Better onboarding key to retaining junior employees in the UAE

Junior employees in the UAE are entering workplaces where expectations are rising faster than support systems, new research from Robert Walters suggests. One in four junior employees, or 24%, said their onboarding experience made them more likely to leave their role, highlighting a retention risk for employers competing for early-career talent.

The findings point to a clear gap between what new hires need and what many organisations provide during their first months. Only 31% of junior employees said they felt very supported by their manager during onboarding. A further 21% said it took more than six months before they felt effective in their roles.

Junior employees face a tougher start at work

The contrast with more experienced professionals is notable. Among middle managers, 52% said they felt very supported by their manager during onboarding. Only 6% said they needed more than six months to feel fully effective, suggesting that junior staff are more exposed when onboarding is weak or unclear.

Andrew Powell, Chief Commercial Officer at Robert Walters, said early-career employees are under increasing pressure once they secure a role. “A lot of attention is rightly being paid to the challenges early-career talent is facing in securing a role. In addition to a highly competitive jobs market, the expectations placed on junior employees once they start a job are changing rapidly,” he said.

Powell added that junior employees are being asked to contribute sooner, adapt to AI developments and build skills once associated with experienced professionals. “Effective onboarding plays a critical role in helping young people build confidence, understand expectations and become productive more quickly,” he said.

The issue is especially relevant in the UAE, where many employees are joining organisations after relocating from other markets. That can make the first months more complex, as new hires are often adjusting to a new workplace, a new business environment and, in many cases, a new culture at the same time.

Jason Grundy, Managing Director of Robert Walters Middle East, said the UAE’s workforce profile raises the stakes for employers. “The UAE's workforce is unusually diverse, with talent relocating from across the region and beyond. That makes onboarding even more important locally, new hires aren't just learning a role, they're often learning a new market and culture at the same time. Getting that right early has a direct impact on retention.”

Training and role clarity remain the biggest gaps

The research found that 28% of junior employees felt training and role clarity were lacking during their onboarding experience. Across the wider professional workforce, that concern was even more pronounced, with 44% identifying training and role clarity as the most common weakness in onboarding.

Manager support was the next major gap, cited by 37% of professionals. Another 19% pointed to team integration, suggesting that onboarding problems are not limited to paperwork or systems access. They often involve the everyday support needed to understand reporting lines, expectations, internal culture and how teams make decisions.

Among middle managers, just over half, or 52%, said training and role clarity were lacking during onboarding. In addition, 42% said communication before their start date could have been better, while 33% reported difficulties accessing the tools and systems needed to perform effectively in their role.

Powell said many companies still treat onboarding mainly as an administrative process focused on policies, systems and compliance. “In reality, it is one of the most important stages of the employee experience. The first few months in a role shape how employees feel about their manager, their team, future career opportunities and the organisation as a whole.”

The findings come as entry-level roles are becoming more competitive and demanding. Robert Walters referred to PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer, which found that many entry-level positions are becoming increasingly “seniorised”, with employers placing greater value on judgement, communication and leadership earlier in a person’s career.

That shift has practical consequences for hiring managers. If a junior employee is expected to use new technology, communicate with stakeholders and take ownership quickly, onboarding cannot be limited to a brief induction. It needs to explain what good performance looks like, who can help, and how decisions are made inside the organisation.

Why onboarding now affects retention

Onboarding is also shaping whether employees stay. While 51% of professionals rated their onboarding as good or excellent, more than one in five, or 22%, described it as poor or very poor. A third said their onboarding made them more likely to remain with their employer, while 22% said it made them more likely to leave.

For employers, that means the first few months can either protect hiring investment or weaken it. Recruitment costs, notice periods and replacement searches can place pressure on teams. Poor onboarding can also affect productivity, as employees spend longer working out basic processes, relationships and priorities.

Robert Walters has launched its Complete Guide to Onboarding to help organisations build more structured programmes. The recommendations include making onboarding more human, improving manager capability, creating consistent stages and milestones, and extending support beyond the first week of employment.

Grundy said the guide is intended to be practical for employers in the UAE and GCC. “For employers across the UAE and GCC, this guide is about giving hiring managers something practical to work from, not another policy document, but a framework they can actually apply as they build out their teams.”

The message for employers is clear: onboarding is no longer a first-day formality. In a market where junior employees face higher expectations and steeper learning curves, structured support can determine how quickly they contribute, how confident they feel and whether they see a future with the organisation.