Information technology leaders as well as industry workers say onboarding programs are extremely, according to a recent survey by TEKsystems, a provider of IT staffing services.

In fact, 62 of leader respondents and 49 percent of employee respondents say onboarding programs are necessary to establish a new hire's ability to be productive and add value while 53 percent of leader respondents and 45 percent of employee respondents say onboarding is important to a new hire's level of cohesion within their team. Another 46 percent of leader respondents and 44 percent of employee respondents say onboarding is important to determining a new hire's ability to be successful with the company in the long term.

"Given the questions onboarding programs help answer, it is not surprising to see both IT leaders and IT professionals in strong agreement about the role onboarding plays in building a successful employee-employer relationship," says Rachel Russell, director at TEKsystems. "Companies that build their onboarding programs strategically can help their new hires understand expectations clearly, reach productivity faster and feel more connected to the organization – all keys to long-term employee engagement and retention."