Onboarding always takes too long! The average time it takes for a new employee to reach their full productivity is 28 weeks ! (2)
This figure highlights a major challenge for the integration of field teams: while recruits struggle to become fully operational, managers find themselves monopolized to pass on their knowledge trickle by drop. As a result, overall performance stagnated for several months.
However, this lack of effectiveness is not linked to a lack of will or content, but to very specific constraints in the field : organization of face-to-face learning, limited access to information, heterogeneity of situations and strong dependence on individual tutoring.
The rest of this article analyzes the main obstacles to on-boarding in the field and presents concrete levers to accelerate the skills development of your new employees.
Why does field onboarding take so long?
Brake #1: Face-to-face, a barrier to field agility
Face-to-face onboarding remains a bottleneck : the organization of group sessions, the coordination of agendas and the reservation of rooms introduce unnecessary delays between the arrival of an employee and his increase in skills. For operational teams, each day of delay means a immediate loss of productivity and less effective integration.
In retail, for example, it is common for a salesperson to have to wait several weeks or even several months before being trained in the products they are supposed to sell. He then finds himself “on the front line” without the necessary weapons, degrading both the customer experience and his own trust.
Did you know that? An organization that trains its new hires 100% face-to-face extends the onboarding time by 20 to 30%. (3)
Hindrance #2: the “Guardian-dependency”
Field integration is often based on an informal “new recruite/manager” pairing. This method of tutoring is valuable and effective; it becomes a major obstacle if it becomes the only available source of knowledge. The increase in skills of the recruit is then limited by the manager's (often busy) schedule.
Let's take the example of a maintenance technician on duty. In the absence of a structured and accessible knowledge base while on the move, he is forced to interrupt (telephone calls, Whatsapp messages, etc.) his manager at each technical uncertainty. This constant flow of micro-solicitations weakens and slows down the entire operational process of the company.
Did you know that? Managers spend on average **25% of their time (4)* direct coaching during the first weeks following the arrival of a new field recruit. *
Barrier #3: content completely unsuited to the field
Too often, integration paths are inherited from standards designed for an office environment (format Desktop first). These long, dense and theoretical supports prove to be ineffective once transposed into the daily workflow of field teams.
In the field, the challenge is not to store knowledge “just in case” (Just-in-Case), but to access the critical resource at the precise moment of need (Just-in-Time).
Let's take the example of a delivery person facing a complex customer dispute. If he has to scroll through a 40-page static PDF on the small screen of his smartphone to find a procedure, there is a good chance that he will give up reading and improvise a solution. This technological friction generates avoidable errors, an increase in disputes and a deterioration in the quality of service.
Did you know that? Long-form content that is not optimized for mobility has a consultation rate twice as low (5) in short formats such as micro-learning.
Brake #4: “blind” control and the use of bad KPIs
Without digital tools, without precisely measurable KPIs, onboarding monitoring is informal and therefore incomplete. The bottlenecks, gaps, blind spots in knowledge acquisition go unnoticed until an operational error occurs or until an end-of-test report reveals shortcomings.
ILet's imagine a team leader in an industrial environment. In the absence of a real-time dashboard, he discovers after a month of activity that a new operator has not consulted critical safety instructions or machine protocols. This lack of visibility turns a simple educational gap into a major risk to business security and compliance.
Did you know that? Companies that automate their onboarding monitoring notice a 16% increase (6) the retention of new hires and a 60% improvement in revenue per employee.
Brake #5: “one-size-fits-all” onboarding, a lure of efficiency
Many organizations standardize their integration process to simplify administrative management. However, this uniform approach ignore the diversity of profiles : the same content for a novice and an expert in the sector? Result: the first is overwhelmed, the second disengaged. Double loss : wasted time and low motivation from the start.
Take the case of an experienced salesperson joining a new brand. If he is forced to follow the basic modules on sales techniques that he has mastered for 10 years, he sees onboarding as a waste of bureaucratic time. This “stolen” time should have been invested in mastering local specificities, internal tools or the brand's own culture — where its real learning curve is.
Did you know that? Non-personalized learning paths increase the unnecessary training time of 15 to 25% (7)
The 5 levers to accelerate field onboarding
Lever #1: make content accessible at any time, on mobile and desktop
Why does it speed up onboarding?
When onboarding content is only available during scheduled sessions, learning depends on the schedule and availability of teams. By making resources available at all times, new employees can move forward as soon as they arrive, without waiting for formal training.
Quick access via a smartphone makes it possible to transform every available moment into a learning opportunity, directly in the field, without interrupting the activity.
Concretely, what does that mean?
- Access to content from smartphone or computer
- Possibility to consult the training modules outside of the formal training times
- Continuity of learning even on the go or offline for 100% mobile teams
Field example
In the logistics sector, a new operator can consult safety protocols and palletizing diagrams on his mobile as soon as he takes up his station. Instead of waiting for the collective session on Friday, he became operational from Monday morning.
Lever #2: promote learning in situations
Why does it speed up onboarding?
Information makes perfect sense at the time when it is needed. By accessing targeted resources in the face of a real situation, the collaborator goes directly from theory to practice, thus reducing the Oblivion curve (curve ofEbbinghaus) and minimizing the risk of error from the first time you take a job.
Key advantage : this immediate autonomy relieves the managerial burden, while establishing a culture of autonomy as soon as onboarding.
Concretely, what does that mean?
- Access to short content that can be viewed on demand
- Sharing good practices from the field
- Reduction of the mental load on the field employee and the manager
Field example
A maintenance technician, faced with a failure that he has not yet encountered, accesses a 30-second video tutorial via his smartphone. He carries out the intervention by following the key steps in real time, without the need to interrupt his manager or wait for the assistance of an experienced colleague.
Lever #3: adapt formats to operational constraints
Why does it speed up onboarding?
The skills development of new employees often fails because of cognitive overload: too much information, too dense, transmitted too quickly. By dividing onboarding into learning units, in short sessions and On-Demand We eliminate the classical objection of “I don't have time to train”.
The collaborator no longer needs to “block” half a day to learn; he progresses by successive touches, which promotes a deep memory anchoring without ever impacting the productivity of the site.
This approach respects the biological rhythm of attention and transforms onboarding into a fluid progression rather than a boring theoretical test.
Concretely, what does that mean?
- 3 to 5 minute training capsules
- Content oriented to business gestures and real situations
- Course composed of short modules whose level of difficulty increases progressively
Field example
In the distribution sector, a sales consultant takes advantage of a low attendance window to consult a video clip on the arguments of a new product. In 4 minutes, he assimilates the key benefits and frequent objections, then applies them immediately the next time he talks to a customer.
Lever #4: Set up real-time progress monitoring
Why does it speed up onboarding?
One of the shortcomings of onboarding field employees is that it often turns into a “black box”; we don't really know if all the necessary knowledge is assimilated by all new recruits.
Structured and measured monitoring of each learner makes it possible to quickly identify obstacles and to intervene before they slow down the entire course. You then go from reactive management (which is limited to noting failures) to predictive management (which anticipates blockages)
Concretely, what does that mean?
- Clear visualization of individual progress via an analytical dashboard
- Smart alerts and notifications in case of stagnation or delay from a field employee
- Quick course adjustments if necessary
- Validation of achievements (certifications) during and at the end of field employee onboarding
Field example
An industrial site manager receives an alert indicating that a new operator has not validated his module on emergency shutdown procedures after three attempts. The manager can then organize a short coaching session focused on this specific point the next morning, thus securing the job scheduled for the end of the week.
Lever #5: Combining standardization and personalization of courses
Why does it speed up onboarding?
A common core guarantees a homogeneous base, while specific modules make it possible to adapt the course to the job, site or level of experience of the new employee.
By eliminating “educational redundancies” (making someone learn what they already know), we mechanically reduce the duration of onboarding. This approach respects the expertise of experienced recruits, accelerates their commitment and focuses the training effort where the added value is greatest.
—> New employees advance at their own pace, without being held back by a single path imposed on everyone.
Concretely, what does that mean?
- Common core shared by all newcomers
- Specific modules by role, site or activity
- Easily adjustable modular paths
Field example
In a retail network, a freshly recruited department manager with 10 years of experience in the sector will only follow the modules on internal software and logistics specific to the brand. Conversely, a junior profile will follow the entire course, including sales techniques and inventory management.
To go further: The modular approach makes it possible to move from “linear” onboarding to “intelligent” onboarding. According to the cabinet Gartner, (7) this customization (Adaptive Learning) saves up to 30% of the initial training time, thus freeing employees for their operational missions much sooner.
How Beedeez accelerates field onboarding: from concept to operational reality
Understanding the barriers to onboarding is a first step; overcoming them is another. The Beedeez LMS was designed specifically to meet the reality of field employees, where traditional tools fail to transmit knowledge during the onboarding phase.
1. Transforming logistical constraints into digital freedom
Rather than waiting for all logistical conditions to be met (room, trainer, schedule), Beedeez makes it possible to trigger onboarding as soon as the employee joins the team. Thanks to Mobile Learning, learning becomes asynchronous: knowledge is available at any time “in the pocket of the new recruit” who also feels reassured as soon as he takes office.
2. Liberating management through guided autonomy
To break the “guardianship”, Beedeez helps you centralize business know-how in an interactive and ultra-accessible knowledge base. In a situation of doubt during a complex task, the employee consults his application rather than interrupting his manager.
- Result: The manager regains his role as strategic coach, and the new recruit gains confidence thanks to an immediate and reliable response.
3. Microlearning at the service of learning
With the Beedeez LMS, complex learning paths can be divided into educational capsules lasting only a few minutes.
This format, perfectly adapted to the constraints of time in the field (between two customers, during a break or before taking a job), guarantees a completion rate much higher than conventional methods. The memory anchoring is reinforced by the repetition and the fun nature of the modules.
4. Precise management thanks to Data
Our learning platform offers managers total visibility on skills development. Thanks to real-time dashboards, a team leader or a sector manager can precisely identify which module is a problem for which employee.
- The advantage: You no longer manage onboarding based on feelings, but based on data, allowing targeted corrective interventions before deficiencies turn into operational risk for your business.
5. Adaptive Learning for evolving learning paths
Beedeez is putting an end to the “one size fits all” training model, which is often synonymous with redundancy and loss of productivity. Thanks to a modular architecture, the solution makes it possible to build courses adaptive :
- Valorization of achievements: Instead of imposing generic content, the platform allows validate skills already mastered via initial positioning tests.
- Optimization of training time: Experienced employees focus exclusively on building blocks with high added value (brand specificities, internal tools, local culture).
—> Result: We don't delete content, we personalize the effort. The company gains in speed of execution and the employee feels recognized in his expertise from day one.
Onboarding customer case #1: Beedeez for BigMat
Chez BigMat, European leader in the distribution of building materials, the challenge of integration is twofold: a strong geographical dispersion (more than 300 points of sale) and a working environment (warehouses, material yards) where access to a fixed station is non-existent.
The challenge:Onboarding was based on paper media or theoretical sessions far from the field. The result: a loss of information between training and practice, and a difficulty for managers to certify the mastery of safety instructions and product knowledge.
The Beedeez Solution:The company has chosen onboarding “100% Mobile & Offline”. As soon as they arrive, each new recruit has access to a digital journey directly on their smartphone.
- Targeted micro-learning: 3-minute modules on the technical characteristics of materials and safety protocols.
- Validation through the game: Use of battles and quizzes to transform the validation of achievements into a moment of commitment rather than an administrative constraint.
The impact on the ground:
- Immediate reactivity: Recruits are no longer waiting; they are formed between two customers or during periods of low attendance, thus optimizing every minute of their presence time.
- Increased autonomy: The feeling of competence is immediate. As the BigMat HR Department points out, the tool made it possible to break the isolation of newcomers by giving them the keys to success from “day 1”.
- Performance culture: Management now has real-time visibility on the progress of courses, guaranteeing that 100% of employees in the field are trained to the brand's standards.
“There is not always a computer that can be accessed to train. On the other hand, we all have a phone in our pocket. So you can simply train as soon as you have the opportunity.”
( Marie Helin, Human Resources Manager at BigMat France.)
Onboarding customer case #2: Beedeez for Extia
Extia (IT consulting company) has redesigned its onboarding with Beedeez to offer a smooth and engaging integration to its new collaborators.
Thanks to our LMS, each newcomer has immediate access to a complete catalog of training courses (company values, business expertise, internal services, etc.), directly from their smartphone.
Concrete results with Beedeez:
- 9,344 training capsules viewed by new hires
- 87% completion rate
- Satisfaction of 4.5/5 on the part of new collaborators
Onboarding thus becomes a real experience, and not a simple formality, with a mobile-first format that allows you to learn in a real situation, between two missions.
Checklist: reduce field onboarding time in 4 steps
Before rethinking your field onboarding, make sure you check these 4 points carefully:
1. Multi-format accessibility
→ Is your content accessible on both mobile and desktop?
→ Can short modules (3 to 5 minutes) be viewed while on the move, including offline?
2. Situational learning
→ Can new collaborators access information at the precise moment when the need arises?
→ Do experienced employees have the opportunity to easily share their best practices in the field?
3. Real-time tracking
→ Do you have centralized visibility on the individual progress of newcomers?
→ Can you quickly identify bottlenecks and intervene without waiting for a formal point?
4. Standardization and personalization of courses
→ Have you defined a core curriculum supplemented by specific modules according to the role or the site?
→ Can each employee advance at their own pace, without depending on the progress of the group?
Classic onboarding vs optimized onboarding: comparative
Conclusion
The onboarding of field employees is often long not because of business complexity, but because it is based on formats that are not well adapted to operational realities. Heavy face-to-face attendance, time-consuming tutoring and lack of follow-up hinder access to autonomy.
By combining mobility, hands-on learning and real-time management, it is possible to significantly reduce the onboarding time without compromising quality. The Beedeez LMS was designed to respond precisely to these challenges in the field.
👉 Request a free demo to find out how to speed up your onboarding.
sourcing
(1) Convictions RH
(2) SaplingHR
(3) Brandon Hal
(5) SoftwareAdvice
(6) AberdenGroup
(7) Gartner Research
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