Rethinking Onboarding to Increase Engagement and Reduce Turnover with Anthony Sork

Rethinking Onboarding to Increase Engagement and Reduce Turnover with Anthony Sork

From Good Morning, HR by Mike Coffey, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

May 21, 2026 · 52 min · Episode 253

About this episode

Mike Coffey discusses with Anthony Sork how emotional attachment during onboarding impacts employee engagement and retention.

In episode 253, Coffey talks with Anthony Sork about how emotional attachment during onboarding shapes employee engagement, retention, and organizational performance. They discuss the difference between employee attachment and employee engagement; how onboarding experiences create long-term emotional bonds with organizations; the role frontline managers play in employee retention and discretionary effort; why poor manager engagement creates downstream hiring and retention risks; how employer branding influences attachment before candidates even apply; the impact of lengthy recruiting processes on candidate perception and trust; why organizations should treat onboarding as a strategic investment; the four core attachment perceptions of security, trust, acceptance, and belonging; how emotional bonds form during the first 120 days of employment; practical ways leaders can strengthen employee connection and purpose alignment; the risks of unmanaged onboarding and declining new-hire sentiment; why traditional engagement surveys are lagging indicators of workplace culture; and how individualized onboarding experiences improve retention and team performance. Mentioned in this episode…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Coffey

Guest: Anthony Sork

Topics covered

  • onboarding
  • employee engagement
  • retention
  • organizational performance
  • manager engagement
  • emotional attachment
  • employer branding

Keywords

  • onboarding
  • employee engagement
  • retention
  • emotional attachment
  • manager engagement
  • employer branding
  • candidate perception
  • organizational performance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Qualtrics

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