At last! An onboarding process that truly got me on board
Starting a new job is like embarking on a grand adventure. It’s exhilarating and full of promise but it’s also daunting. You can be followed on your journey by the fear of underperforming and the shadow of impostor syndrome. You need to assimilate a flood of new information and recalibrate your own habits to align with a new company culture and ways of working.
You may have struggled through inadequate onboarding experiences yourself, perhaps guided by new colleagues who are just as lost as you are, or forced to decipher a jumble of jargon-heavy documentation on the company’s intranet. You may have even been thrown into a new job with nothing more than a quick “Good luck!”
But rarely do we celebrate when companies get it right. After a few weeks at Qonto, I can confidently say that the onboarding process is fantastic. Conversations with fellow newcomers left us with the belief that it was probably the best introduction to a company we’ve ever experienced. The structured and thoughtful approach transformed our initial apprehension into excitement and confidence.
Recognizing the exceptional onboarding experience at Qonto and how it eased my transition into this new adventure, I felt moved to share these insights. This article delves into the onboarding week at Qonto, drawing on the experience of my co-starters as well as input from Olivia, Qonto’s Onboarding Lead.
Before we dive deeper, a special thanks to my fellow newbies — Edoardo, Emilie, Giacomo, Brendan, Anfal, Simone, and Nicu — for their invaluable contributions.
First impressions
The joy of accepting Qonto’s job offer gradually turned into apprehension as my start date approached. I was thrilled about the career move but couldn’t help imagining worst-case scenarios. My previous onboarding experiences had been anything but seamless and I was making quite a significant shift: from retail to fintech, and from a large, well-established company to a scale-up in a completely different sector. I questioned whether I’d be up to the challenge and able to adapt and perform in this new environment. Conversations with other new joiners revealed that I wasn’t alone. As Giacomo put it: “Changing jobs is always difficult at first, and there’s nothing wrong with admitting that. Every company has its mission, its values, but above all, it has its own unique way of working. For me, the change of context is the most complicated part: new terms, new procedures, new objectives. It’s normal to feel a bit lost at first.”
Olivia (Onboarding Lead at Qonto): According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experience great onboarding. The first week is crucial for introducing new hires to the company culture, values, and expectations — it should be a seamless continuation of a great recruitment process. Starting a new job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. Our goal is to ensure the excitement remains and any nerves are calmed. Regardless of how familiar a role might be, everything feels new when you first join a company. While the People team leads the onboarding experience at Qonto, its importance is recognized across all departments. This ensures that onboarding at Qonto is a truly collaborative effort, with multiple teams working together to provide the best possible experience for our newcomers. This cross-team synergy truly sets the tone for a successful integration.
Talking with Marjorie, my future manager, she mentioned that an Onboarding team would reach out before my arrival to detail the plan for the first week. My immediate reaction was one of surprise: an entire team dedicated to onboarding, and a full week’s schedule? This was quite different from my previous experiences, where onboarding was handled by my direct manager and generally consisted of a one-way presentation crammed full of disjointed information. I would typically end these meetings more confused than when I started.
A week before my start date, I duly received an email from the Onboarding team. Attached was a list of the people I’d be sharing my first days with. We were a diverse cohort of 25 new joiners across four locations, with roles ranging from interns to VP-level. I didn’t expect so many of us to start on the same day, but I was reassured to know I wasn’t alone. As Brendan commented, “Onboarding as part of a cohort made the process less isolating than being the one new face at every meeting.”
In my previous experiences, my only understanding of the new company came through the lens and personal perspective of my direct managers. There was no common onboarding framework, which meant each new joiner had a very different experience. While I believe it’s crucial to grasp your team’s micro-cultures to navigate day-to-day tasks, it’s equally important for everyone to start with the same level of information about the company as a whole. This foundation eases cross-team collaboration and helps us understand how our individual teams fit into the bigger picture.
I also thought including interns in the onboarding was fantastic; it showed they’re just as valued as full-time team members. Emilie, the intern in question, agreed. “Going through the same onboarding as long-term employees really eased my transition,” she told me.
Olivia: At Qonto, our team is growing rapidly, with over 20 new hires every two weeks. When I joined, we were 500 strong. Today, we’re more than 1,600. To manage this growth, we’ve adopted a cohort-based onboarding approach. This system is efficient and helps new hires connect with colleagues across various teams, fostering a sense of community from Day One. Our dedicated Onboarding team ensures this phase is significant for every Qontoer, regardless of their department or level. We coordinate logistics across five offices and remote locations to deliver a smooth experience. We believe that your journey at Qonto starts from the very first interview. Onboarding extends this experience, ensuring you feel both informed and welcomed. To facilitate a smooth transition and minimize surprises, we provide all essential information upfront through our Onboarding Guide on a dedicated Notion page. Additionally, on the first day of onboarding, we introduce new hires in our company journal, ensuring that every newcomer feels welcomed right from the start.
On my first day, I stepped into Qonto’s office and was warmly greeted by Camille, one of the front desk hosts. Being the first to arrive, I had a few moments to take in the beautifully designed spaces before others started trickling in. As the room began to fill with faces I recognized from the Onboarding team’s email, I got the chance to chat and share a coffee with the other new joiners. This relaxed start set a casual tone and allowed me to connect with the people I’d be spending the week with.
Lara from the Onboarding team then guided us to a room that would become our basecamp for much of the week. There, we connected via an online conference with other new joiners from the Berlin, Milan, and Barcelona offices. I was impressed to see everyone, regardless of their location, was given access to the same information and experience.
Olivia: Initially, everyone came to Paris for onboarding. While this was exciting, it didn’t align with our impact and sustainability strategy. It also unintentionally suggested that Qonto was centralized in Paris, even though we have strong local management teams across various locations. Onboarding is a crucial phase, and traveling to a new country where you don’t speak the language can be overwhelming. Moreover, new hires often felt like they had to adjust twice — first to a new company and then to a new office environment once they returned to their local office. We realized we needed a change. For our fully remote employees, we offer the option to either join the cohort in person at one of our offices or participate in the week remotely. If they choose the latter, we ensure all necessary equipment, such as laptops, is sent ahead of time so they’re ready to go from the outset. This approach helps new hires feel connected to the team, regardless of their location. Even in a remote setup, they are made to feel like an integral part of Qonto.
An intensive and insightful first week
Our four-day agenda was packed with activities. Engaging presentations provided a deep dive into the company, while hands-on sessions got us familiar with Qonto’s tools and streamlined our administrative tasks.
Each company department had a representative explain their team’s contribution to Qonto’s success. The speakers, ranging from internal contributors to senior managers, were well-trained and supportive. They encouraged questions and encouraged us to take an active role in the sessions. This was a lifesaver for someone like me, who’d never worked in fintech before. They patiently explained financial jargon and company-specific terms, never making us feel like our questions were stupid, which encouraged us to ask more. As Simone told me, “Here, you feel genuinely encouraged to ask questions without fear. Coming from someone as shy as I am, that says a lot!”
What impressed me most was the personal involvement of the two co-founders, Alex and Steve. Their dedication to onboarding new joiners was remarkable. Edoardo said it best: “The co-founders running onboarding sessions broke down barriers and showed the human side of the business.” Alex gave a comprehensive presentation of Qonto, detailing the company’s origin, mission, vision, and current state of the business. Steve followed with an insightful talk on the company’s culture, The Qonto Way. I truly appreciated that they took the time to explain it, unlike in my previous companies, where you had to figure it out over months of interactions with colleagues.
We also had sessions dedicated to Qonto’s product and customers. We even got to test the product (and it was surprisingly easy to use, even for someone like me who’s far from the target audience). Too often, this aspect gets overlooked during onboarding, especially for support roles like mine that don’t interact directly with end-users. It was a great reminder of who we work for and it really gave me the impression that everyone is working together toward common goals.
Olivia: Our cofounders, Alex and Steve, have always been deeply involved in our onboarding process. As our team grew, they quickly recognized the need for a more streamlined approach. This became one of the first missions for Sarah, Qonto’s first HR member and now Chief People Officer, when she joined.
Our onboarding program originally spanned two weeks, but over time we’ve streamlined the process. We begin with general information and progressively delve into more specific details, employing a funnel approach. Each day is centered around a specific theme, making it easier for newcomers to navigate through the program. Designing this program is a challenging task. Our aim is to deliver all the necessary information without overwhelming new hires. We follow three key principles:
1. Sessions should be general to all Qontoers: every session must be relevant to everyone, regardless of their department and their level of seniority
2. Engaging format and content: sessions need to be clear about their purpose and relevance, incorporating interactive elements to keep new hires engaged.
3. Memorable and useful content: we believe that ‘less is more’. We focus on delivering key messages and essential information that everyone needs to know during the first week.
Creating the content is a collaborative effort with our speakers, and we continuously improve it based on onboarders’ feedback. This approach ensures our onboarding remains relevant, engaging, and effective for all new Qontoers.
A joined-up experience for new joiners
“The worst is always when you join and IT systems don’t work, when your laptop and email account aren’t set up correctly.” Edoardo’s point about the frustrations of faulty IT systems can’t be overstated. It’s such a basic need yet, when it fails, it can really dampen the excitement of starting a new job. I remember a previous onboarding experience where I didn’t have a PC for a full day and just sat awkwardly at my desk for most of the day, watching my colleagues working and waiting for the IT representative to show up and rescue me. One highlight of the Qonto onboarding experience was a dedicated session with the IT team. They guided us through setting up our laptops, ensuring everything ran smoothly from the get-go. What truly stood out was the personalized touch they added. For those of us who had never used a Mac before, myself included, they offered in-person training. It was immensely helpful and eliminated any initial tech-related jitters.
Olivia: Our IT team understands that a smooth onboarding experience sets the tone for success. With six dedicated members — one for each office plus one for remote joiners — they ensure every new hire starts off on the right foot. The goal is clear: have everyone set up on their laptops by 12:30 on their first day. Picture this: You arrive on your first day, open your laptop, and everything is ready to go. Your email is set up, you’re in the right groups, and you have access to Notion with minimal effort on your part. This seamless experience is a result of our IT team’s meticulous preparation. Now, instead of worrying about tech setup, you can focus on learning how to use your equipment, understanding safety protocols, and discovering how the IT team can support you. Our commitment to continuous improvement drives us to gather every week to review and refine our IT processes, ensuring we always provide the best onboarding experience. But none of this would be possible without our HR Ops team. From the moment you accept the offer, they spring into action. They gather your administrative information and create your SIHR profile on our internal tool within 2–4 days. They keep in regular contact, making sure everything is in place for your start date.
The Onboarding team also actively sought our feedback daily, showing their dedication to providing a top-notch experience and their willingness to adapt. As Anfal observed, “What stood out was the company’s openness and culture around new ideas and propositions, exemplified by its principle of Ownership. This allows everyone to contribute, even outside their scope, to the company’s success and bring their vision to the table.” It was a clear first demonstration of Qonto’s culture in action.
Olivia: Building personal connections between new hires is another cornerstone of our onboarding approach. We use the descriptions that they send us to spark meaningful conversations, creating a natural flow since people are already prepared to discuss these details. The secret lies in encouraging activities among the new hires themselves, rather than the Onboarding team orchestrating everything from the top down. At the end of each day, our team collects feedback on the sessions to better understand the experiences of our participants. It’s part of our commitment to continuous improvement. For example, we noticed that our sales training felt too one-directional. In response, we sat down with the Sales team to refine our approach. Now, new hires don’t just hear about strategies; they engage actively, learning how to pitch Qonto, understanding its unique selling points, and recognizing the critical role the Sales team plays. The week concludes with an anonymous quiz, designed not to test individuals but to gauge how well the content resonates, ensuring its relevance and impact. This method has helped us achieve very good results consistently, with an average satisfaction score of 4.8 out of 5 and an Onboarding Net Promoter Score of 95.
By the end of the week, I was totally exhausted. I remember coming home on Friday and falling asleep early in the evening. In hindsight, the intensity of the experience was exactly what I needed to get up to speed quickly. It condensed months of information into one week, making me feel like I’d reached a level of understanding of the company that usually takes a few months in a new job. At times, it feels almost like a rite of passage. Since all Qontoers experience this, it fosters shared memories, lays the groundwork for discussions, and builds bonds with colleagues you might never have interacted with otherwise.
Onboarding doesn’t stop after the first week (or even the first month), but this initial period plays a pivotal role in setting the tone for your adaptation to the new environment. While I can’t say I knew everything about the company after that week, it definitely helped me see the big picture. Simone summed it up perfectly: “It’s unrealistic to grasp everything during the first week, but each session seems meticulously crafted to give you just enough knowledge and show you where to find the information you need later. These sessions, along with the well-organized knowledge base on Notion, create a truly magical formula that makes the transition smooth. I never imagined it was possible to feel so comfortable in less than two weeks.”
After the initial week, the onboarding process transitions from the People team to individual managers, who conduct more role-specific orientations. This funnel approach ensures a seamless handover, allowing new hires to shift their focus from the company’s broader objectives to the specific duties of their roles. Each department may customize this onboarding process to address unique requirements — a topic we plan to explore in a future article.
About Qonto
Qonto makes it easy for SMEs and freelancers to manage day-to-day banking, thanks to an online business account that’s stacked with invoicing, bookkeeping and spend management tools.
Created in 2016 by Alexandre Prot and Steve Anavi, Qonto now operates in 4 European markets (France, Germany, Italy, and Spain) serving 500,000 customers, and employs more than 1,600 people.
Since its creation, Qonto has raised €622 million from well-established investors. Qonto is one of France’s most highly valued scale-ups and has been listed in the Next40 index, bringing together future global tech leaders, since 2021.
Interested in joining a challenging and game-changing company? Take a look at our open positions.
Illustration by Karina Pasechka
