First impressions count—especially at work. A well-structured onboarding course ensures that new employees quickly find their feet, understand processes, and can get started with motivation. Whether in the office or remotely, digital onboarding courses are the key to a smooth start.

In this article, we’ll show you how to use Lessonator to design a professional onboarding course in just a few steps—and what you absolutely can’t leave out.

Why an onboarding course is so important

A well-designed digital onboarding process…

  • Saves time and resources in the HR team
  • communicates important information in a consistent manner
  • increases satisfaction and loyalty
  • reduces training errors and queries

Good onboarding is not a nice-to-have—it is a productivity booster and a statement of corporate culture.

– Dr. Sandra Lutz, HR strategist and book author

Content that belongs in every onboarding course

A successful course answers the most important questions of new colleagues right at the start. Possible chapters:

1. Welcome to the company

  • Welcome by management
  • Mission statement, vision, values
  • Organizational chart & departments

2. Work organization

  • Working hours, vacation requests, time tracking
  • Tools & accounts (e. g. E-mail, MS Teams, Intranet)
  • Home office regulations

3. IT & Data protection

  • Password rules, VPN, devices
  • DSGVO basics
  • Handling sensitive data

4. Corporate culture & behavior

  • feedback culture
  • Tone of voice & dress code
  • Diversity, inclusion, equality

5. Initial tasks & objectives

  • What can you expect during the first week?
  • Contact persons & mentoring
  • Checklist: “What still needs to be done?”

Easy implementation with Lessonator

Lessonator offers everything you need for a compelling onboarding course:

  • Chapter structure: Organize content clearly in stages
  • Interactive elements: quiz questions, drag & drop, reflection modules
  • Video integration: e.g., welcome message from the CEO
  • Checklists: e.g., for IT access or first day at work
  • SCORM export: For Moodle, TalentLMS & others

Practical tips

  • “Day 1 ready”: The course should be accessible before the first day of work
  • Think modular: Content can be customized depending on role
  • Get feedback: After 1–2 weeks, conduct a short survey—what was helpful, what is missing?
  • Update courses: Regularly check for new processes or tools

Conclusion

With a structured onboarding course, you can build trust, provide guidance, and motivate your users—right from the very first click. Lessonator helps you prepare content in a professional and appealing way—without any design or technical knowledge.

Get started now – and inspire new employees right from the start!