What If Onboarding Is Where It All Goes Wrong?
From DesignRush Podcast by DesignRush Podcast
April 1, 2026 · 39 min · Season 1 · Episode 124
About this episode
The episode discusses the critical role of onboarding in employee performance and retention, highlighting the disconnect between executive expectations and frontline execution.
Most companies focus on customer experience. But what if the real problem starts before the customer even exists? In this episode of the DesignRush Podcast, host Kia Johnson sits down with Janell Scott, Vice President of Talent and Delivery at Hugo Inc., to explore why your first customer is actually your new hire, and how onboarding directly impacts performance, retention, and revenue. Janell explains that one of the biggest gaps in modern organizations is the disconnect between executive expectations and frontline execution. While leadership focuses on growth, KPIs, and customer satisfaction, the employee experience is often overlooked. This creates a breakdown where the people responsible for delivering customer experience are not set up for success from day one. The conversation dives into the critical first 30 days, where new hires form lasting impressions about leadership, culture, and their future within the company. When onboarding is rushed, overly automated, or lacks personal connection, it can negatively impact engagement, confidence, and long-term performance. The episode also explores how artificial intelligence is transforming onboarding and training. From…
People in this episode
Host: Kia Johnson
Guest: Janell Scott
Topics covered
- onboarding
- employee experience
- customer experience
- artificial intelligence
- performance
- retention
Keywords
- onboarding
- employee experience
- customer experience
- artificial intelligence
- performance
- retention
- KPI
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Hugo Inc.
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