Blogs

Please enjoy this blog authored by Carolyn Humpherys, Learning and Change Management Consultant, Traveling Coaches. 

Onboarding is a critical process that shapes the new hire experience and can significantly impact employee retention, satisfaction, and long-term success. The ILTA Content Coordinating Team conducted a New Hire Experience Survey across 50 firms of all sizes to gain insight into how law firms structure their onboarding processes, from the length of training sessions to the input of managers to the firm-culture. Here are the results of that survey with my thoughts on areas of improvement.

The State of Onboarding in Law Firms

The best onboarding strategies are those that focus on creating a positive, engaging, and structured experience for new hires. Effective onboarding goes beyond paperwork and introductions—it actively integrates new employees into the company culture, equips them with the tools they need to succeed, and sets the stage for long-term success.

The ILTA survey data reveals a wide array of approaches to onboarding across all law firms of all sizes. 

Duration of Onboarding Program

Findings: Onboarding programs range from one day to three months in duration with 44% of firms limiting onboarding to just one week, 20% to just one day, and 12% of firms extend onboarding to 2-3 months.

Recommendations: A strong onboarding strategy starts before Day 1 with clear communication, necessary paperwork, and providing new hires with an introductory package. This proactive approach helps new hires feel welcomed and reduces the time spent on administrative tasks. A successful onboarding process also includes a structured plan with specific goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days with a roadmap to guide their progress. This ensures that new hires understand what is expected of them.

Day One Training

Findings: For lawyers, 36% of firms offer 2 hours, 24% provide 4 hours, and 8% give 1 hour. A few firms either do not conduct any technical training for lawyers or conduct a full day of training on day 1.

Findings: For Staff (Legal Administrative Assistants, Paralegals), 30% of staff receive 2 hours of training, 32% receive 4 hours, and 22% receive a full day of training.

Recommendations: Effective training programs should be interactive, hands-on, and role-specific. New hires should be gradually introduced to their role with a clear training path that evolves as they become more competent.

Pre-assessment of Technical Skills of Staff

Findings: A large majority of firms do not pre-assess an applicant’s technical skills prior to hiring. While a few firms report effectiveness in pre-assessing, nearly equal number say it is ineffective.

Recommendations: There are arguments on both sides for and against the pre-assessment of applicants. Highly experienced individuals may balk at taking an assessment causing it to be a deterrent; however, inexperienced applicants may welcome and embrace the opportunity to prove themselves.

Onboarding Effectiveness


Findings: On a scale of 1-5 (low-high), 36% of firms rate their onboarding program as 4, and only 10% as 5. Over 50% think there is significant room for improvement with 40% rating their onboarding as 3 and the remaining 12% even lower. (Note: Four respondents declined to answer.)

Recommendations: Adult learning theories teach us that prioritization of information is a critical aspect of learning; meaning, firehose does not work. People need the right amount of information at the right time. Half of firms recognize that their onboarding programs need improvement. While daunting and time-consuming, this is critical work that sets up new employees for success or failure. I recommend looking at all aspects of a strong onboarding program (preboarding, structured, tailored, hands-on, culture integration, manager involvement, ongoing), and conducting a formal needs assessment with the aim to deliver training when it will be most sticky, effective, and beneficial to the learner.

Shared Best Practices
We asked participants to share any best practices their firm follows for onboarding new employees. The feedback has been summarized into a single insight statement followed by the comments.

Onboarding Challenges


Findings: Most firms have standardized processes for onboarding, with time constraints, training on specific software/tools, integration with existing teams, and resource limitations being more common challenges.

Recommendations: The choreography and scheduling of resources for onboarding a new employee can be extensive. Tools to help automate scheduling can help along with having a robust eLearning program with well-documented processes and training on key software and tasks. This approach will help to reduce the biggest challenges to onboarding.
A more structured pre-boarding process, including sending new hires welcome kits, paperwork, and instructions ahead of time, could significantly reduce the administrative burden on the first day and make new hires feel more prepared and excited.

Shared Requested Improvements
We asked participants to share the improvements they would like to see in their onboarding process. The feedback has been summarized into a single insight statement followed by the comments.

Pre-Onboarding Preparation: Providing resources and pre-assessment screenings before the first day can help new hires feel more prepared and reduce the initial overwhelm.

• More "canned" resources for review before training sessions.

• Onboarding website with initial videos.

• Pre-assessment screening to determine skill levels.

• Testing prior to the offer.

Coordination and Scheduling: Better coordination between HR and other departments, along with standardized onboarding schedules, can ensure a smoother onboarding process.

• More coordination between HR and other departments.

• Standardizing the onboarding schedule for 3-6 months.

• Scheduled onboarding days for new hires.

Training Content and Delivery: Customizing training content for different roles and focusing on critical business workflows can enhance the relevance and effectiveness of the training.

• Custom learning for different roles (lawyers, legal assistants, paralegals, etc.).

• Focus on role-specific training and critical business workflows.

• Use of a "flipped classroom" model.

• More scheduled follow-up training on specific technologies.

• Diversified training curricula.

Feedback and Assessment: Implementing feedback loops and assessments can help identify gaps in training and ensure that new hires are retaining the information.

• Feedback loop from managers to assess training effectiveness.

• Better feedback from managers and new hires.

• Pre-assessments and initial training assessments.

Training Methods and Models: Incorporating more hands-on practice, interactive sessions, and self-paced learning can improve engagement and retention.

• More hands-on practice and interactive training.

• Use of technology and e-learning.

• Self-paced active learning with regular instructor touchpoints.

• Blended methods and durable learning models.

Customization and Personalization: Tailoring the onboarding experience to individual needs and previous experience can make the process more effective and less overwhelming.

• Customization to suit individual needs.

• Personalization based on previous experience and role.

• More time with technical aspects of roles.

Time Management and Productivity: Extending the onboarding period and providing more one-on-one time can help new hires acclimate better and improve their productivity.

• Extend onboarding over a month.

• More time and less interruptions in training.

• More one-on-one time with new hires.

Measuring Success


Findings: Feedback from new hires and feedback from managers are the primary ways firms gauge the success of their onboarding programs.



Findings: 54% of firms regularly gather feedback from new hires, 38% occasionally gather feedback, and 10% do not gather any feedback.



Findings: Of the firms that gather feedback, the ones that regularly do so receive higher satisfaction scores from new employees.

Recommendations: Feedback is a gift. It makes us aware of how we are doing and provides insight into how to improve. Open systems that include not only the input of new employee, but managers, department heads, HR directors, office managers, technical training, and professional development can help strengthen onboarding programs.

Manager Involvement


Findings: While most managers are involved at some level in onboarding (setting expectations, mentoring, and providing feedback), 38% have minimal to no involvement. Additionally, the depth of manager involvement varies across firms. While more firms reporting no manager involvement also had lower satisfaction scores, no definitive parallel could be ascertained based on the data collected.

Recommendations: Involvement from managers is key to ensuring that new hires feel supported and aligned with the team’s goals. Managers should set expectations, provide feedback, and offer guidance throughout the onboarding period.

Focus on Company Culture Integration


Findings: Firms are closely split 44% to 56% on focusing on culture integration in their onboarding programs.

Recommendations: Integrating new hires into the company culture is critical for engagement and retention. This includes clearly communicating company values, offering social opportunities, and introducing new hires to their team and key stakeholders early in the process. Firms could improve by integrating more cultural training early on, perhaps through company values workshops or informal social events. This would help new hires connect more deeply with the organization, which is vital for long-term engagement and satisfaction.

Conclusion

While law firms are making significant strides in onboarding, there are several areas for improvement when compared to best practices. A well-designed onboarding process is an essential part of creating a positive employee experience. By focusing on the key components—pre-boarding, orientation, training, cultural integration, mentorship, and ongoing feedback—organizations can set their new hires up for success. Moreover, regular evaluation and adjustment of the onboarding process ensures that it remains effective, welcoming, and engaging. By building a robust onboarding program, firms not only improve retention rates but also foster a more inclusive, well-equipped, and motivated workforce.

For additional insights, see the Survey Results image.