I’ve never fancied the formality of corporate symbols. Uniforms, titles, official email addresses. As a consultant and founder, I’ve managed more inboxes than I care to count. So when someone asks if they need a company email, my default reaction is usually: not really.
I’ve been rethinking that lately.
For people joining a new team, especially remotely, small signals carry weight. You might think a welcome call and a Slack invite are enough, but that @companyname.com email does something. It tells them they’re in, that this isn’t a trial. That you see them as part of the actual company, not some contractor you might drop when cash gets tight.
Why founders dismiss this stuff
We tend to filter the world through our own lenses. I’m extremely independence-biased. I avoid attachment to anything that can be revoked, like titles and login credentials. If it’s not permanent, I don’t want it. This kind of thinking works fine when you’re the one calling the shots.
But for people entering a company, those signals can mean the difference between feeling valued and feeling expendable. I’ve had people write from their personal Gmail for weeks because I didn’t think it mattered. It didn’t occur to me that they might be feeling anxious the whole time, wondering if they really had the job. That’s not a great way to start a relationship.
The data is embarrassingly clear
Structured onboarding boosts retention by 82% and productivity by 70%, according to research by Brandon Hall. And yet, only 12% of employees say their company is good at onboarding, according to Gallup.
When onboarding feels vague, the message people hear isn’t, “We trust you.” It’s “You’re not official yet.” And that ambiguity costs you more than you think.
Employees who feel a strong sense of belonging take 75% fewer sick days and are more likely to stay. They’re also more engaged, more productive, and less distracted by the low-grade anxiety of wondering if they belong. You can’t ask someone to perform their best while also making them question whether they’re part of the team.
| Factor | With Strong Onboarding | Without It |
|---|---|---|
| Retention | 82% higher | Lower |
| Productivity | 70% higher | Inconsistent |
| Commitment | 18x stronger | Fragile |
| Sick days | 75% fewer | Higher |
| Long-term loyalty | 69% more likely to stay | High turnover |
Small changes, big effects.
Belonging isn’t fluffy
Founders often skip this stuff because it feels like overkill. You don’t want to roll out the red carpet for someone who might not stick around. But the irony is that people stick around longer when you do roll out the red carpet. Not in a forced, cheesy way, but in a way that says, “we’ve made space for you here.”
That includes the basics: official email, a bio on the team page, clear onboarding steps, and access to all the channels where real work happens. Skipping them says more about how we value people’s time than we think.
Most people are doing the mental math of whether this job is real, whether this team is stable, and whether they should emotionally invest. Give them reasons to believe the answer is yes.
You don’t have to create an HR handbook or hire a chief culture officer. But if someone joins your team, give them the digital equivalent of a desk with their name on it.
Mo Shehu, Ph.D. writes and speaks. You can find him online @shehuphd everywhere.