of lost income and wasted time in the hiring process. 

One solution that many businesses are turning to is automation. By introducing systems, workflows and processes, many steps that were traditionally done manually can be done automatically. This can free up time for staff, get customers properly onboarded, and staff embedded in their new workplace. 

Below, we’ll explore the best ways to automate the client onboarding process, as well as the employee onboarding process. We’ll take you through each process step by step, and share the most common pitfalls, as well as the key benefits.

First, let’s take a look at what automated onboarding is.

What is automated onboarding?

Automated onboarding is the process of welcoming a new customer or employee through a structured workflow, usually with the help of digital tools. 

In practical terms, a customer or new employee would be prompted to complete tasks. The workflow will progress them through the onboarding process upon the completion of each of those tasks. 

This has the potential to free up a massive amount of time for staff. No longer do they have to manually work through activities, like chasing ID documents or notifying payroll. 

The purpose isn’t to remove people from the process, but to make their lives easier and to free up their time. And it can free up an awful lot. Automated onboarding can help with the likes of:

• Digital forms
• Secure document collection
• Automated welcome emails
• Task assignments
• Internal notifications
• Approval workflows
• E-signatures
• Calendar bookings
• Training reminders
• Progress tracking

Let’s take a look at how the automated process would differ for clients and employees. 

Client onboarding vs employee onboarding: what’s the difference?

Onboarding for both customers and employees follows a similar path, but there are key differences. 

Client onboarding, depending on the nature of the business, may require initial meetings with various departments or the need to prepare reports and projections. A full automation in such cases, where more of a face-to-face process would be expected, has the potential to damage a company rather than help it. However, automating parts of the process can add swiftness and professionalism. 

Employee onboarding, on the other hand, is generally less unpredictable. Standardized workflows can be created, like payroll set-up and ID checks, which new hires can work through without issue. An automated system is therefore much more beneficial for this purpose. 

Below, we’ve created a handy table that explains the key differences between client and employee onboarding.

Why do businesses automate the client onboarding process?

It can be hard work to win new business. The last thing you want to do is lose clients during the onboarding process. And that’s exactly what can happen if communication is poor and the process is slow. 

To avoid this, businesses automate client onboarding to minimize delays and create a more consistent experience. 

This avoids leaving it up to individuals, who may be busy, on annual leave or unwell enough to attend work, to chase documents or reach out to new clients to fully onboard them. 

Automating client onboarding can help businesses:

• Collect the right information at the start
• Reduce back-and-forth emails
• Send faster welcome communications
• Create a more professional first impression
• Standardize internal handovers
• Avoid missing documents or project details
• Start client work sooner
• Give teams better visibility over each client’s status

You know your onboarding process works well when few clients, if any, ever leave before they complete it. If you’re haemorrhaging new work, automation could stem the losses. 

Why businesses automate employee onboarding

The situation is similar for employee onboarding. It’s especially important if the onboarding process involves a remote employee. Someone who isn’t office-based can quickly feel isolated and ignored if they’re left waiting for line managers to send them tasks or ask them for documents. 

So to make the whole process smoother, a business can introduce automation. Many employee onboarding tasks can be automated easily. For example, uploading ID documents, digitally signing contracts and documents, and completing training exercises can all be done with the help of a workflow. 

By using automated employee onboarding systems, businesses can:

• Collect employee information securely
• Reduce repetitive HR admin
• Coordinate HR, IT, payroll and management tasks
• Make sure equipment and accounts are ready on time
• Deliver policies and training consistently
• Track completion of important documents
• Improve the new hire’s first impression of the company
• Help employees become productive sooner

How can you automate client onboarding?

Let’s take a look at how to automate client onboarding. As we’ve seen above, the process should be tailored to the nature of your business. For example, in some sectors, like high-value sales, a more hands-on approach may be required.

However, many parts of the processes can be automated. Here’s how it could look. 

Step 1: Map your current client onboarding workflow

The best place to begin is to map out your current client onboarding process. It helps to write down every step that happens after a client says yes. You can use these points as your triggers for your workflow. 

In laying out your current process, you can see problematic areas, such as those that could cause a delay, as well as any unnecessary steps too.  

Step 2: Identify repetitive manual tasks

With all your tasks laid out before you, the next step is to identify those that can be considered repetitive and manual. 

This can include:

• Sending welcome emails
• Requesting documents
• Sending reminder emails
• Creating CRM records

These types of tasks are the best to automate first, especially if they take a lot of time and don’t require much human judgment. 

Step 3: Create a digital client intake form

A digital client intake form is a very useful piece in the automation puzzle. By providing your clients with a single, all-encompassing form, you won’t need to send them multiple emails or requests for information. 

The kind of data you can collect with a form like this includes:

• Contact details
• Business information
• Project goals
• Service requirements
• Key deadlines
• Billing information

This isn’t to say you should use a long form, which can slow the process down, but rather to condense things to make it easier for both parties. 

Step 4: Automate welcome emails and next steps

With a new client on board, one of the best steps you can take to build a working relationship with them is to use automated emails. 

These emails can share key information and resources, set out the next steps, and send invitations for the likes of follow up calls. 

This helps the client understand exactly what to do next. It also reduces the need for your team to manually chase information.

Step 5: Use automated document collection

One thing that can slow down onboarding processes is chasing documentation. By offering an automated system whereby people can upload documents without you having to prompt them, you can save valuable time. 

All clients need to do is upload their documents to secure portals or forms, which can then be transferred to your company’s systems. 

If documents are not uploaded, you can look to introduce automated reminders to ensure you get what you need in good time.

Tip: Looking for a way to make your client onboarding fast, efficient and professional? Try our onboarding checklists for customer success:

Onboarding for customer success

Help new customers get value quickly with steps for account setup, product walkthroughs, key contact introductions, and success milestone tracking.

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How to automate employee onboarding

Automating employee onboarding processes is a bit simpler than client onboarding. Much of the process can be standardized for your business, meaning you only have to create the workflow once for all members of staff. 

Let’s take a look at how it might function, step by step. 

Step 1: Build a repeatable employee onboarding checklist

One of the best places to start with automating employee onboarding is with a checklist. It can provide the foundation for your workflow, detailing everything that needs to happen before, during and after the new employee’s first day. 

An automated system could include steps and tasks like:

• Collect personal details
• Collect payroll information
• Complete right-to-work or eligibility checks
• Request emergency contact details
• Order equipment
• Create email and software accounts

Step 2: Collect employee information securely

Given how much of the employee onboarding process can be automated, a key consideration for organizations is to collect data and documents securely. 

Sometimes, very personal and sensitive data needs to be shared by employees with their new employers. If proper steps aren’t followed, it could lead to a data breach, and that can cause myriad problems for both the individual and the company. 

Using a secure system will allow you to gather the likes of:

• Bank details
• Tax information
• Right-to-work documentation
• Signed policy acknowledgements
• Equality and diversity information, where appropriate
• Benefit enrolment details

Step 3: Automate HR, IT and payroll tasks

Employees often have to deal with numerous departments when they first join. There might be HR, payroll, the department they work in, and other relevant ones besides that. 

A centralized workflow can bring all of those teams together, sharing key information and ensuring all onboarding tasks have been completed. 

Crucially, this avoids a new hire arriving on their first day without anything being set up for them, meaning they can dive right into the job. 

Step 4: Automate first-day and first-week communications

The first day and first week are important for any new hires. If good first impressions aren’t made, then an individual could walk away, rendering the whole recruitment process a waste of time. 

While automation can help with first-day and week communications, it shouldn’t outright replace them. If anything, it should be used to handle the admin so that more personal relationships can be forged.

Tip: Looking for a fast, easy way to run your employee onboarding? Browse Onthen's ready made checklists for onboarding employees:

Onboarding for human resources

Get new employees up and running from day one with a structured onboarding experience that covers everything from paperwork and policy sign-offs to team…

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Common mistakes to avoid when automating onboarding

The main purpose of automation is to help make a process run more smoothly and with greater clarity. Problems can arise if the existing process is already unclear or confusing, so a certain degree of critical reflection is required. 

When reviewing current systems and designing your new one, it can help to avoid some of these common mistakes that we’ve seen in our experience in this area:

• Automating a broken process without improving it first
• Asking clients or employees for the same information more than once. This can cause frustration and may lead to clients or employees walking away
• Creating forms that are too long or complicated. If you do have detailed forms, try breaking them down into smaller chunks. Digital automation can help with this.
• Failing to assign internal task owners. This can lead to clients or employees being left in limbo
• Sending too many automated emails
• Using disconnected tools that do not share information, which can lead to mass inefficiency
• Forgetting to test the workflow before launching it
• Not setting up reminders for incomplete tasks
• Removing too much personal contact
• Failing to review the process after it goes live

The best approach to take is to start with something simple. Test it, get feedback, tweak and improve. Over time, you’ll build a process that works both for you and your clients and staff. 

What should not be fully automated?

As we’ve mentioned above, not every part of the process should be automated. At some level, human interaction is required, especially when it comes to signing up new clients. More relationship skills may be needed, including the ability to network, use judgment, show empathy and engage in conversation. Balanced with technology, this approach can work very well, whilst freeing up time. 

Below, you can find examples of some parts of the process that shouldn’t be automated:

• Sensitive HR conversations. These can involve discussions over personal and medical matters, which require a level of empathy and compassion
• Complex client scoping discussions. If a client doesn’t feel confident in your ability to do the job, they’ll walk
• Role expectations. This can lead to confusion down the line
• Performance conversations, especially if there are negative issues with performance that need to be addressed and could be linked to probation and disciplinary action
• Culture and values discussions
• Conflict resolution
• Bespoke legal, financial or compliance advice. This can again lead to confusion. 
• Relationship-building calls
• Personal introductions

The best area to look at for automation is admin. The relationship should not be automated, but everything around it could be. Overall, it should make the job easier so that your team can focus on having the conversations that matter. 

Best tools for onboarding automation

If you’re interested in developing an onboarding process, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are lots of tools available to make it happen. Let’s take a look at some of the most common.

Workflow automation software

If you’re looking for a quick and efficient solution, then turning to workflow automation software may be your best bet. 

Tools like Onthen provide a complete solution to the onboarding process. It can be used for remote onboarding as well as for more client-facing processes, too. And it’s free to use, so if you’d like to try it out, head here. 

Once you set up your workflow, the software will respond to trigger actions, sending emails, assigning tasks, updating records and notifying team members. 

CRM software

If your company has a CRM, you may be able to adapt it to help with the onboarding process. It can be especially helpful for client onboarding.

Being plugged into your system already, you can automatically update client records, contract details, follow-up tasks, and communication history. This all helps ensure you provide the very best service possible. 

E-signature tools

One of the most important parts of the automated onboarding process is securely gathering e-signatures. By opting for this, you can avoid delays in sending out contracts and waiting for signatures. 

This can lead to quicker client sign-up times, better success rates, and a swifter and smoother onboarding process as a whole. 

However, using a trusted and reliable e-signature tool is very important. These tools need to handle sensitive documents and contracts, so security is vital. 

Calendar and scheduling tools

Another useful tool to help with the automated onboarding process is calendar and scheduling software. By allowing clients and employees to book meetings, for example, you can remove the back and forth, freeing up time to focus on preparation and other tasks. 

These tools can be used for the likes of:

• Client kick-off calls
• Discovery meetings
• HR onboarding calls
• First-day meetings
• Training sessions
• Manager check-ins

By plugging them into company calendars, you can keep everyone informed and workflows running like clockwork. 

FAQs 

Let’s take a look at some common questions on how to automate employee and client onboarding processes.

What onboarding tasks can be automated?

Common onboarding tasks that can be automated include form collection, document requests, contract signing, welcome emails, task assignments, calendar bookings, training reminders, approval workflows and the likes of feedback surveys.

Does onboarding automation replace personal communication?

No. Onboarding automation should support personal communication, not replace it. The best onboarding workflows automate repetitive admin while preserving human relationships, such as welcome calls, manager check-ins and client relationship-building conversations.

What is the best way to start automating onboarding?

The best way to start is to map your current process and identify the repetitive tasks that slow your team down. From there, you can begin to automate parts of that process with the likes of digital forms and reminders. From there, you can develop things further.