The ROI of a great onboarding experience: Insights from Eli's Global Client Survey

11/03/2025

The importance of a seamless and engaging onboarding experience cannot be overstated. A well-structured onboarding process not only sets the tone for new hires but also significantly impacts their long-term success and retention. Eli knows this better than anyone, so it’s hugely important for us to understand the impact our technology has across our wonderfully diverse client base.

With that in mind, the results of our 2025 Global Client Survey are in, and we’re proud to say they highlight (yet again) the substantial benefits and return on investment (ROI) that experience-led onboarding can deliver. If you’re looking to build a business case for a new and improved onboarding experience at your organisation (and possibly some new tech), this article is definitely for you.

Reducing Onboarding-Related Admin

Administrative tasks can often bog down the onboarding process, leading to inefficiencies and frustration. According to the survey, 100% of clients who track onboarding-related admin reported that Eli has helped reduce onboarding-related admin. This reduction in administrative burden allows HR teams to focus on more strategic initiatives, ultimately enhancing the overall onboarding experience. One particular client reported a reduction of 16 people days a month – a cost saving to their business of more than £160,000.

Minimising Dropout Rates

A significant challenge for many organisations is keeping dropout rates before day one to a minimum, especially with the rise of AI applications, and the subsequent rise in ghosting. The survey revealed that 80% of clients who track dropout rates reported that Eli has been effective in reducing these rates. This success is a testament to the engaging and supportive nature of the experiences Eli delivers, which helps new hires feel connected and committed right from offer acceptance.

If we dive deeper into the results, we can see that the most challenging audience was early careers, highlighting the need to build a sense of community as early on as possible with this demographic.

Reducing Early Attrition

Early attrition can be a costly challenge for organisations. Indeed, in a recent Talent Labs webinar, we discovered that on average it costs £30,614 to replace an employee earning over £26k a year. Luckily, our survey results show that 80% of clients who track attrition rates have seen a reduction in early attrition thanks to Eli. One client reported an 8% reduction in early attrition in 2024, leading to a cost avoidance for the business of £1.62 million.

Improving Early Performance

The impact of a strong onboarding process also extends beyond retention to early performance. 100% of clients who track early performance reported improvements, highlighting the effectiveness of Eli in preparing new hires to hit the ground running. Tracking performance is often challenging for many roles, but there are ways to accomplish this, even if a role doesn’t have specific targets to hit. Many Eli clients measure pass rates in early training and keep track of probation pass rates or the time it takes for an individual to be on 100% paid client work. Others have specific questions in their onboarding survey, at key points in their onboarding timeline for their new hires and their line managers.

Ease of Use

One of the standout findings from our survey is how easy Eli is to use. An impressive 92% of respondents found Eli easy to use on a day-to-day basis (the remaining 8% rating it as neutral). This high level of usability ensures that HR teams can navigate the platform and manage their whole onboarding process effortlessly, leading to reduced admin (as you’ve read above) and a better experience for all.

Exceptional Support

Support from the Eli team has also been rated highly by clients, with 62% describing it as excellent and 38% as good. This strong support system is crucial in addressing any issues promptly and ensuring that organisations can maximise the benefits of the platform now and in the future.

High Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Finally, Eli's commitment to delivering exceptional onboarding experiences is reflected in its Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 54.

Conclusion

The results of Eli's global client survey underscore the importance of experience-led onboarding in driving organisational success. From reducing administrative burdens and minimising dropout rates to improving early performance and retention, a great experience will deliver tangible benefits that no organisation can afford to ignore.