Global onboarding is tough. Add in remote-first logistics, and it’s easy for new hires to fall through the cracks. Ontra’s Employee Experience team joined us to share how they’ve built a repeatable onboarding program—powered by automation and AI— that keeps 97% of new hires feeling prepared and 99% feeling welcomed—starting from Day 1.

Jordan Conway (Sr. Manager, Employee Experience) and Megan Hardy (Sr. Employee Experience Specialist) gave us a behind-the-scenes look at “Ontraductions,” their 4-week onboarding experience powered by Donut and Gatheround.

Key Takeaways

1. Treat onboarding like an experience, not a checklist
   Ontra doesn’t just “do onboarding”—they host it. Every new hire joins a cohort-based program designed to be interactive, structured, and welcoming from the start.🗣️ “We want folks to feel like they’re connected, not just to their team, but to the broader company and our mission.” —Megan Hardy
2. Automate touchpoints, not connection
   Using Donut Journeys, the team sends 2,000+ Slack messages per cohort to new hires, managers, and buddies—automating what can be, and spending more time on what can’t. Messages are delivered as if they’re coming from familiar faces like Megan—helping new hires feel more personally supported, even in an automated flow.
3. Build in moments of real connection
   Live sessions are where everything comes together. Using Gatheround, the team facilitates interactive learning and community building. With tools like AI-assisted agendas and seamless screensharing, sessions feel dynamic—without extra prep time.

By the way—if you’re looking to try something similar, we’ve partnered with Jordan and Megan to turn their Gatheround session agendas into templates you can use as a starting point. The templates cover Day 1, Day 2, and Day 4 onboarding sessions.

Heads up: you’ll need to customize them to fit your team’s needs and have a Gatheround account to access them. Need help getting started? Our team’s just an email away: [email protected] 

Hot Topic: Reducing Dropoff, Increasing Engagement

Up to 20% of employee turnover happens in the first 45 days. Not Ontra’s. Through automated nudges, milestone check-ins, and ongoing cohort touchpoints, the team maintains engagement across the full four-week journey—and beyond.

🎯 Results after Week 1:

• 99% felt welcomed
• 98% felt integrated into Ontra’s culture
• 97% felt well-prepared
• 95 eNPS

The 3 Elements Every Global Onboarding Program Needs

We asked Jordan and Megan to share what they believe makes Ontraductions work at scale. Here’s what they emphasized:

• Clear structure with defined milestones
• Automation to reduce manual work and free up time
• Dedicated moments for human connection

📺 Want to hear it straight from the source? View the full webinar recording here: