Organizations spend considerable resources attracting talent, but many still stumble when it comes to onboarding. After the recruitment process, onboarding is the first impression a new hire receives and is critical to formulating the way they view the organization. New research from a 2026 Adobe Acrobat study suggests that common onboarding frustrations continue to undermine the employee experience at a point when engagement should be building.
One of the biggest complaints is duplicate paperwork. Nearly two-thirds of employees surveyed said they were asked to provide the same information multiple times during the hiring and onboarding process. While it may seem like a minor inconvenience, repetitive data entry can leave employees with the impression that company systems are disconnected and inefficient.
Communication around policies is another challenge. More than half of respondents said they received written policies that were never adequately explained. Adobe also found that 41% admitted to signing or acknowledging onboarding documents without fully reading them. While handbooks and electronic acknowledgments may satisfy compliance requirements, employers should not assume a signature means employees understand the information being presented.
The research also highlights a gap between recruiting promises and workplace reality. Forty-one percent of employees said their onboarding experience did not reflect the culture or day-to-day reality of the job they were hired to do. When expectations formed during recruiting are not reinforced during onboarding, employees can quickly become disengaged.
Access to information remains another pain point. More than one-third of respondents reported losing access to important onboarding materials after their first week. This challenge can be especially significant in hybrid and remote environments, where new employees may not have easy access to managers or coworkers when questions arise. Centralized, searchable resources can help reduce confusion and improve self-sufficiency.
Employees also cited overly complex language as a barrier, with 38% reporting difficulty understanding onboarding materials. HR and legal teams often focus on compliance and accuracy, but information has limited value if employees struggle to comprehend it.
The findings point to a broader issue of information overload. According to Adobe, employees received an average of 13 onboarding documents and spent about 12 hours reviewing them during their first week. Yet respondents considered only 60% of the material necessary to perform their jobs.
Other studies mirror these concerns. BambooHR's 2025 onboarding research found that 42% of new hires felt overwhelmed by the amount of information they received, while 39% experienced second thoughts about accepting the job during onboarding. More than half said the process focused too heavily on administrative tasks instead of helping them learn their role.
Onboarding should be viewed as more than a compliance exercise. Reducing administrative hurdles, clearly explaining key information, providing easy access to resources, and reinforcing expectations established during recruiting can help new hires become productive and engaged more quickly. Most importantly, onboarding should not end after the first week. The goal is to help employees understand their role, build relationships, gain confidence, and confirm they made the right decision by joining the organization.
ASE Connect
Virtual Course: Onboarding Done Successfully
A strong onboarding program helps new employees become engaged, productive, and successful from day one. This course provides an overview of employee orientation and onboarding, exploring both traditional approaches and today's best practices. Participants will review sample onboarding programs, learn what makes them effective, and gain practical tools and ideas for developing, enhancing, and managing their own onboarding initiatives.
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Sources: Adobe.com; BambooHR; Gallup; HR Executive
Dan Van Slambrook is ASE’s Director of Staffing. To learn more about how ASE can assist with your hiring needs, click here.