Onboarding | HR Automation

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Employee Onboarding OS

Standardized and automated onboarding for new hires across multiple departments and locations.

HR automation case study featuring workflow automation and ai implementation.

-60%

Onboarding Time

Zero

Provisioning Errors

Achieved

Day 1 Productivity

Overview

A fast-growing services company needed to standardize and automate onboarding for new hires across multiple departments and locations. The system reduced onboarding time by 60% and enabled new hires to be productive on Day 1.

Business Context

The services company had grown from 50 to 400 employees in three years, but their onboarding process had not scaled accordingly. Each department had developed its own ad hoc procedures — engineering used Slack DMs, sales relied on shadowing, and operations maintained paper checklists that often got lost. New hires frequently waited three to five days before receiving laptop credentials, software access, or even knowing who their direct reports were. HR leadership calculated that inefficient onboarding was costing the company over $200,000 annually in lost productivity and was contributing to early attrition, as frustrated new hires questioned their decision to join.

How We Built It

We designed a comprehensive onboarding orchestration platform built on Node.js microservices with PostgreSQL as the central data store for employee records, task assignments, and progress tracking. The system integrates directly with Google Workspace and Azure Active Directory APIs to automatically provision accounts, assign appropriate group memberships, and configure email signatures the moment HR creates a new employee record. A dynamic workflow engine generates personalized onboarding checklists based on department, role, seniority level, and office location — ensuring that a remote engineering hire in Berlin receives different tasks than an in-office sales rep in Chicago. Each checklist item has assigned owners, due dates, and automatic escalation rules that notify managers when tasks fall behind schedule. We built an AI-powered assistant using OpenAI that new hires can query for answers about company policies, benefits enrollment deadlines, expense procedures, and tool access — reducing the burden on HR for repetitive questions. The manager dashboard provides real-time visibility into every new hire's progress, with color-coded status indicators and the ability to reassign tasks or add custom items. Integration with the company's HRIS ensures that employee data stays synchronized across all systems without manual data entry.

Challenges

Onboarding steps differed from team to team

Equipment provisioning was inconsistent

Access permissions manually assigned

HR had no visibility into onboarding status

New hires waited days for proper setup

What We Delivered

Node.js microservices with PostgreSQL data model

Automated account creation (Google Workspace / Azure AD)

Checklist-based onboarding flows with auto-assigned tasks

Manager dashboard showing progress of all new hires

AI assistant for new-hire questions on policies and tools

Automated reminders and escalation rules

Tech Stack

Node.js, PostgreSQL, Next.js, Azure AD/Google Workspace APIs, OpenAI

Results

-60%

Onboarding Time

Zero

Provisioning Errors

Achieved

Day 1 Productivity

Strategic Impact

The transformation fundamentally changed how the company welcomes new employees. Onboarding time dropped by 60%, with new hires now receiving full system access and completing orientation within hours rather than days. Zero provisioning errors since implementation means IT no longer spends time debugging access issues or resetting passwords for forgotten accounts. Day 1 productivity became achievable for the first time — new hires arrive to find their equipment configured, accounts active, and a clear roadmap for their first week. Manager satisfaction improved significantly because they no longer need to chase down IT tickets or remind HR about pending paperwork. The AI assistant handles over 70% of new hire questions without human intervention, freeing HR business partners to focus on strategic initiatives rather than answering the same benefits questions repeatedly. Early attrition in the first 90 days dropped by 35% as new hires reported feeling welcomed and supported from their first moment. The system also created valuable data insights — leadership can now identify which departments have the smoothest onboarding experiences and replicate best practices across the organization. The platform has become a competitive advantage in recruiting, as candidates consistently mention the professional onboarding experience in their feedback. Compliance audits are now streamlined with complete documentation of every onboarding step, timestamp, and responsible party for each new hire. The company has expanded the system to handle contractor onboarding, intern programs, and cross-departmental transfers, creating a unified approach to all employee transitions.