Onboarding is one of those things everyone says they care about, but in reality, a lot of new hires still start their job feeling a bit lost. Too many links. Too many documents. Too many “you’ll find it in the portal” moments.
What surprised me recently is how something as small as a Multi-Link QR Code can smooth that whole experience out. One scan → everything they need in one place. No searching, no “where was that link again?”, just… clarity. And honestly, clarity is underrated.
A quick story (the real kind)
A friend of mine started a new remote role last year. Day one, she had nine different links to different resources. One for HR forms. One for the handbook. One for Slack. Another for IT. She spent half the morning just figuring out what to open first.
Compare that to what one of my clients does now: they leave a small welcome card on the new employee’s desk. It simply says:
“Scan me. Everything you need today is here.”
That single QR opens:
- A welcome message from their manager
- Their onboarding checklist
- IT setup steps
- Benefits overview
- A short “how we work here” page
No overwhelm. No scavenger hunt.
And that small detail changes the tone of a first day.
So why does HR keep using these little codes?
Because they reduce friction. And friction is what makes onboarding feel overwhelming.
We know from SHRM research that great onboarding improves retention and productivity.
Source: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/topics/onboarding/measuring-success
But most HR teams don’t need a new system. They need a simpler way to connect what they already have.
QR codes do that well because they’re:
- Low effort
- Easy to update
- Easy to understand
- And they don’t require another login (thank goodness)
Where QR codes actually help (in the real world)
You’ll see HR using them for things like:
- Welcome kits → Business card inside says “scan to get started”
- Training rooms → QR on the wall = materials for today’s session
- Office navigation → Maps, FAQs, who to call when the printer jams
- Feedback → Code near the coffee machine → short check-in survey
- Remote onboarding → One card in the laptop box replaces eight emails
CIPD highlights how easy access to learning resources improves engagement.
Source: https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/strategy-development-factsheet/
This is the whole point: remove barriers → people participate more.
It’s not a “tech upgrade.” It’s a human one.
When something is easy, people relax.
When they relax, they ask more questions.
When they ask more questions, they learn faster.
When they learn faster, they feel part of the team sooner.
This is culture.
Not posters. Not slogans.
Just ease and clarity, consistently.
If you want to try this (start tiny)
Don’t overhaul onboarding. Just do one of these:
- Put one QR code on your welcome materials.
- Link it to a clean page: Notion, Confluence, SharePoint… whatever you already use.
- Watch how many “where is that link?” questions disappear.
If it works, expand from there. If not, it costs you nothing.
The best HR improvements aren’t always “big changes.”
Sometimes they’re one small scan.
Guest writer
