Let’s be honest: onboarding new sales reps is rarely anyone’s favorite project. It's repetitive, eats up manager time, and half the time, reps forget what they did in week one anyway. If you’re tired of chasing people down and want onboarding to actually stick, automating the process is worth a shot.
This guide is for sales enablement pros, managers, and anyone stuck duct-taping onboarding together. I’ll walk you through setting up automated onboarding in Saleshood, flag what actually works, and call out the stuff you can skip. Let’s get started.
Why bother automating onboarding at all?
Manual onboarding is a time suck. Even if you have a “playbook,” it usually means emailing PDFs, chasing signatures, and sending “Did you finish the training?” messages on Slack. Automating onboarding with a tool like Saleshood gives you:
- Consistency: Everyone gets the same experience and info.
- Accountability: You know who’s done what.
- Less hand-holding: Managers can focus on coaching, not babysitting.
But, fair warning: automation isn’t magic. You still need solid content and a logical flow. If your onboarding is a mess now, automating it will just make the mess faster.
Step 1: Map out your current onboarding workflow (before you touch Saleshood)
Don’t start by building in the tool. Start by sketching your current process. Otherwise, you’ll automate confusion.
What to do:
- Write down each step a new rep goes through, from “Welcome email” to “First deal closed.”
- Note who owns each step (manager, HR, new hire).
- List all training materials, documents, and videos.
- Be honest: What steps are always skipped? What’s actually useful?
Pro tip:
Ask a recently onboarded rep what confused them or felt pointless. Cut or fix those steps now.
Step 2: Organize your content and decide what’s worth automating
Before you even log in to Saleshood, round up all your onboarding assets. This is the digital equivalent of cleaning your desk before you buy a fancy organizer.
What to keep in mind:
- Ditch outdated stuff: Reps spot fluff a mile away.
- Short videos beat long lectures: Nobody wants to watch a 45-minute “company history” video.
- Make it interactive where it matters: Quizzes, pitch practice, or peer feedback are good. Don’t add complexity just to show off.
Step 3: Log in to Saleshood and set up your onboarding “Huddle”
Saleshood calls its structured learning paths “Huddles.” Think of a Huddle as a playlist of content, tasks, and checkpoints.
How to build your first onboarding Huddle:
- Create a New Huddle:
- Go to your Saleshood dashboard. Click “Create Huddle.”
-
Name it something obvious, like “Sales Rep Onboarding – US Team.”
-
Add Content Modules:
- Drop in videos, PDFs, links, or quizzes.
-
Order them the way reps should complete them. Don’t overcomplicate.
-
Set up Checkpoints:
- Add knowledge checks (quizzes) at logical breaks.
-
Use pitch practice: Have reps record a quick elevator pitch or objection handling.
-
Assign Owners:
-
If some steps need manager review (like pitch feedback), assign the right people.
-
Set Due Dates:
- Don’t just set everything to “end of week one.” Space it out to match real-world ramp time.
What works:
- Short, focused content with clear calls to action.
- Immediate feedback on practice pitches.
What doesn’t:
- Stuffing every possible resource “just in case.”
- Overly rigid deadlines—reps have real work to do.
Step 4: Automate assignments and reminders
Here’s where the “automation” part earns its keep.
Set up automatic enrollment:
- In Saleshood, you can auto-assign Huddles to new users (either individually or by group).
- If you have an HRIS or Active Directory integration, connect it so new hires land in the right onboarding group by default.
Configure reminders:
- Saleshood will send reminders to reps (and managers, if you want) when deadlines approach.
- Don’t overdo it—nobody wants 10 emails a day. Set a reminder for the day before and day of deadline.
Pro tip:
Still send a personal welcome email. Automated reminders are great, but a human touch goes a long way in week one.
Step 5: Build in manager checkpoints and feedback loops
Automation can save time, but don’t let it turn onboarding into a solo slog for new reps.
How to add real feedback:
- Use Saleshood’s “Pitch Practice” feature. Have reps record themselves pitching, then have managers or peers review and score.
- Add comment threads or discussion prompts after key modules.
- Schedule a live check-in at the halfway point. Automation is great, but it won’t spot a struggling rep—managers will.
What’s worth ignoring:
- Don’t force managers to review everything. Focus their attention on the high-impact stuff (like live calls or demos).
Step 6: Track progress and actually use the data
It’s easy to set up dashboards and then never look at them again. Don’t fall into this trap.
What to track in Saleshood:
- Completion rates for each module and overall Huddle.
- Scores on knowledge checks and pitch practices.
- Time to completion (if reps are blowing through content in a day, that’s a red flag).
How to use the info:
- Spot bottlenecks. If everyone gets stuck on a module, maybe it’s unclear or too long.
- Flag low quiz scores or missed deadlines for manager follow-up.
Honest take:
Don’t obsess over 100% completion. Focus on whether reps are actually ready to sell.
Step 7: Iterate—don’t “set and forget”
Your onboarding isn’t “done” once it’s in Saleshood. The best teams treat it as a living process.
How to keep improving:
- After every cohort, ask new reps what worked (and what didn’t).
- Cut or tweak anything that caused confusion or got skipped.
- Update content as messaging, product, or market changes.
Pro tip:
If you’re too busy to update onboarding after every hire, set a calendar reminder to review it quarterly. A little maintenance goes a long way.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Automating a bad process: If it sucks on paper, it’ll suck faster in a tool.
- Too much content: More isn’t better. Reps want to get selling, not sit in training forever.
- No human contact: Automation shouldn’t mean isolation. Build in video calls, peer intros, and manager check-ins.
- Forgetting compliance: If there are legal or HR steps, make sure they’re included and tracked.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, keep it human
Automating onboarding with Saleshood can save you hours and give reps a clearer path to success—but only if you keep things simple and human. Don’t try to automate everything. Start with the basics, get feedback, and tweak as you go. The less you overthink it, the faster your team will ramp up and actually hit quota.
You don’t need a 50-step workflow or a wall of videos. Just a clear path, honest feedback, and a little automation to save everyone’s sanity.