After more than 30 years of recruiting in the structural building components industry, along with my own background in offsite manufacturing, I have learned that hiring someone is only the beginning. Keeping them is where many companies struggle.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from candidates changing jobs is poor onboarding and training. Many employers still confuse onboarding with orientation. Filling out paperwork, watching safety videos, getting a quick tour of the facility, and being introduced to a few people is not onboarding. That is simply getting someone in the door.
Real Onboarding Starts Before Hiring
The best companies prepare before recruiting even starts. They know where the employee will sit, in-office or remote, who will train them, what equipment will be needed, what software access must be configured, and what realistic expectations should look like during the first few weeks. Candidates can immediately tell the difference between a company that planned for their arrival and one that is reacting as things happen.
Onboarding Problems As Preparation Problems
Companies spend significant time trying to recruit employees, but sometimes spend very little time preparing for what happens after the employee says yes. In truss plants, wall panel facilities, modular operations, and component manufacturing environments, the first few weeks often determine whether a new employee becomes productive and engaged, or frustrated and already questioning their decision to join the company.
What surprises many employers is that experienced new employees often struggle the most with weak onboarding and training. They struggle not because they lack skills, but because they quickly recognize disorganization, lack of communication, and unrealistic expectations. I hear this constantly from candidates after they start working:
- “They hired me and immediately threw me into the flow.”
- “Nobody had time to answer questions.”
- “The videos did not match what was actually happening.”
- “I spent the first week trying to get access to the systems I needed.”
- “No one explained how their company actually wanted things done.”
These problems are especially common with truss designers.
Some employers assume that if a designer knows MiTek, Alpine, or another software platform, they should be able to sit down and immediately produce work at full speed. In reality, every company has different loading standards, production tolerances, customer preferences, repair procedures, connector plate criteria, layout standards, and internal workflow systems.
Good Designers Need Operations Training Too
The best companies assign one person to guide the process. That may be a senior designer or design manager with enough time built into their schedule to answer questions, review designs, explain company protocols, and make sure the new designer understands how the company wants things done.
That mentor relationship often determines how quickly the designer becomes confident and productive.
Preparation Matters More Than You Realize
If you are hiring a truss designer, the workstation should already be prepared before the first day. Software should be installed and tested. Engineering profiles, customer files, loading standards, plate setup criteria, pricing systems, and permissions should already be accessible. A designer’s computer should be set up for work, not questions. Nothing damages confidence faster than feeling unprepared while deadlines continue piling up around you.
Another issue I hear about constantly is companies relying too heavily on onboarding videos without meaningful follow-up afterward. Safety procedures, software tutorials, and workflow videos can all be useful tools. The problem starts when management mistakes video completion for training and understanding. Candidates regularly tell me they spent hours watching videos, answered a few generic questions, and were then thrown directly into the flow with little real conversation afterward.
Many new employees are hesitant to admit they do not fully understand something during their first few days because they are trying to make a good impression. That is why real training requires active communication, consistency, and follow-up.
Companies with the best retention are usually not the companies with the newest facilities or highest wages. They are companies where employees feel like someone actually prepared for their arrival, answered their questions, and invested time in helping them succeed.
Especially in today’s labor market, where experienced people have options, preparation matters. Eventually, every company learns the same lesson. Hiring people is expensive, and replacing them is even more expensive.
Let me know if you have any questions related to onboarding. I will be glad to help.