Chapter I: When companies can no longer retain their talent
Onboarding in figures
- It is responsible for nearly 1 in 3 managers resigning during their probation period
- 90% of employees believe the process needs to be improved
- Done badly, it costs between €30,000 and €150,000 per employee
For frontline teams (shop-floor sales staff, technicians, service agents, warehouse workers) the stakes are even greater. These groups are rarely sat behind a desk. They start their role in direct contact with the customer, the product or the tool, often from the very first or second day. Onboarding that is too long, too dense or poorly suited to their reality does not just cost them their motivation: it loses them altogether.
According to the IFOP x Beedeez study, 61% of frontline workers do not have access to training suited to their mobility. This often starts right at induction: an onboarding path designed for employees sitting in front of a computer does not work for someone who is working on their feet, on the move, with a shared phone or a communal tablet.
It is therefore essential to put people, and their real-world constraints, at the heart of onboarding paths. Because it is in the first few days that long-term engagement is decided.
Chapter II: What is the impact of struggling to retain talent?
Struggling to retain talent can lead to significant turnover, with financial, organisational and human impacts. 22% of staff turnover happens during the first 45 days with the company (LinkedIn). In retail and hospitality this rate exceeds 50% in France (INSEE).
The cost of an early departure is high. A hire is considered a failure when the employee leaves the company within twelve months of starting. Its cost is estimated at €30,000 in direct costs, potentially reaching €150,000 once indirect costs are factored in (loss of productivity, redistributed workload, the next round of recruitment). For frontline teams with high turnover, these costs add up fast.
An early departure does not leave colleagues unaffected either. The workload increases, motivation drops, and the company's image takes a hit, both internally and externally. For the new starters who arrive afterwards, turnover that is visible from the first few months undermines the organisation's credibility.
76% of frontline workers feel more committed to their company when they benefit from suitable training (IFOP x Beedeez study). Onboarding is the first moment where that training takes place.
Chapter III: Onboarding, the key to retaining and keeping talent
Onboarding refers to the entire process of integrating a new employee, from their arrival through to full autonomy. It is made up of several phases: administration, getting to know the company, job-specific upskilling, and social integration.
Successful onboarding fulfils three functions. It passes on the knowledge essential to taking up the role. It integrates the employee into the company's culture and values. And it engages: 33% of managers say they have already resigned after a poor induction (Cadremploi). For frontline teams this figure is in all likelihood higher still, in sectors where the job market remains tight and alternatives are plentiful.
When they are supported, valued and guided from the very first days, employees settle in more easily and develop a sense of belonging. When they can contribute themselves, by introducing themselves, asking questions and sharing their first impressions, they become active participants in their own integration rather than mere onlookers.
By building on the knowledge of its teams, the organisation transforms into a learning organisation, where every member is both a learner and a trainer.
Chapter IV: The different training approaches for effective onboarding
LMS
An LMS (Learning Management System) is a platform for delivering learning paths and tracking each learner's progress. It centralises resources, organises learning paths and gives managers and trainers a clear view of every new starter's progress. For frontline teams, an LMS designed for mobility makes individual tracking possible even for employees who are never in the office.
LXP
An LXP (Learning Experience Platform) personalises the learning experience using algorithms and AI, tailoring content to each user's preferences and behaviour. For onboarding, their strength is recommendation: the right content at the right time, depending on the profile. Their limitation: they are less effective at structuring an induction path than at enriching ongoing training.
Mobile Learning
Onboarding that is accessible from any device (smartphone, tablet, computer) fits the constraints of frontline teams. The employee accesses content when they need it, between two operational moments, without holding up their work. They become an active participant in their own path rather than dependent on a scheduled session.
Microlearning
Microlearning organises learning into short sequences, each focused on a single, immediately applicable skill. This is particularly well suited to frontline onboarding, where information overload in the first few days is a real risk. Modules of 2 to 5 minutes allow information to be absorbed gradually, without overload. Microlearning can also cover complex topics, provided the path is properly broken down into logical steps.
Gamification
Gamification brings game mechanics (quizzes, points, levels, challenges) into the induction path. It allows the new starter to discover the company culture, get to know their colleagues and embed key information in a memorable way. For frontline teams, who are often young and used to intuitive mobile interfaces, gamification turns onboarding into a positive experience rather than an obligation.
Chapter V: Why an LMS platform to train your frontline
The LMS platform puts social interaction and individual progress at the centre of the path. For frontline teams, two realities stand out: the difficulty of accessing relevant information and tools that do not match their working environment. These employees often feel disconnected from the company, both literally and figuratively.
An LMS suited to the frontline solves both problems. On arrival, new starters are added to communities that match their role and their tasks. Managers run these groups and make sure that only relevant content is visible at first. As they progress, learners unlock new content and join new groups.
Thanks to User Generated Content, new starters can introduce themselves to their colleagues from day one (a short video, an introductory text) and immediately become active participants in their integration. Discussion spaces accessible at each stage of the path allow them to ask questions, comment and share.
The LMS platform should also make it possible to offer in-person training sessions, with or without registration, built directly into the digital path, so that the moments calling for a demonstration or human interaction keep their place.
How do you support frontline teams? With an LMS designed by and for the frontline.
Chapter VI: Onboarding frontline populations with Beedeez
More than an LMS, Beedeez lets you create and automate your onboarding process, and measure its impact.
Beedeez is the LMS that turns every working environment into a learning opportunity:
- Training suited to the frontline reality, accessible in the right place, at the right time, even offline. Learners benefit from both theoretical training and content directly linked to the day-to-day actions of the job.
- Short, gamified formats, a world away from traditional e-learning, so that training becomes second nature from the first few days.
- Participative knowledge, which draws on internal expertise to help the whole team progress.
A closer look at the steps:
1) Script your onboarding, on your own or collaboratively. Using capsules and tips, pass on all the knowledge essential to taking up the role. Varied formats, fun quizzes, memory anchoring.
2) Deliver the right content to the right employee, at the right time. Create groups of employees who will receive the onboarding content suited to each stage of their arrival. Involve managers in tracking from day one.
3) Make the most of gamification. Quizzes, videos, challenges, points: employees discover the company in a positive and memorable way, without feeling overwhelmed.
4) Measure onboarding performance. A complete dashboard gives you every metric you need to identify what works, spot new starters who are struggling and adjust in real time.
Chapter VII: Five real-world cases: Areas, From Future, RATP, Amorino, Groupe Feuillette
Challenge 1: Onboarding seasonal and short-term teams fast
Areas is one of the first Beedeez cases on this challenge. For the Paris Motor Show, the company had to train several hundred temporary and casual staff recruited for the event, in just a few days, on site, with no in-person session possible. With Beedeez, Areas rolled out fully mobile-first onboarding: a few minutes a day, from any device, on the core skills of the role. Gamification played a central part in engaging these one-off teams: learners earned "miles" as they progressed, enough to travel around the world several times over. 400 employees were trained and operational in time for the event.
From Future faces the same challenge on a recurring basis: a fast-growing premium fashion brand, frequently changing teams, international pop-ups (Seoul, Hong Kong) and a lot of seasonal profiles. Before Beedeez, training was reserved for managers, with no tracking or visibility. Today, every new employee follows a complete onboarding path from the moment they arrive: a manager checklist, an induction morning, and capsules available in several languages for the international shops. Content for new collections is published a month before launch so that teams are ready on the day.
Challenge 2: Digitising the onboarding of frontline technicians
The RATP used Beedeez to rethink the induction of its terminal technicians: a very specific frontline profile, with precise job-related actions to master quickly. The challenge: replacing heavy onboarding that was hard to synchronise with the technicians' working hours with a path accessible at any time, out in the field.
Challenge 3: Guaranteeing a common standard across a dispersed network
Amorino opens around fifty shops a year in 20 countries. In a sector with high turnover and strong seasonality, every gelato artist has to master the same standards and the same Amorino values, whatever their shop. Before Beedeez, training existed but lacked consistency: no centralised platform, no visibility over progress across the network, and onboarding that varied from one franchise to another.
With Beedeez, Amorino structured three types of training on a single platform: initial training (values, brand culture), specific training (job-specific expertise, Qualiopi, France's quality certification for training providers) and onboarding training. The correlation with results is direct: the top 30% of best-performing franchises all show a completion rate above 90%.
Groupe Feuillette had a similar challenge: passing on the job-related skills and the spirit of the brand to 3,500 employees spread across bakeries and patisseries all over France, with very different profiles, from the baker starting at 4am to the site director. The answer: the Académie Feuillette, short capsules accessible from a phone, covering job techniques, customer relations and standards. What sets this project apart: the operational staff became the first content creators. Nicolas Duval, a travelling trainer for 10 years, turns the problems encountered on the ground into ongoing training capsules. Battles between shops and regional challenges created a natural sense of friendly competition.
"We really have this sense of enjoyment that changes the training culture," says Kathleen Mourouvin, HR Director of Groupe Feuillette.
