Onboarding is the start of a new employee’s lifetime career at your company. It’s a make-or-break moment in the hiring cycle. Properly onboarded employees increase retention and weed out the bad hires before leaving a mark.

Employee onboarding should give a memorable experience covering the A-Zs and anticipating questions before they’re even asked. Onboarding tools can ease onboarding for both you and your new hires.

Employee onboarding tools are vital to helping your recruits start on the right foot. New employees need to be welcomed to the team, know their role, and understand what is expected of them to succeed in the company.

If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.

Our Top Picks

  1. Best All-In-One Employee Onboarding App

    Learn more

  2. Best for Ease of Use

  3. Best for Multilingual Employees

What to Look For in a Employee Onboarding App

  • Courses: Create courses for your new employees to complete, different courses for different departments, and ensure they retain the information with quizzes at the end of each section.
  • Knowledge Base: Where documents are digitally stored so employees can easily look up any needed information.
  • Employee directory: New hires need to contact many people, from their managers to the HR team.
  • Communication and Chat: When onboarding it is especially critical that the new hires are able to reach out to relevant sources when they have questions.
  • Contracts and e-signatures: New employees will no doubt have a lot of paperwork to fill out and sign.
  • Employee Feedback: It’s vital to know how the onboarding process is going to make improvements for future recruits.

The 9 Best Employee Onboarding Apps of 2023

  1. Connecteam — Best All-in-One Employee Onboarding App

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Onboarding app with 3 pictures, quiz, onboarding overview, and onboarding progress

    Connecteams onboarding tools include custom courses, a knowledge base, employee directory, communication features and more. The course feature allows the user to create onboarding courses for specific employees to make sure they are seeing the right material, in the right order, at the right time.

    Even create quizzes at the end of each section to ensure the new hires are retaining important information. Once onboarding is complete, the knowledge base is available for employees to easily look up important information should they need it.

    The employee directory and communication features are robust both in the way to look up contact information as well as in the ways available to chat with one another. Connecteam is easily accessible from your desktop or mobile device making it convenient for both you and your employees to use.

     

    Trusted by Over 36,000 Companies Worldwide

    Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Get Started Now!

    Key Features

    Pros

    • All-in-one onboarding platform

    • Modern, adaptable, and intuitive to use

    • Highly customizable

    Cons

    • Limited third-party integrations (more in development)

    Pricing

    Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users

    14-day free trial, no credit card required

    Start your free trial

  2. Absorb — Best for Ease of Use

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the Absorb webpage

    Absorb is an easy-to-use cloud-based learning management system to build courses for new employees demonstrating the skills needed to thrive in your company. It has many of the features needed to seamlessly onboard new employees and it’s intuitive to use. The Absorb employee onboarding tool also meets the WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards.

    Whether onboarding or training employees or creating courses for external use, Absorb has a solution for you with the ability to sell custom courses.

    The AI assistant is an impressive addition to the software, you can search using common language and the AI tech will find results quickly. The AI technology can also suggest courses that will be interesting to each employee individually.

    Learn more about Absorb

    Key Features

    • Artificial intelligence
    • Course Monetization 
    • Learner engagement
    • Customizable courses
    • Reporting and analytics

    Pros

    • Easy to use
    • E-signatures
    • Extremely customizable 

    Cons

    • Limited third-party integrations
    • Not the most helpful customer support

    Pricing

    Starts at $800/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  3. EduMe — Best for Multilingual Users

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the EduMe webpage

    EduMe is a mobile-based employee onboarding app that helps new recruits onboard in less time. You are able to create and distribute training materials within hours. EduMe can help you scale your business by reducing time spent teaching and demonstrating onboarding lessons and instead automate courses to get everyone on the same page.

    Keep employees for longer by ensuring each employee knows what is expected of them and exactly how to achieve their goals. This all starts with the right employee onboarding tools. The courses can be sent out in the employees’ native language to make sure everyone is comprehending as much as possible. Even set up short quizzes at the end of each lesson to test their information retention.

    Learn more about EduMe

    Key Features

    • Automate operations 
    • Create content in any language
    • Bulk actions 
    • Third-party integrations 
    • Course assessments 

    Pros

    • User-friendly
    • Real-time data 
    • High security 

    Cons

    • Not enough reporting features
    • Must unpublish to make changes

    Pricing

    Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: No

  4. Bamboo HR — Best for Start-ups 

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Bamboo HR webpage

    Bamboo HR is highly customizable for each employee. Courses can be created based on your employees’ jobs, departments, locations, or any other group that suits your company.

    They offer onboarding templates to make the administrative process as easy as the user experience. Set up welcome emails and IT checklists before the new hires even arrive to streamline the process before it begins.

    Keep new employees engaged by sending them onboarding tasks before they start, from introductions to first-day scheduling, give them a taste of what to expect. HR can track employee progress throughout the courses and even see where employees get stuck.

    Learn more about Bamboo HR

    Key Features

    • Onboarding templates
    • Application tracking 
    • Employee portal
    • Offboarding insights 
    • Third-party integrations

    Pros

    • E-signature
    • Highly customizable
    • Employee directory

    Cons

    • Complex implementation
    • Lacking in back-office features

    Pricing

    Contact vendor for price Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  5. ClearCompany — Best for Bulk Onboarding 

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the ClearCompany webpage

    ClearCompany has features to create bulk onboarding courses simultaneously. You can use the employee onboarding app to pre-schedule courses with check-in dates to make sure no one falls through the cracks. From the application process through to the first few days on the job, ClearCompany has features to help employees feel connected to their peers.

    The mobile-friendly employee onboarding app lets you mix and match features to pay only for what you need. Application tracking, onboarding, or performance management, use the features you need and easily scale as your company grows. Integrate with third parties to do back-office tasks such as payroll.

    Learn more about ClearCompany

    Key Features

    • Bulk actions
    • Background checks
    • Intelligent forms
    • Compliance management  
    • Device and equipment management

    Pros

    • Employee recognition tools 
    • New hire automated check-ins
    • Reporting features

    Cons

    • Reviews have said the software is glitchy  
    • Not the most intuitive user interface

    Pricing

    Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: No

  6. Rippling — Best for Software Management

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Rippling webpage

    Rippling is an employee onboarding platform with tools ranging from learning management to benefits enrollment. You can throw away the traditional paperwork using Rippling and get all e-documents signed and stored electronically.

    The full range of Rippling’s features includes device set-up, security, and monitoring. They can even create and password-protect recruits’ software before starting their first day. All you have to do is enter basic information about each onboarding employee, and Rippling will do the rest.

    Learn more about Rippling

    Key Features

    • Employee database 
    • Onboarding automation
    • Employee benefit enrollment
    • Learning management 

    Pros

    • Many third-party integrations
    • Real-time device monitoring 
    • Automated reporting 

    Cons

    • Not so intuitive to use 
    • Reports of slow customer service response

    Pricing

    Starts at $8/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  7. Looop — Best Learning Management

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Looop webpage

    Looop makes the user experience their priority and has even won awards in recognition of its efforts. Looop has been praised for its customer service efforts and responsiveness, adding to the user experience.

    The learning management is fairly intuitive, so the entire company can use the app and move along at their own learning pace. Course creation is vital for online learning and employee onboarding as well as training automation to make sure employees stay up-to-date with new information and refresher courses.

    Learn more about Looop

    Key Features

    • Learning and development automation 
    • Communication integrations with third-parties
    • Unlimited content creation 
    • Automatic cloud-based content backups
    • Customizable branding 

    Pros

    • Third-party integrations
    • Responsive customer support 
    • Certify employees during onboarding

    Cons

    • No drag and drop features
    • Events aren’t added to Google Calendar 

    Pricing

    Contact vendor for price Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

  8. Sapling — Best for Midsize Companies

    Available on

    • Web
    Screenshot of the Sapling webpage

    Sapling has many of the features needed to connect all of the members of your organization. To be able to contact the person you need, you can use the employee profiles to find the data you need and take a look at the organization charts to find someone by their position in a quickly growing company.

    Regarding employee onboarding tools, Sapling gives the user the ability to create workflows automatically assigned to employees based on their department, location, or employment type. Sapling also integrates with many third-party software solutions to fully digitize your systems.

    Learn more about Sapling

    Key Features

    • Import recruitment data 
    • Third-party integrations
    • Bulk onboarding 
    • Task automation 

    Pros

    • Set up new employee profiles before their start date
    • e-signatures 
    • Track employee progress

    Cons

    • Many bugs reported due to feature development
    • Works best with PC 

    Pricing

    Starts at $282/month Trial: No Free Plan: No

  9. Zenefits — Best for Hiring

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Zenefits webpage

    Zenefits is good for hiring because they are able to send a compensation and benefits package to potential hires, request a background check, and automatically send offer letters. Once an offer is accepted, contracts, including e-signatures, are sent to the new hire. Once the new hire has signed all paperwork, they can begin onboarding, giving ample time to complete the process even before their first day on the job.

    Zenefits has many third-party software integrations available to streamline payroll, scheduling, and employee benefits. Employees can access their profiles as well as onboarding courses from a desktop or a mobile device, making it a comfortable user experience.

    Learn more about Zenefits

    Key Features

    • Self-onboarding
    • Time-off tracking 
    • Documentation management 
    • Third-party integrations 

    Pros

    • Many reporting features 
    • Scheduling and PTO features 
    • Easy to use once set-up

    Cons

    • Complex integration 
    • Slow customer support response times 

    Pricing

    Starts at $8/user/month Trial: No Free Plan: No

Compare the Best Employee Onboarding Apps

Topic
Reviews
4.8
4.4
4.7
4.6
4.4
4.9
4.9
4.7
4.2
Pricing
Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
Starts at $800/month
Contact vendor for price
Contact vendor for price
Contact vendor for price
Starts at $8/user/month
Contact vendor for price
Starts at $282/month
Starts at $8/user/month
Free Trial
yes
14-day
yes
no
yes
no
yes
yes
no
no
Free Plan
yes
Free Up to 10 users
no
no
no
no
no
yes
no
no

What is an onboarding app?

An onboarding app is designed to make onboarding new hires easier. Easier for the employees’ training, easier for HR, and easier for the new hire.

The new hire can work and learn at their own pace, submit any documentation straight to HR, and ask questions to coworkers rather than a coworker taking hours teaching about the role.

Onboarding apps make sure all relevant information is conveyed to the new employee, leading to higher productivity and longer retention. An employee onboarding app is critical to the success of a company in the digital world.

How does an onboarding app work?

An onboarding app works by creating onboarding courses for new hires based on their job title, location, or any other factor you enter. It sends them courses to complete where you can quiz them throughout the course to ensure they are retaining the knowledge.

The onboarding app also deals with onboarding paperwork such as contracts and e-signatures, employee benefits, and more.

Onboarding apps are a great resource for companies to ensure no information falls through the cracks and no employees get lost along the way since everyone can learn at their own pace, and you can even track their progress.

In today’s day in age, all companies should be using an employee onboarding app.

Benefits of an onboarding app

The benefits of an onboarding app are endless. A study shows that properly onboarded employees improve company retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. That’s already enough of a reason to begin using an onboarding app!

If you need another reason to start using an onboarding app for your company, think about your employees. To take time out of someone’s schedule to teach someone else how things are done is a waste of time for them and a waste of company money. Being able to digitize and streamline your onboarding process saves time and money.

Of course, new hires should be able to ask questions and create bonds with their coworkers, and that’s why onboarding apps, like Connecteam, have excellent communication features and employee directories.

In the 21st century, it’s critical to move onboarding to the digital world.

How much does an onboarding app cost? 

While there is a range of costs for different onboarding apps, the main things to consider are the size of your company and what you are getting for the price.

There are some options out there that are affordable when you have less than 10 employees, but once you start to grow, they become obscenely expensive. At the same time, you want to consider the cost; you also want to make sure you are getting what you need out of the onboarding app. It doesn’t do much good to pay for an app when it doesn’t fulfill your company’s needs.

Our top pick is Connecteam for the reasons listed above. It’s very reasonably priced (in fact, it’s only $29/month for up to 30 employees!), and it includes all of the features you could need in an onboarding app. Other apps like Sapling cost a minimum of $282/month for just one employee!

Get all the benefits you need at a price you can afford.

FAQs

What are onboarding tools?

Onboarding tools are tools used to improve the onboarding process. The tools guide new employees through the company structure, their specific job, and any other information you want to let them know before they fully dive into their new role.

What is employee onboarding software?

Employee onboarding software is used to get new hires acclimated with your company. This includes preparing them before their first day begins as well as the information they need to succe

What are the 4 phases of onboarding?

  • Phase 1: Pre-onboarding – before their first day
  • Phase 2: Welcoming new hires – introductions to the entire company
  • Phase 3: Role-specific training – teach them what is expected and how to succeed at their job
  • Phase 4: Easing the transition to their new role – give them time to ask questions and make mistakes until they are comfortable in the role.

What are the 4 C's of onboarding?

For employee onboarding to be successful, you must cover the four C’s.

  1. Compliance
  2. Clarification
  3. Culture
  4. Connection

The Bottom Line On Employee Onboarding App

To increase productivity and employee retention, proper onboarding is necessary. Almost 33% of employees start looking for a new job just 6 months into the start of a job, and that’s due to poor onboarding. On the flip side, over 69% of employees stay for three or more years due to proper onboarding. The data is there; it’s time to refresh your onboarding processes.

The best onboarding apps are laid out for you; look into them, decide on the right fit for you and your company, but most importantly, start using one today!