When our new sales rep sat for four days without a laptop — anxious, alone, unsure how to do his job, or whom to ask about it — I knew something was broken. We had around 30 employees at the time and up until then onboarding had kind of taken care of itself. We hired self-starters. Teammates chipped in with advice. Things got rolling — then that changed.

We were big enough now that without some formal guidance people were falling through the cracks. When our new hire finally got a computer, he was lost in a sea of Dropbox and Google Drive folders, overwhelmed by scattered, conflicting bits of information around getting started at Vidyard.

The reality is that, as you grow, it gets harder for new employees to find their footing — and it’s essential for the health of your company that you develop a process to help them along the way. Studies show the first 90 days are a critical period for new hires deciding whether to stay or go. Leaving them to their own devices has real, often immediate repercussions on productivity, employee satisfaction and retention.

For example, surveys show almost a third of people who quit their jobs do so in the first six months of employment, and 22 percent of turnover happens in the first 45 days on the job. But a good onboarding experience can dramatically reduce that — nearly 70 percent of employees will stay at their job for three years if they get off on the right foot.

Putting in some time to facilitate a well-structured entry to your business sends a signal to new hires that their experience matters. And, it substantially reduces the time it takes them to get up to speed. We found that the time needed to fully ramp up our new sales reps dropped from one year to six months after we put a system in place.

So what does an effective onboarding look like? Well, it doesn’t have to be a cookie cutter approach — and it’s so much more than just a company laptop and an info packet from HR. Here’s are some of the hacks that work for us:

Start on Friday — not Monday

No matter how much you love your job, Mondays come with stress. There are meetings to prepare for, schedules to plan, and a whole week of deadlines looming over you. Suffice to say this isn’t the optimal environment to help a new hire settle in. That’s why we have them start on Friday.

The end of the week comes with a sense of excitement and relief. Managers and coworkers have more time to chat with new employees as projects get wrapped up. All of this helps jumpstart relationships and ensures new hires have a positive initial experience. Plus, next week, they’ll already know a handful of people they can go to for guidance or just to say “hey.”

We also insist our new hires knock off a bit early on their first day. They get a quick tour of the office, get set up at their workstation and do the necessary HR stuff. Then they’re free to go, or sometimes hang out for a drink or round of games with their team — we like to let it organically unfold. Come Monday, they’re much better equipped to start taking on some of the more concrete aspects of their job.

Bennies with the bosses

Even at more than 200 employees, I still interview every promising candidate myself — even if it’s just a couple of questions over the phone. When they start, I also make sure we get a chance for an in-person meeting. But it’s important the connection to leadership doesn’t stop there.

Every month or two, our founding team piles into Darlise Café — a local diner that’s the unofficial breakfast spot for Vidyardians — to meet all our new hires and interns. Over potato pancakes, bennies and the best homemade jam you’re ever going to eat, we find out where they’ve come from and what they’re looking forward to, and we ask for their feedback on the first few weeks.

The benefits of this little breakfast flow both ways. For new hires, it’s an important demonstration that lines of communication are open across our organization. As leaders, we get to see see our company through fresh eyes. Sometimes, that leads to breakthrough insights, like the time a new sales rep floated an idea for a tool to connect with prospective clients via short, homemade video clips. Today, GoVideo is one of our most popular offerings.

Smash silos from day 1

Have you ever worked 20 feet away from a person whose name you didn’t know? That kind of disconnection doesn’t just lead to awkward interaction; it kills workplace morale. Studies show knowing and liking your coworkers is the biggest predictor of workplace happiness. Not to mention, getting to know people from different departments paves the way for that all important cross-functional collaboration and problem solving.

When we were small, this mingling happened naturally. Now, with hundreds of people spread over three floors, plus remote workers and satellite offices, it takes a conscious effort to promote cross-pollination. It starts on day one when we assign a V-buddy to give new hires their first tour of the office. The trick is, they have to work in different departments. The idea is to build bridges between various teams from the start in order to combat that silo mentality.

We also ask every new hire to prepare an “About Me” presentation in their first few months, which they deliver to the entire company (remote employees do it over video). Some people go all out, with baby photos, trivia questions, or even slideshows set to music. The goal here is to showcase everyone as three-dimensional human beings, with families, hobbies and passions. That way when someone needs to reach beyond their immediate team for help, the person they’re talking to is just that: a person, not a name on a directory.

Give away the company secrets

Too many companies treat revenue and retention figures like state secrets. I think that’s a major mistake, which is why we share these stats (and more) during onboarding. New hires get a thorough briefing on all our key metrics: burn rate, cash in bank, revenue targets and other critical KPIs.

We started doing this because it aligns with our company values around transparency, but I’ve found it serves an even bigger function in terms of boosting engagement and accountability. You can’t expect new hires to believe in your vision if they don’t understand what it is. This is especially true for millennials and Generation Z, for whom knowing the “why” and not just the “what” is critically important. When they know exactly how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture — and can see how crucial their role is — it’s a lot easier to get them to buy in.

Keep it online, on demand, and preferably visual

The majority of our employees have grown up in a world where they can learn anything on YouTube in minutes. Why should it be any different at work? New hires shouldn’t have to track down an HR rep or wade through a 40-page FAQ to find the info they need.

We “dogfood” by relying heavily on our own video tools to make quick how-tos anyone can access at any time, whether you’re brand new or need a refresher after a few years on the job. Our platform houses the content and keeps track of who’s watching (and who isn’t). This approach has been particularly useful for our remote workers and people in satellite offices who don’t always have the benefit of working beside more experienced teammates.

It goes without saying that demand today for tech workers is at an all-time high. Canada, where we’re based, will see more than 200,000 job openings in this sector in the next three years. In this environment, recruiting and hiring can be a herculean task. But if you’re not helping these critical employees start on the right foot once you’ve landed them, then your work isn’t done. Investing in onboarding is far from a frill — it’s the surest way to help your biggest assets fit in fast and stick around longer.

This post was originally featured in Forbes. Stay up to date with my latest by clicking the "Follow" button next to my name above. Or follow me on Twitter.