ONBOARDING PROBLEMS
Avoid Common Pitfalls
Onboarding has never been harder, particularly with the advent of hybrid and virtual work. These new work models shorten the ‘honeymoon phase’ and make it more difficult for executives to build trust, read culture, and integrate with their teams.
The Reality Today
- 54% of executives regret taking their job within weeks
- Only 43% experience onboarding longer than a single day
- 10–25% leave within six months
- Replacing an executive can cost up to 10x salary
(Sources: Traynor, Korn Ferry, OC Tanner)
Even the best hires can stumble without the right support. Research from Corporate Executive Board (CEB) estimates that up to 70% of executives fail within 18 months of taking on a role, regardless of whether they were an external hire or promoted from within; they resign, get fired or are reassigned – each case is a costly setback for both the executive and the organization. Turnover rates have jumped, and the average tenure has shortened.
FASTFORWARD mitigates integration risks by addressing the most common challenges that derail a new executive and their boss.
Major challenges new leaders face
Experts consistently point out seven common pitfalls that set new executives off on the wrong foot. FASTFORWARD is built to directly address them:
- Not Building Relationships Quickly: 82% of new hires fail because they don’t form key relationships early. Trust is the currency of leadership. – Right Management
- Misreading the Culture: Executives who can’t align with the unwritten rules of culture often get sidelined. – McKinsey
- Unclear on Expectations: 58% of leaders don’t fully understand what success looks like, leading to misalignment. – Right Management
- Ignoring Politics: 50% stumble by overlooking informal networks and influencers. Navigating beyond the org chart is critical. – Right Management
- Failing to Deliver Early Wins: Without quick, visible progress, leaders struggle to earn credibility and build momentum. – Harvard Business Review
- Misjudging or Delaying Team Changes: Failing to assess or restructure teams early on slows performance. – Fortune
- Struggling with Scale and Complexity: Larger roles with more people, budgets, and pace overwhelm even seasoned leaders without support. – Ram Charan
FASTFORWARD equips executives with the clarity, context, and structure to overcome these challenges and thrive.
Behavioural derailers made by new leaders
Beyond major challenges, new executives often present five predictable behaviours that can undermine their success:
- Talk more than listen
- Rely too heavily on past successes
- Fail to set expectations around their learning period
- Overlook blind spots and lack self-awareness
- Jump into “fixer” mode too soon, without context
The FASTFORWARD process proactively counters these derailers with structured steps that emphasize listening, learning, relationship-building, cultural awareness, and measured early momentum. Executives gain discipline to pace their integration, avoiding costly missteps.
Common mistakes bosses make
While onboarding typically rests with HR, the most critical stakeholder for a new leader is their boss. The solution is, therefore, to give new executives the tools they’ll need to effectively manage up, get on the same page faster, and accelerate their time to impact. FASTFORWARD mitigates integration obstacles by addressing the most common challenges that derail a new executive and their boss.
Common mistakes bosses make include:
- Handing off complete onboarding responsibility to HR
- Focusing only on tasks and outcomes, not relationships or culture
- Discontinuing check-ins too soon
- Failing to define success clearly
- Missing opportunities for a genuine welcome
- Not asking what support is needed
- Withholding key organizational context
- Delaying strategy or team assessments