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ALLENCOMM BLOG | Insights

The Learning Leader’s Guide To Onboarding Training Trends 

January 16, 2025 Avatar image of Christopher Pappas By Christopher Pappas

This article was written by the eLearning Industry founder, Christopher Pappas.
Organizations are seeing continuous progress when it comes to onboarding, and this new year will be no different. As L&D leaders continue to move away from one-dimensional onboarding strategies and approaches, a greater emphasis on customization, technology, and employee experience will take place. In this article, we explore various onboarding training trends that companies are expected to focus on in 2025 in their efforts to reshape onboarding into a more effective and impactful process. 

10 Onboarding Training Trends Your Business Needs 

1. Improving Retention 

Onboarding is a crucial component of building employee loyalty. From day one, the onboarding process must focus on fostering a sense of community and belonging for new hires. Instead of relying solely on unyielding checklists and forms, focus your energy on creating personalized learning paths and targeted content that make employees feel welcomed and valued for their unique skills. As a result, they will be more likely to stay with your company for longer and put their best foot forward. 

2. Focusing On Employee Experience 

An onboarding training trend organizations are already applying is designing with the employee experience in mind. Nowadays, there’s so much more to onboarding than filling out paperwork and completing training courses. Employees enjoy comprehensive and thought-out onboarding experiences that start before the first day of employment and consistently stay in touch with the employee to identify any necessary changes. For example, organizations conduct pulse checks and engagement surveys to identify how employees feel about the onboarding process using data and insights that cannot be extracted from a Learning Management System (LMS). 

3. Engaging Hybrid And Remote Employees 

Although many companies are promoting a return to the office, there is no denying that hybrid and remote work are here to stay. Naturally, onboarding needs to reflect this shift by adopting strategies that foster inclusivity and connectivity among remote employees. Some examples would be providing new hires with simulated tours of the office, using digital project management and training tools that are easily accessible, and investing in reliable communication platforms. This way, you can overcome physical distance and attract a wider pool of potential employees. 

4. Adapting To Mobile Use 

It is essential for businesses to understand that onboarding can take place outside of the workplace and on devices other than a work computer. Moving into the new year, make sure to design onboarding training content that is bite-sized and accessible on mobile devices, such as smartphones. This way, new hires will be able to complete their onboarding activities and remain engaged anywhere and anytime. Additionally, in-app satisfaction surveys will provide valuable engagement metrics that will shed light on the effectiveness of the mobile onboarding experience. 

5. Providing Role-Specific Content 

The time for one-size-fits-all onboarding has passed. Considering the diverse range of job roles and the varying levels of experience that new hires come with, it is essential for your onboarding strategy to take a more targeted approach. In other words, you need to create role-specific training paths that include personalized courses, workflows, and resources to match each employee’s unique needs. In doing so, you will create a more engaging onboarding experience as well as reduce the time it takes for new employees to become truly productive. 

6. Experimenting With Innovative Technologies 

Many of the onboarding training trends we describe in this article are dependent on using the right technology. To achieve a satisfactory level of immersion and, subsequently, engagement, you need to make sure you are utilizing tools that incorporate Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others. These technologies can help create unique learning experiences for your employees, capturing their attention and helping them achieve great learning outcomes. For instance, AR can enhance gamification activities and boost learning retention, while AI can provide personalized learning content recommendations and in-depth analytics. 

7. Expanding The Length Of Onboarding 

For a long time, onboarding has been synonymous with a short process for most businesses. However, a growing trend is extending the length of onboarding from a few weeks to six months or even a year. This is a result of businesses realizing that a longer onboarding process is essential for helping employees reach their full potential and become a part of the corporate culture. This shift requires a comprehensive plan that includes both long-term and short-term goals that align not only with organizational objectives but also with each employee’s personalized development plan. Don’t forget to include continuous feedback loops and surveys to stay in touch with how your employees are experiencing onboarding and determine whether they need additional support. 

8. Exploring Mentorship Or Peer Collaboration Programs 

Collaborative learning is essential during onboarding. As employees enter a new workplace, acquiring new skills is not the only thing they need to do. They must also develop relationships with their colleagues in order to understand and adopt company values, gain access to valuable on-the-job insights, and develop a connection to the company. Mentorship and peer collaboration programs can help them achieve all that by offering employees some much-needed guidance and support as they take their first steps in the company. More experienced employees can share advice, resources, and feedback that a training course alone cannot provide. 

9. Evaluating Readiness 

L&D leaders have grown accustomed to using their LMS of choice to collect data for measuring the effectiveness of their onboarding strategies. However, they need to keep in mind that these traditional metrics can only tell you so much about the ways in which onboarding prepares employees to take on their new responsibilities. Moving forward, consider enriching this process with 360-degree feedback, manager and colleague evaluations, and knowledge assessments at various stages of the training program. A multifaceted approach to evaluating readiness will ensure that your onboarding training program is truly impactful. 

10. Re-Evaluating Your Tech Stack 

There is a lot of talk about technology in this article and the industry as a whole. However, the onboarding training trend in 2025 won’t be acquiring as many tools and software as possible. On the contrary, you must evaluate your tech stack to determine whether you have overcomplicated things for your employees or are overpaying for unnecessary features. For example, many businesses switched to LXPs for their enhanced functionalities, only to realize that their existing tools or an upgraded version of their LMS might have been able to cover their tech needs all along. Therefore, take a closer look at your tech stack to identify potential adjustments to boost cohesiveness and cost-effectiveness. 

Conclusion 

Onboarding is taking on a new form as we move into the new year. From simple and fast knowledge transfer, it has become a comprehensive process that ensures new employees are integrated into their new workplace effectively, providing an employee-centric experience that brings maximum results. Closely examine your current onboarding strategy and identify training trends you can incorporate to enhance its effectiveness and improve the overall experience for employees. If necessary, consider collaborating with the right partner who can guide you through the changes you need to implement and help you achieve your desired outcomes. 

Useful Links 

If you want to know more about the innovative ways in which AllenComm helps businesses revolutionize their onboarding practices, read the following success stories: 

Resources For L&D Leaders

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The final deliverable is a combination of the previous three—the Research Plan, Key Findings report, and Opportunity Analysis—with final revisions complete and ready for approval.

The Actionable Insights report will help you start bringing your vision to life by…

  • Listing available options to fill the gaps between your current and future state
  • Evaluating and rating the options based on objectives and decision-making criteria
  • Providing clear, actionable recommendations on next steps
  • Illustrating an implementation roadmap based on the recommended option(s)


But our partnership doesn’t stop there. We’d love to use our 40+ years of experience in advisory to help you overcome any barriers to getting started, such as winning buy in from key decision makers and stakeholders. Once we submit the report, we’ll facilitate a meeting in which we present the results to core analysis team members and any stakeholders or decision makers you invite, and we’ll answer questions to help rally others to your cause.


After the meeting, we’ll refine the report with final feedback to reflect all decisions made to help guide you to success as you set out on the journey ahead.

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opportunity analysis

Our third deliverable takes analysis to the next level by fully identifying the opportunity ahead with…

  • A summary of all gaps between the Key Findings report and the objectives and desired outcomes outlined in the Research Plan
  • A current-state map of key platforms and technologies in the learning ecosystem
  • A future-state map representing possible, desirable architecture or configuration of the learning tech ecosystem
  • A breakdown of the delta between the current state and the future state maps
  • An assessment of your organization’s readiness for change, knowledge constraints, and identified risks


We want to be your partner throughout the process, not just another consultant. That’s why continued alignment on next steps and deliverables is critical to our process. As we refine the vision of what your future state can look like—and how you can get there—we’ll note any revisions for the next phase before moving forward with any recommendations.

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Key Findings

After the initial analysis and Research Plan are approved, we’ll review the assets provided and meet with your team, including key decision makers, to answer any remaining questions from the plan.

Then, we’ll deliver a Key Findings report that summarizes:

  • Curated data based on the answers and information received from meetings so far
  • Highlights of the analysis, reports, and data from key platforms
  • Raw, comprehensive responses (generated by AI) in an appendix for your reference
  • An aggregation of data received and reviewed in an appendix


We can use the Key Findings report to verify all parties are aligned on next steps, as well as review any gaps that still exist due to people or data being unavailable at this stage. You’ll have another opportunity to approve this new report before we proceed with the gap and opportunity analysis.

 

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research plan

We want to help you succeed! That’s why every advisory partnership starts with a deeper understanding of what you need (and when you need it by). We’ll facilitate an initial planning meeting with a core analysis team, which includes your primary team members as well as the AllenComm Advisory team.


In this meeting, we’ll work together to complete a qualitative and quantitative analysis that defines:

  • A summary of your objectives and desired outcomes
  • The groups, stakeholders, and leaders that will be involved in the process
  • The research questions we need to answer during follow-up advisory meetings
  • Existing reports and data from key platforms/tech that are relevant to answering questions or filling gaps
  • Next steps for who will provide access to reports/data and on what timeline
  • Action items and timelines for other advisory activities


We’ll compile all of this information in a Research Plan for you to review and approve before moving on to the next phase.

cost reduction

Implement enabling guidelines that control or reduce expenses while prioritizing high-quality learning experiences & outcomes

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actionable insights

We bring every deliverable together into a comprehensive, personalized plan of action—an Actionable Insights report—that’s fully refined and ready to execute once buy in is secured.

The Actionable Insights report…

  • Outlines practical options to bridge the gap between your current and ideal future state
  • Assesses and scores those options based on your goals and decision-making criteria
  • Offers clear, prioritized recommendations for next steps
  • Maps out a high-level implementation plan based on these recommendations

We know securing buy in is easier said than done. With over 40 years of advisory tech experience, we’re here to help! As part of our partnership, we can present the report to the core analysis team and any decision-makers you’d like to include. This session is designed to answer questions and build momentum around your vision.

Following the presentation, we’ll incorporate final feedback into the report to reflect all decisions made—ensuring you’re equipped with an actionable, aligned path forward.

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opportunity analysis

Our third major deliverable, the Opportunity Analysis, builds on the previous phase by clearly outlining the opportunities ahead. This includes:

  • A detailed comparison between the Key Findings report and the original goals defined in the Research Plan
  • A visual representation of your current learning platforms and technologies
  • A proposed future-state model that illustrates an ideal configuration of your learning tech ecosystem
  • A gap analysis showing the differences between where you are now and where you want to be
  • An evaluation of your organization’s change readiness, knowledge limitations, and potential risks

We aim to be a true partner—not just a vendor—throughout this journey. That’s why maintaining alignment on deliverables and next steps is essential. As we refine your vision for the future, we’ll document any updates needed for the next phase before moving into formal recommendations.

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Key Findings

Once the initial analysis is complete and the Research Plan has your approval, we’ll begin reviewing the materials you’ve shared and meet with your team to address any outstanding questions. 



Following that, we’ll deliver a Key Findings report that includes:

  • Organized findings based on discussions and data gathered so far (including highlights of the analysis and platform reports)
  • A full appendix of raw responses (captured via AI) for transparency
  • An additional appendix that logs all data sources referenced so far

The Key Findings report helps ensure everyone is aligned on what comes next and is aware of any remaining gaps due to unavailable data or stakeholders. You’ll have a chance to review and approve this report before we move into the gap and opportunity analysis phase.

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research plan

Your success is our success! That’s why we begin every advisory tech engagement with a thorough discovery of your priorities and timelines. We’ll coordinate a kickoff session with a dedicated analysis group, including your key stakeholders and the AllenComm Advisory team.

During this session, we’ll collaborate to conduct qualitative and quantitative assessments that clarify:

  • Your ideal goals and outcomes
  • Who will be involved (including other teams, leaders, and stakeholders)
  • The core questions we’ll explore in future tech advisory sessions
  • Existing data and reports from relevant platforms or tools that can inform our analysis
  • Assignments to individuals who will provide access to resources and by when
  • Action items and timelines for the next steps in the advisory process

The result of step one? A unique Research Plan tailored to your situation, which you can review and approve before we move forward.

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Many learning leaders need agile access to L&D experts that are ahead of the learning curve on AI and are ready to bring that skillset to your initiative and team. Our AllenComm Talent Network boosts capacity, expands access to expertise, and dramatically increases response time in an economic climate that has become volatile and unpredictable. Our staffing services provide resources for a one-time or strategic initiative without the risk or commitment of bringing on permanent team members.

Today, a mixed strategy of project outsourcing, staff augmentation, and internal team capabilities can be more strategic than ever before. There are just a few of the experts we can provide: 

  • Learning designers with knowledge of AI development tools for content curation and media development
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Our learning tech services and custom development improves the performance, analytics, and interoperability of our clients learning tech ecosystem leveraging emerging AI technology. Usually, our services result in a new decrease in the overall learning spend for learning technology while bridging significant gaps in the capabilities of the tech stack. The goal is an optimized environment that manages and enables learner experiences (LX) and tracks key analytics. We work with almost any commercial LMS, LCMS, LXP, authoring system, or HRIS.

The value of our AI-powered tech services include:

  • Custom web services, including AI agents and other add-ons, for cohort and social learning, learner-generated reviews and ratings, action plans that transfer to the work environment, project-based learning, and more.
  • Custom learning management that goes beyond record-keeping to scaffold the learner experience (LX) with personalized skills-based learning, dynamic learning journeys, adaptive learning, and cross-platform, omni-channel solutions.
  • AI-enablement of your in-house development team that transforms authoring of assessments, simulations, gamification, mobile learning, maintenance, data-driven decision-making, etc.  

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Custom learner experience design (LXD) of instructor-led training (ILT), virtual instructor-led training (V-ILT), eLearning or web-based training (WBT), and all of the options for gamification, simulation, AR/VR, etc., can be made more efficient and more media-rich through the use of GenAI and other AI technologies.

AllenComm’s design & development practice has evolved to take advantage of these technologies to deliver the following:

  • AI-powered analysis that supports human, critically astute insights from our performance consultants
  • Supercharged design that puts the relevant research and strategy at the fingertips of our designers, accelerating synthesis, upskilling on your business context, etc.
  • More and better media development (audio, video, sims, assessments, etc.) that suits the instructional objectives rather than just the project budget
  • AI-enabled evaluation and assessment to free learning organizations from the current constraints of their learning tech stack

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on emerging learning tech

Our Learning Tech Advisory practice gives access to expert consultants who will provide actionable recommendations specific to the needs of your organization. Our pragmatic approach is wildly different from big consulting—we’re focused on the governance, decision-making, necessary skillsets, and realistic roadmaps.

An AI-enabled learning tech ecosystem should afford:

  • Personalization
  • Accelerated design and development
  • Measurement and analytics
  • Learning in the flow of work
  • Adaptive learning 

And much more. Our process has realized 10x value with largest clients.   

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representative talent profile

instructional writer

Position(s): Lead or supporting writer
Years of Instructional Experience: 2+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: Instructional Writing, Technical Writing, Instructional Design, Content Curation, eLearning Development, Curriculum Development, Course Authoring, Storytelling, Learning Assessment, Editing, Proofreading, AI Prompt Engineering

Media Skills: Use of stock media libraries

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Career Highlights:

  • Scripted over 100 hours of learning content and supporting materials for different modalities for both US and global audiences  
  • Adapted writing style and reading grade level to suit design specifications and learner needs in several different industries (finance, healthcare, manufacturing, etc.) 
  • Used generative AI to supplement source content and to accelerate the writing process (without plagiarism) 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

learning experience designer

Position(s): Learning Experience (LX) Designer or Strategist
Years of Instructional Experience: 7+
Number of Completed Projects: 30+

Key Skills: Learner Experience Design (LXD),  Instructional Design, Learning Assessment,  Hybrid Learning, Learning in the Flow of Work, Project-Based Learning Methodologies, Cohort and Social Learning, Learner Experience Platforms

Media Skills: LX journey maps and representations of other interconnected or integrated learning strategies 

Strengths: Systems Thinking, Stakeholder Communication, Instructional Design Strategy, Learning Theory, Training Effectiveness

Career Highlights:

  • Designed personalized learner experience (LX) journeys for an organization of 30k (with 5 tiered tracks) 
  • Curated existing LXs that could be leveraged in new learning journeys for other roles, with measurement at key milestones to evaluate progress and success 
  • Wrote up the specifications for branching scenarios, question libraries, options for audio/visual media, and more, connecting each learner experience to a personalized journey 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

instructional media specialist

Position(s): Lead or supporting graphic designer, lead motion video artist
Years of Instructional Experience: 6+
Number of Completed Projects: 40+

Key Skills: Visual Design, Illustration, UX/UI Design, Storyboarding, Animation, Audio Engineering

Media Skills: Engaging illustrations, 3D models, character design, storyboarding, live-action and motion graphic video creation, audio recording and editing, client branding, and more to enhance media and create engaging touchpoints that resonate with learners 

Strengths: Brainstorming, Collaboration, Visual Communication,  Color Theory, Typography, Layout and Composition

Career Highlights:

  • Completed projects with extreme attention to fonts, colors, spacing, and more that ensured integrity with client branding requirements 
  • Designed and integrated media based on project-specific content that reflected the learner audience, established realistic learning environments, allowed for hands-on practice in virtual environments, and promoted diversity and engaging storytelling
  • Created quick-reference illustrations learners could access on the job to help them make fast, effective decisions   

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

lms admin

Position(s): Admin or sub-admin for Learning Management System (LMS)
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: LMS Configuration, User Management, Course Management, System Maintenance, Reporting, Data Analysis, System Integrations

Media Skills: Network and tech-stack diagrams to communicate system architecture and integration 

Strengths: Troubleshooting and Analysis, Learning Analytics, User Administration, Technical Proficiency, Documentation, Adaptability

Career Highlights:

  • Managed a curriculum of more than 1,450 course offerings in the LMS for more than 10,000 learners 
  • Uploaded, tested, and ensured the readiness of new and relaunched programs 
  • Created and maintained reporting workflows to meet stakeholder needs 
  • Provided on-demand support to the learning team to answer questions and promptly address concerns 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

learning project manager

Position(s): Learning project manager, project lead, or coordinator
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 35+

Key Skills: eLearning Development, Resource Coordination, Project Management (PMP Certified), Agile and Waterfall PM Methodologies, Budgeting and Forecasting, Scheduling, Quality Assurance

Media Skills: Visual reporting of project plans via Gantt charts and other standard formats

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Career Highlights:

  • Managed concurrent award-winning projects without missing deadlines or wasting resources 
  • Completed several projects earlier than the expected timeline and under the anticipated budget 
  • Built strong relationships with returning client partners for multi-phase initiatives or course maintenance projects 

Technical Skills:

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SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT (SME)

Position(s): Industry-specific specialist
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 5+

Key Skills: Content Curation, Specialized Content Development, Industry-Specific Expertise, Domain Expertise (e.g., Leadership, Onboarding, Compliance), Content Review

Media Skills: Recommendation and review of technical diagrams or industry-specific images

Strengths: Specialized Content Knowledge, Content-Gathering, Simplifying and Organizing Complex Material, Brainstorming, Collaboration, Documentation of Source Content, Decision-Making, Technical Content Review

Career Highlights:

  • Helped create, gather, and organize over 50 hours of content for projects with specific industry or learning needs and contextual nuances
  • Facilitated the decision-making process and collaboration between internal and external teams to consolidate feedback into actionable next steps 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

LEARNING STRATEGIST

Position(s): Lead strategist or performance consultant
Years of Instructional Experience: 7+
Number of Completed Projects: 20+

Key Skills: Needs Analysis, Learning Theory, Learner Experience Design, Learning Analytics and Measurement, Performance Mapping, Behavioral and Performance Analysis, Content Curation, Curriculum Analysis, Change Management

Media Skills: Curriculum maps, learner experience journeys, and conceptual program wireframes

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Career Highlights:

  • Conducted a comprehensive learning needs analysis for customer services representatives that included both product knowledge and interpersonal skills development 
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  • Designed strategies for measuring performance and results over time to inform continued client success 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

Instructional Designers

Position(s): Lead or supporting designer
Years of Instructional Experience: 3+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: Instructional Design, Adult Learning Theories, eLearning Development, Learner Experience Design, Curriculum Development, Course Authoring, Writing, Learning Assessment

Media Skills: Simple graphic design using stock imagery, audio production

Strengths: Adaptability, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Technical Proficiency, Attention to Detail

Career Highlights:

  • Led the design and development of an onboarding program for new manufacturing employees
  • Scripted technical instructional content for high-tech, product knowledge training
  • Developed hybrid materials for both instructor-led training (ILT) and microlearning tutorials

Technical Skills: