Creating digital onboarding communications that engage new employees
DHL Supply Chain | Employee Onboarding Journey
Context
In a highly competitive job market, with rising attrition and turnover, DHL Supply Chain needed to evolve its onboarding communications to better meet employee expectations. Onboarding needed to do more than inform – it needed to help employees feel excited, connected and supported from day one.
Approach
We designed digital onboarding communications for a global workforce, giving every new starter a consistent three-month journey. We extended DHL Supply Chain’s employer brand into the onboarding experience and helped new employees understand how their role supports the company strategy.
Outcome
New starters now experience consistent onboarding communications that build a sense of belonging and drive early engagement from day one.
DHL Supply Chain was facing a competitive job market, rising frontline turnover and a generation with higher expectations of employee experience. The business wanted to better support new starters, so they felt confident and excited about joining DHL Supply Chain.
While onboarding was in place, it lacked consistency, with disconnected communications that didn’t build early connection or reflect the employer brand.
A consistent thread for all communications
We saw an opportunity to connect DHL Supply Chain’s employer brand and #TogetherUnstoppable strategy across onboarding and early employment – creating a more consistent and engaging start for new employees.
To do this, we anchored onboarding communications in one clear idea: Together.
Designing a purposeful three-month journey
We developed a structured onboarding communications strategy, starting from preboarding through to the first three months.
New starters receive timely, relevant communication that builds connection and helps reduce drop-off before their first day.
Over the first three months, communications combine practical guidance with culture-led storytelling. They are designed to answer the questions new starters naturally ask, such as: Did I make the right decision? Do I belong here? Can I succeed here?
How we made a meaningful difference
By aligning attraction and onboarding under one global narrative, we used communication to create greater consistency between what new starters are promised and what they experience. By bringing #TogetherUnstoppable to life from day one, employees better understand what the strategy means for their role and how they support business performance.
Big Insight
Onboarding has more impact when it’s treated as a strategic journey, not a checklist, that builds engagement and belonging before day one.
What we delivered
- Onboarding narrative aligned to the global employer brand and DHL Supply Chain Strategy
- Creative concept and visual design for the onboarding communications
- Structured three-month onboarding comms plan
- Digital onboarding content and activation assets
