E-Onboarding Emerges as the New Standard as Businesses Shift Away from Manual HR Processes

Only 12% of employees believe their organisation excels at onboarding new staff, according to recent Gallup findings. Traditional, manual onboarding processes often frustrate both HR teams and new hires—leading to missing information, endless back-and-forth communication, and poor visibility into each step of the enrolment journey.

E-onboarding is transforming this experience by bringing employee enrolment into the self-service era.

Employee Self-Service Meets Onboarding

Employee self-service (ESS) has grown into a multi-billion-dollar market and has become an essential component of modern HR operations. It gives staff convenient access to key services such as payslips and leave applications, while freeing HR and payroll administrators from repetitive manual tasks.

Now, ESS is reshaping the often lengthy and complex process of bringing new employees into a business, says Mignon Wolmarans, Product Manager – HR at Deel Local Payroll, which recently rolled out integrated e-onboarding workflows on its platform.

“Onboarding is traditionally slow and complicated,” Wolmarans explains. “Manual data capture, multiple handovers between HR, payroll and new hires, and a high risk of errors all consume unnecessary time. Our customers already value the efficiency of payroll ESS, so extending this benefit to onboarding was a natural next step.”

Faster, More Accurate Onboarding

E-onboarding provides a secure, guided workflow where new hires submit their information through an online portal. HR teams can track progress in real time, intervene when necessary, and automatically push verified data into payroll systems. The result is reduced administration, fewer mistakes, and full visibility over every stage of the onboarding process.

But effective e-onboarding requires more than automation. Key features include:

• A dedicated HR workspace to initiate and manage new hires

• Customisable onboarding forms

• Branded welcome messages with scheduled delivery

• Review and approval tools

• Clear role ownership for each part of the enrolment process

“Self-service alone isn’t enough,” Wolmarans says. “It must be backed by an integrated suite of HR and payroll tools. That’s how you achieve true automation, oversight, and efficiency.”

Why E-Onboarding Matters

Poor onboarding is one of the strongest predictors of early employee turnover. Around 20% of new hires leave within their first 45 days—a trend particularly visible among younger professionals. In many cases, their exit stems from a disorganised onboarding experience that delays their ability to contribute meaningfully.

Comprehensive onboarding goes well beyond collecting personal information. It includes orientation, equipment provisioning, process familiarisation, and early-stage training. Improving accuracy and speed in these areas has a direct effect on productivity. Studies show that effective e-onboarding can accelerate a new employee’s ramp-up time by 25% to 50%, compared to traditional methods that may take up to a year for full performance alignment.

“Great onboarding boosts retention, strengthens engagement, and helps integrate new employees into a company’s culture,” notes Wolmarans. “The key is integrating onboarding with HR and payroll workflows, automating repetitive steps, and offering maximum visibility to everyone involved.”

A New Standard for Businesses

Companies of all sizes are already experiencing significant gains from automation and employee self-service across HR and payroll functions. Now, these advantages are reshaping onboarding—and the improvement is so fundamental that Deel Local Payroll has made e-onboarding a standard feature for all users.

“We debated offering e-onboarding as an optional add-on,” Wolmarans says. “But it quickly became clear that it’s too essential. Every business should have access to streamlined onboarding, and it should be a baseline capability.