U.S. employers are falling short when it comes to onboarding new employees, according to new research from Eagle Hill Consulting. Recent new hires indicate that their onboarding did not adequately cover many of the basics employees need to be successful.

This has real-world consequences. According to recent Gallup research:

70% of employees who had exceptional onboarding experiences say they have 'the best possible job.' These employees are also 2.6 times as likely to be extremely satisfied with their workplace - and consequently, far more likely to stay.

Among the most prominent issues new-hire are concerned about are:

• Lack of relationship building - new hires often feel isolated (71%)
• Organizational culture shock - the culture of the company does not match the culture as presented by the employer brand (62%)
• Technology - (54%)
• Benefits - (46%)

The sentiment comes as employers are experiencing an unprecedented surge in onboarding amid the Great Resignation. The number of Americans quitting their jobs continues to rise, up to 4.4 million in February according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

Related: 92% of C-level Leaders Admit their Company Will Not Meet 2022 Goals if Record Quit Rates and Hiring Challenges Continue

The research also finds that only 50% of workers expect to be at the same job three years from now. Also, about half (49%) of employees who started a new job are not getting trained in person – it's either virtual (31%) or hybrid (18%). In a 2020 survey by Workable, respondents in HR reported remote onboarding or training as the biggest hiring challenge during the pandemic, and it continues to challenge employers.

In a 2021 survey from Principles, 94% of HR professionals who responded said people they’d hired during the pandemic have only interacted within the company virtually, and of those respondents, 31% said employees were struggling to connect with colleagues. Ten percent weren’t even sure how new hires were adapting.

"Onboarding is so much more than paperwork and checklists," says Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. "What you don't want is for your company to become 'The Great Regret' for new employees because of an onboarding failure. Done wrong, onboarding can damage performance and moral, which drives employees right out the door. But done right, onboarding can set employees up for success in terms of strengthening their career development, enabling them to live your culture and values, and developing strong relationships across the organization. Ultimately, strategic onboarding helps retain employees, creates and engaged workforce, and boosts organizational and individual performance."

A truly strategic onboarding process brings new employees up to speed 50% faster, which means they’re more quickly and efficiently able to contribute to achieving company goals. That said, the world has shifted. In the face of the "new normal" driven by the Great Resignation, it's critical for organizations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their onboarding efforts now, in order to help employees feel a sense of belonging and value, even if they're working remotely.

"What's key for employers is to stop thinking about onboarding as a just a short-term human resources function," Jezior explained. "Successfully folding new hires into your organization happens over time with many people involved, which is all the more complex given the growth of remote and hybrid work."

In terms of what employees want most during their first month on the job:

• 83% want more knowledge of how performance is measured
• 76% want more information on mental and physical health resources
• 75% want more opportunities to make personal connections with team members
• 74% want more guidance on how to be successful in the corporate culture

When done well, onboarding has the potential to drive productivity and job satisfaction, and yet according to Deloitte, few companies question whether their onboarding programs are even effective.