"Culture Is Not a Checklist: Designing Onboarding as a Belonging Experience"

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Onboarding is often treated as a series of tasks to complete, systems to access, and policies to review. But long before a new hire finishes orientation, they’ve already learned something far more important: whether they belong.

 

In this interactive session, participants will explore how onboarding functions as one of the most powerful culture-shaping experiences in an organization. Every handoff, meeting, training, and early interaction sends a signal about what is valued, who is included, and how safe it is to contribute. When onboarding is designed intentionally, it accelerates connection, trust, and engagement. When it isn’t, it quietly undermines even the strongest culture statements.

 

Drawing from real-world organizational experience, this session focuses on practical design choices that influence belonging from Day One. Participants will examine common onboarding moments through a culture lens, identify where unintended messages may be showing up, and redesign those moments to better reflect their organization’s values.

 

The session is highly interactive and includes guided reflection, small-group discussion, and a hands-on design exercise. Attendees will leave with a simple framework they can apply immediately, regardless of role, title, or budget, to create onboarding experiences that help people feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to contribute.

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Participants will leave ready to:​​

1. Identify hidden culture signals embedded in onboarding experiences.

2. Redesign key onboarding moments to intentionally reinforce belonging.

3. Apply a practical framework to evaluate and improve onboarding without requiring additional tools, approvals, or budget.

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Speaker Bio:

Jazmin Webster, Curator of Quality Experiences, helps life science startups turn onboarding into a business advantage. With 20 years in global learning and development, a master’s in education, and advanced certifications in learning experience design, she builds programs that accelerate the journey from new hire to high-impact contributor. Jazmin is an industry leader, contributing knowledge on onboarding best practices in internationally recognized, Learning and Development publications.

Blending science, strategy, and creativity, Jazmin designs engaging training rooted in how adults truly learn, drawing on neuroscience to strengthen retention, spark motivation, and drive real behavior change. She is passionate about helping teams strengthen quality culture, shorten time-to-proficiency, and realize meaningful business results from their training efforts.

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A lifelong learner and active industry leader, Jazmin brings her curiosity mindset and contagious optimism to every project. Her mission is simple: to create quality experiences that help people and organizations thrive.