Interactive scalable onboarding experience

An international pharmaceutical company needed to onboard new associates in a way that was engaging, information-rich and easy to access — familiarizing people with a new working environment before they physically arrived.

Using our digital learning platform, SmartLab Learning, we immersed participants in the world of onboarding using photorealistic 360 environments built from photography of the organization’s real locations. New associates moved through levels, opened content through interactive hotspots, and followed personalized journeys specific to their role, level and location, so that a new hire in one country was not sent through an induction written for another.

Friendly animated avatars promoted connection and belonging, and the experience connected new joiners with each other, with mentors and with their line managers. Gamified progression kept people moving through it, while progress tracking and an easy-to-use administrator interface let the team see where each cohort had got to and make adjustments when necessary.

Our virtual onboarding journey was praised as a resounding success, helping to rapidly welcome new hires and give them the tools and knowledge they needed to succeed in their new place of work — at a scale, and with a consistency, that a location-by-location induction could not reach.