Imagine two new employees arriving at the company on their first day, with the same goal: to integrate, contribute their talent and ideas to the team’s work, and build their careers while enriching the company culture with their personalities. But first, they must find their way around the new environment — which isn’t always easy. Especially if we give them completely different toolsets to do so...
One new hire — let’s call them Classic Colleague — receives a bunch of useful documents. If they carefully go through them, they’ll eventually learn about the company, its structure, rules, and their duties. After a quick tour, we show them their desk, they spend a few hours filling out entry paperwork, and we encourage them to reach out with questions. Then, it’s time to start working for real.
Our other new hire — Digi Colleague — downloaded an app on their phone before day one. There, they find welcome videos from the CEO and their teammates. Through playful tasks, they can explore the company and get to know the team. They can join group chats, easily access key information, and receive instant feedback and recognition for every task completed. On their phone, they can always find what they need — reach their manager, check company news, or revisit important info anytime.
No question who’s going to feel better — even within the first 30 minutes.
Traditional onboarding focuses on introducing rules, processes, and completing admin tasks. Unfortunately, that means Classic Colleague faces a colder, more impersonal experience, which easily kills motivation. Static training sessions — especially for younger employees — are often ineffective and fail to engage. The lack of personal touch, connection, and experience can feel alienating, leading to low engagement, slow integration, or even early turnover.
Modern, experience-based onboarding, by contrast, is much more than information transfer. It’s an enjoyable puzzle: Digi Colleague can always check the full picture in the company app — just like looking at the puzzle box cover. At their own pace, they connect the edges and gradually fill in the colorful details. With every piece, the picture becomes clearer — and at the end, everything fits perfectly.
Microlearning — breaking complex topics into short, digestible learning units — is one of the most powerful tools in modern onboarding and corporate training. Each topic can be completed in manageable chunks, with practice and repetition deepening the knowledge before moving to the next level. The freedom and flexibility offered by a company smartphone app fit perfectly with today’s habits and learning preferences.
Interactive mobile quizzes, infographics, and explainer videos are ideal formats for learning at one’s own pace. Measuring knowledge becomes easier and more transparent through instant feedback and progress tracking.
Digi Colleague was able to connect with the community more easily from day one thanks to playful tasks and welcome videos. The engaging power of gamification can be harnessed throughout the onboarding process — motivating and rewarding employees in a fun, interactive way.
The 30-60-90 day milestones of onboarding are also easier to track and measure in a well-structured digital process. Instead of limiting onboarding to a single day or week, it becomes a continuous period of learning and connection. This takes pressure off the employee — they can monitor their progress in the app, see where they need improvement, and connect with the community through informal content, challenges, and games.
The Blue Colibri App’s onboarding module was designed for this modern approach. New hires can access an intuitive, mobile-friendly interface filled with engaging, informative content. Like a social platform, it allows for interactivity — users can react, comment, chat, and ask questions.
In addition to e-learning materials and challenges, the complete knowledge base is available for quick and easy access. The gradual onboarding process is supported by automatic content scheduling, pulse surveys, and checkpoints.
Today, onboarding is no longer mere administration — it’s the gateway to company culture. Employees crave a more personal, experience-based introduction, stronger connections, and the freedom to learn at their own pace.
